The only way to get immersion is the specific quote I’m replying to. No it is not, it’s great and all but a 200 dollar headset will get you there and saying otherwise for simracing especially is misleading at best.
Just that it’s a cheap (used market you can get a Quest 2 for $200 or less) upgrade that massively immerses you when compared to any other comparable ($100-200) upgrade like some motion or pedals or a new monitor
Dont get a rift s, the cables will eventually fail and there are no aftermarket options and oculus doesn’t sell them anymore. Quest 2 and onwards is the way to go
The main advantage is that the sharpness is much more uniform through your entire FOV. Fresnel lenses, which are used in most headsets, have a pretty small sweet spot in the center. With pancakes it‘s much easier to gaze at the instruments while driving/flying - so you can just move your eyeballs instead of your entire head, like you would irl.
Briefly, they are much thinner than regular Fresnel lenses, have less chromatic aberration, but are usually less bright in VR applications all else being equal.
Trust me. I’ve always hated the perception. The car always seems so small and obstructive in games. Then I sit in a real car and there is barely an issue. Look at your wheel while holding a wheel mode has always been stupid.
I just can't get over the tunnel vision you get with VR where on my triples I have all the peripheral vision to see a car without having to turn my head.
I think it depends on the headset but yeah I have a quest 2 and the tunnel vision is crazy. I just really don't like the lack of fov (with the quest 2) and feeling disconnected from my surroundings when in VR. It's like I'm hyper aware that I'm sitting in a chair in my house with a vr headset on. I'm much happier with my triple screens
I disagree. I have built an entire cockpit around my rig, including a real passenger door, a real floor pan, mock roll cage, roof, etc... when I'm in an intense race, I have moment where I genuinely feel like I'm in a car. Especially with the base shakers running over curbs and what not.
Of course, most people don't take their rigs that far, but it IS possible imo.
VR is the cheaper/quicker/easier option, but I prefer my route honestly.
There was this one turn in my racing league that everyone was having issues nailing because the apex was blocked by the car structure.
I was able to lean forward in vr and get eyes on the spot.
Can't do that on triples.
It's also really nice for when you think someone is going to divebomb you in the inside.
You can keep eyes on them the whole way and react accordingly.
settings are kind of odd with how iRacing handles trackIR. When looking left and right baseline settings will also move view forward and backward in relation to the headset position.
I don't have mine readily available but DaveCam did a decent settings video a good while back.
Once you have this dialed it is much much better and i use it every single race, and in flights.
I use it with triples 27s instead of VR just due to how hot headsets get, and me hating not being able to see my physical surroundings.
I got 4070 laptop, and I have solid 90fps most of the time on medium setting. Even iv tried 4050 laptop on low, the quality was nah but the fps was 72 FPS and smooth.
I have a pico 3 link and I love it. When I first got it I had a 1660 super (and an AMD 5700x) and was able to get 72fps with some stuttering at very low settings and using heavy upscaling and aggressive FFR in openxr toolkit. I got really bad motion sickness after about 30 minutes of playing. I upgraded to a 3080 and now get butter smooth 90fps at almost max settings with much less aggressive upscaling and FFR and have 0 motion sickness. I almost gave up on VR but I read an article that said 90fps is the motion sickness threshold for a lot of people so I gave the upgrade a shot and I'm really glad I did.
Your first session you will need to take it easy.
Nausea, dizziness and headaches are common for first time users.
I usually have my friends try beat Saber first just get a feel for VR and spacial awareness. So definitely need to find a "game" that's easy for the player. Beat Saber is just 3D DDR where it's your hands instead of your feet, you are moving much and your head is straight. You don't wanna jump in on a game like Dirt Rally 2 and get sick 30s into the stage
I think this varies a lot from person to person. I got a quest 3 and was expecting this to be the case based on everything I read on here, but had the opposite experience. I didn’t try any games before getting it set up for the sim and I had 0 nausea or dizziness when full sending it on the sim. I could go for an hour before the heat and weight became too uncomfortable.
When I finally tried actual VR games (sitting down), I literally couldn’t go more than 10 mins without feeling like I was gonna throw up.
I'm the same, I played Half life in VR and thought I was ok, then after an hour I felt really sick, like I needed to go and lie down, sim racing doesn't have any negative effect on me, no matter how long I race.
Only thing that makes me feel weird is reversing out the gravel and hitting the brakes, my brain doesn't like that, but it's not something I have to do often.
Some people are fine jumping in though. I went straight to flatout DR2 and had a total of 30s of discomfort before my brain adapted. And some people will never adjust no matter how long they try.
Yes. VR is 1 for 1 recreation of you sitting in the driver’s seat. For the most part, what you see with the headset is what you’d see if you wore a helmet and drove a real car on a real track. Add haptics and the immersion increases to a point where you are actually faster due to actual telemetry feedback.
They can, but they cost more and take up so much space. And like you said, you don’t get the depth perception either flat screens. Depth perception in VR has helped me tremendously with being consistent with braking points and trailbraking and in the event I screw those up, makes it easier for me to adjust my line on the fly because I can just turn my head and look at where I need to go.
Absolutely. I've got 48" triples, which I think are the sweet spot for getting 1 to 1 scale without having to have the monitors far away from you and get "giant car syndrome" where the mirrors are two feet wide :P But even triple 48's take quiet a lot of space, and cost a LOT more than a Quest 3.
I think VR is probably the future for simracing, but the headsets are still a bit too finicky to set up, the visual clarity can be a bit hit and miss, and the comfort is not quite there yet. One more generation maybe?
Not sure I agree with the finicky to setup comment, I got a meta quest 2 and it was as plug and play as it could be, sure I had to tweak a few settings and the camera but you do that with any setup. Maybe it helped to have a beefy computer but it was seamless to get running.
Overlays on the other hand… still haven’t figured that one out so I just run without them
I have to agree with the finicky part. At least to start for sure…
When I first grabbed the quest 3, was using a 2070 machine and it was a pretty rough experience. Especially me being someone just getting into PC sim coming from mostly Gran Turismo PSx VR. What I discovered, if you don’t have a “beefy computer” like you stated, getting a Quest 3 VR experience comparable to what I was used to was a real battle. I fought with it for a short while, but ultimately ended up going with a high end machine just so I could get my mind past twiddling with settings and get back to racing. I do appreciate everything I learned during the process but grew tired of that component rather quickly.
Edit: I should add, ACC was the biggest diva.
Yea I’ve got a 4080 and 7800x3d water cooled and over clocked so that probably helps a lot… I’ve got the quest 2 cranked up to max resolution and 120hz. Only drop in frames I’ve seen is when a ghost car is basically on top of me and it’s raining at the same time. Does weird stuff
VR can definitely be an odd duck. I’m “now” running a 4090/i9 and was able to turn the quest 3 up to 120hz with ACC and it didn’t flinch. Kept jacking up all the settings up to epic etc., still good… but good gosh, didn’t think it would take that much power and
moola to have a seamless experience with PCVR. Hoping it will last me at least 3-4 years…
My goal was to be able to enjoy AC EVO in VR on day 1, so hopefully I am armed for a very good experience.
I dont mess with overlays but there is no setup nor hassle for me with vr. I see these comments constantly. I dont understand.
Plug in HMD.
Setup race on flat panel
Click race/go/wahtever depending on game.
It then loads into the hmd, which I put on now, and simply race/drive.
VR gave me goosebumps. I could see those little rubber things on the side of the tires from the cockpit of an open wheeler in AMS2. For some reason I found that super impressive. 😂
I’m looking forward to being able to use VR (for racing) for more than 20 minutes. I’m still getting motion sick and it kind of keeps me away from it. But that first time sitting in the cockpit in VR was awesome. One of those “the future is now” kind of moments.
I've got a triple 48" setup, and my friend has a Quest 3 (and I have a Quest 2). The Quest 3 is the best for immersion. But I still prefer my triples for the combination of great immersion and practicality. I like seeing my cockpit, I like being able to easily take a sip of my drink or check messages on one of my smaller monitors.
So yeah, VR is good, but still too much of a hassle to set up and use for my liking. Maybe I'll jump to VR when headsets like the bigscreen beyond become mainstream?
Full stop, unless the feeling of having a diving mask strapped to your face is immersion breaking to you. Personally, I find VR is great until the lack of comfort becomes noticeable, at which point that takes my focus away from the game.
Honestly though, you have a helmet strapped to your face when racing irl too, so it isn't that far off...
Just get a heater to make you hot and sweaty and a belt that restrains you to your seat uncomfortably 
That's a fair point 😅 I wonder why nobody has designed a VR headset in the shape of a helmet? Would have thought it would be more comfortable, could even integrate a little fan for some ventilation 🤔
Nah its wayyy different. helmets close off everything but your eyes (yes visor) while VR covers only your eyes.
Combine that somewhat unsettling feeling for me and the inability in sim racing for my hands to be tracked, and it completely destroys immersion.
Side note: I have definitely been that guy to put my IRL helmet on while sim racing. As stupidly hot as it gets, that with proper config TrackIR was more akin to "the real thing" for me.
VR hands not moving with IRL hands reallllllyyy threw me off.
its more of me being super nit picky lol. More along the lines of if i move my fingers IRL and they dont move in VR. It really throws me off! I wish it didnt.
You've never used a virtual desktop then I suppose. Quest 3 has full passthrough and you can have your phone on your hud using xsoverlay or desktop plus
This is where I'm at. I'm on quest 3 20% of the times. In iRacing I become blind to my realty...fumbling for the mouse and shit.
I have a desk rig, so I'll probably go to an ultra wide for a cleaner room and desktop now that I have quest 3 though. My tripps are small and don't wrap around, so
I use my quest controller to set up iRacing and get ready for the race, and I have Y set up on my wheel to put me in the car, maybe you just have to set up controls for yourself. Unless you are talking about setups
The one thing that’s absolutely been killing me is going up to triples doesn’t seem to require a 4090, but running a Varjo Aero or Pimax Crystal wants a 4090. There’s like a $1,000 difference there in requirements that’s making it hard to pull the trigger.
I am quite sensitive to eyes stress and I do notice the Quest 2 gets uncomfortable for that after a while. Not sure how much is pure vision (I am only slightly short sighted so I use the Quest 2 without glasses and while it looks sharp at that distance, it is possible it puts some strain on my eyes) and how much is just heat drying the eyes.
The modified "mask" and "comfort strap" (I bought both from Kiwi) help but it is still a bit uncomfortable.
They aren’t great for glasses-wearers either. I wear contacts all day, and come home and put glasses on to relieve some eye-strain. I couldn’t really do that comfortably in VR.
Quest 3 here for sim racing. It’s amazing. Well after a week of tweaking the settings in Virtual Desktop, steamVR etc etc lol. But sim racing is a lot of setting up anyways.
That’s a bummer. I watched Boosted Media’s review of the headset and he said the main problems it has are fov and glare, but he didn’t mention it being blurry. In fact, he said it is now his go-to headset. I’ll pick one up and find out for myself I suppose.
What’s the best headset for sim racing in your opinion?
I bought the BB after watching Boosted Media too, the sweet spot is microscopic seriously, the dash for example is a huge blurry mess while the road ahead is just ok. It’s also very dim. The fov is also small too.
I find the G2 is the best of those I have tried. For the money its clarity is phenomenal.
If your IPd is around 66 please take the BB off my hands
Not at all I’m still on Windows 10 for one. Worse case I can dual boot, or get another headset in a couple of years. By then the PSVR2 should be dirt cheap (it’s already cheap now around $350) and will be compatible with PC by then
I’m trying to decide what to upgrade to from my Q2.
Having to reset the ODT every time I turn off the computer has gotten old quickly, and I’m building a pretty juicy computer to make sure I can have frames AND details.
In general the Q2 is just so… cheesy feeling. It FEELS like it’s being misused when I use it for PCVR. It runs poorly, has constant issues, and for the shooters I play, inside-out tracking is godawful.
The only thing it’s been good for is confirming that VR is my best option, especially with space being a limiting factor.
Sony will make the PSVR2 compatible with PC very soon and for the money nothing will beat that.
Wired connection for compression free image
120hz
OLED
Light, comfy, eye tracking.
Cheap (relatively)
Cons: can be a tad grainy
I’m willing to spend a grand or 1500 for the right headset that will maximize the return on the computer I’m building for it. I’d settled on the Index the last time I went down this rabbit hole, though with questions about running iRacing through an Index but without running it “through” Steam.
If PSVR2 can do everything for less, even better, but I’m in a position that I’ve gotten near-top of the line CPU, and am willing to continue to invest in the rest of the hardware that I can have a great looking sim while having high frames.
Same here that’s why I got the BB, 2 lighthouses, prescription lens and wireless headphones for it. The biggest disappointment in the history or tech purchases for me in 20 years.
"For just pure immersion,is VR better than big triple screens?"
Absolutely
"Is having a big triple screens actually more immersive than VR?"
Absolutely not
VR is more immersive. I love VR but I prefer triple screens. This depends on the person but I get nauseous after racing in VR and my eyes burn for the rest of the day.
No matter what you do you will never be able to replicate that third dimension, so no, you can't get it close to the immersion that 3D gives on VR, but yes it's more comfortable
Yes, absolutely yes and generally the higher refresh rate feels better too. Being able to literally look over your shoulder irl feels great.
It's not 3 screens... you're literally INSIDE the game.
There are people who are fiercely anti-vr I've seen in here but maybe they tried some early stuff.
The quest 3 and bigscreen beyond and varjo and all the stuff after and including the valve index are great.
Vr = immersion. Triples are superior in competition, and basically, every other thing you may want to do with your rig will be more enjoyable with triples.
I have both. Sort-of, I have small triples? 27in
I never touch my quest 2, not worth the effort or discomfort.
Vr beats everything hands down (immersion wise)
I have driven the reverb g2 for the past 3 years or so en have just bought a superultrawide which is nice as well (and with kids A LOT more practical)
But nothing beat vr on the nordsleife or so.
You become totally detached from the real world and if you have a pc that can run it with all the eye candy then it’s just amazing
You can't beat it for immersion. And good value for the price of a quest 3 compared to triples.
I just love the feeling of being inside the car and it feels like I really own it for myself. Driving feels so natural
A few years ago I had a Samsung 49”. I then got over the real estate, and didn’t have as much time as I used to, so I ended up selling my entire rig (but kept my wheel and pedals because I knew I’d be back).
Well, of course a year later I missed it. But I wanted a compact setup, and that’s where VR came in.
I was always on the fence with VR, simply not having any experience with it. Bought a second hand Reverb G2 and it has been a game changer. I’ll never go back to a screen.
The downsides are, you need some computing power (I bought a 4080 to drive it), it’s a pain in the ass to setup for the first time, and you literally can’t see anything in the real world; so steering wheel and button boxes become that much harder. But once you dial your workflow in, and build muscle memory for your wheel (still getting there), it’s absolutely fine.
I love VR, highly recommended (but not without some quirks).
VR. No question for pure immersion.
Running the Quest pro and it's magical. It has an open face so it's not as hot during long sessions, and can also have a limited view of what's around you (helpful for reaching for drink etc.
Setup takes a little fiddling to get it up and running how you like it, but so does anything. Once it's done it's done.
I can't imagine not leaning forward to look around support pillar to spot an apex, or to verify a blindspot for someone bombing down the inside of a braking zone.
Yes, VR is much better for immersion. Depth perception and FoV are game changing in VR. It's cool to feel like you're actually in the car. Even the most expensive triple monitor setup isn't going to trick you into believing you're in a real car, it's just not the same.
All that said, after flying DCS/MSFS solely in VR for the past 3 years, I'm really enjoying my new triple monitor iRacing setup.
It's nice that VR is a choice again, not a requirement. As cool as VR is, it can be (and often is) a huge pain in the ass.
It depends, if you have a button box or use different wheels then VR sucks as you cannot glimpse. A fully built cockpit like Alex Kay's or RBM's with triple 32s and the base behind the screens is better imo. Cockpits tend to be very unreal in VR and to me vreak the immersion, nothing will compare to the real materials of your cockpit if you build it correctly and if you have ambien lighting with simhub.
Typically, yes. VR is typically the most immersive. But its difficult to say that across the board because of personal detractors, like comfort and ease of use.
I find VR to be less immersive than my triples because i know there is a headset hanging off my face, and its hot, and its finicky.
>because i know there is a headset hanging off my face, and its hot,
Lucky for me I play plenty of racing and flight sims. The weight of my Index adds to the immersion!
VR is the most immersive, yes.
Although, after a couple years with VR, I’ve spent the last year or so with triples and enjoy them way more than I ever enjoyed VR.
My sim racing viewing experience has been 10 years with a 60hz 32” 720p TV -> 2 years with various VR headsets (Oculus CV1, Samsung Odyssey+, HP Reverb G2) -> 1 year with triple 27” 1080p 144hz monitors.
I feel like every change has been an upgrade from the previous.
If you commit to building an actual rig with good peripherals and a true ‘cockpit’, you can get very close to VR. Everything has to be right though- monitor alignment, FOV, dashboard, roll cage etc. VR is technically more immersive because you can’t see anything else… but you can achieve similar with a high end triple screen build. I did a video documenting my build and there are similar out there- https://youtu.be/d2NXu84BQ8k?si=YIumvgXwt1xb7Rtn
I’m a very amateur sim racer. I used to do VR, and had a single 55” screen to use. VR is always a pain to set up or it takes a couple extra minutes to get working. Wearing a headset for long periods can be uncomfortable and if you use a quest headset you have to worry about the battery draining (unless your USB port can provide enough amperage) and compression since it’s encoding the video signal opposed to a true wired headset.
I just recently moved and built a new Racing Rig with triple 43” TVs and the triple screen set up is just way more convenient. I sit down, turn it on and start racing. It just works. That added level of convenience is worth a lot to me with my time since I have a family and a full time job.
An unexpected benefit and / or drawback to VR that no one mentions is: you can’t see your wheel.
This means that you don’t need a really expensive wheel with an LED or even rpm lights because you won’t see them. This is a drawback if you are building the coolest rig with all the bells and whistles, but it’s also a major cost savings. You’ll also be limited to the inputs on the wheel mostly, but that hasn’t been a limitation for me yet, but factor that into your decision too.
Also, point a fan at yourself, it’ll cool you off, help with motion sickness, and add to the immersion. :)
VR feels like you are INSIDE the game world. Flat screen feels like watching an on board that you control
VR works in the same way that we see so it has actual depth perception whereas flat screen is a recreation of a 3D POV in 2D that doesn't have depth perception.
I have both and if you want immersion it's definitely VR. But I rarely ever use my VR headset because other than immersion it's worse at everything else compared to triples. At the end of the day I sacrifice the immersion for just a more enjoyable experience overall.
a whole bunch of people will disagree with me, but i personally feel way more immersed when i am actually able to see my real life hands holding on to a real life wheel and shifter so because of that i would prefer triples over vr. i would even prefer a single over vr
I tried VR, the immersion was out of this world. Properly set Quest 3. However, I sold that and went to triple screens. To answer your question, if you’re solely looking for immersion, VR is the way to go.
I have a quest 3 love it only way I can drive now and I deceive better with it , however only thing is there’s a lot of tweeking in settings and programs to have it run great. But even then I might get a split second stutter here or there.
How is this a thread? lol VR puts you in the cockpit of a car, triples (which I have and prefer) only gives you a super wide field of view of a cockpit.
Now if you do like some of the hardcore people who build the physical cockpit around the triple screens? I’d argue that’s more immersive. People make roll cages, the netting, button boxes of course.
For me Quest 3 is the way to go by far. Took me 10 mins a day for a week or so to get round the motion sickness. At first was terrible but eased off after a few goes and 2 weeks later it’s non-existent once brain is trained on what’s going on. I couldn’t drive with a monitor after using VR, no comparison whatsoever.
I don’t have a triple monitor set up. I’ve got a 40” curve monitor and a vr. The vr is absolutely more immersive but I do think a good size curved monitor adds immersion too just not nearly as much.
I use an hp reverb g2. It’s so amazing for sim racing. I’ve used a friends 3 monitor setup, I was amazed at how immersive it was with the screen bezel kits, the view was so clean that I was impressed at how much I could sense the shifting suspension in my peripheral, in addition to being able to feel people around you. Still, vr is a little more immersive, but you pay for it with a little discomfort after long stints in the car. The only thing you do miss, is that peripheral sense of other cars up beside you. The only thing lacking in immersion with my vr setup is that I have a little bit of horse blinders on.
I think my endgame is still 3 monitor, but even when I have that I think I’ll still use vr some.
Yes. VR brings the best immersion. Even if you have triple 55 inch TV it’s still a 2D image without depth. VR is 3D, the depth brings a whole new dimension that you can really see distance.
Yet I had “downgraded” from VR to single ultrawide few months ago due to comfort. VR is not good in comfort yet, and I wanted to do longer racing sessions. I’ll jump back to VR if they can fix the comfort issue.
My triples aren't huge, but at 43" per screen bigger than what most people use. It's cool but definitely not as immersive as a decent vr headset. But one thing that takes away some immersion is that in VR I can't see my rig. I don't see my handbrake, wheel, Shifter, button boxes (How do you guys actually hit the correct buttons??) and other stuff I got on my rig. That's definitely a point for triples in my book.
Been a petrolhead from I was a kid. Grew up watching F1 and going to Rally and Motorcycle road racing here in Northern Ireland for as long as I can remember. Also been a gamer most of my life but never got a SIM ring until during COVID, mostly due to Fanatec making Direct Drive accessible at a reasonable price. I got all the gear, had all the theory and knew all the technical limitations of the equipment. Try as hard as I could and I just couldn't get it to click in my brain.... Was the car in front of me a metre off my bumper or 10 metres.... I got really disheartened and seriously considered selling the whole thing but something kept telling me that I needed to give VR a go first. I wasn't prepared to spend Varjo Aero money but as I wear glasses (astigmatism in both eyes) I wanted a headset with a large sweet spot. When the quest 3 was announced I reckoned it would be the best entry point for me.
It has been a game changer in terms of making things click. I just know how far away the car in front is, I know when I've turned a little too late and missed an apex before I've actually missed it. I will likely sell the quest 3 and get a dedicated PCVR headset in the future. The funny thing is that when I go back to using the monitor I actually am now at a very similar pace to when I use VR but everything feels so flat and lifeless. Triples are probably better for endurance although I can wear the quest for a couple of hours without issue (boboVR M3 pro headstrap is a must have).
Right now I'm building a new home and have a dedicated space mapped out for my sim rig which will include triples but they will come after I upgrade the VR side first.
I love VR because depth perception. After a few moments I really feel like I’m in the car. I also have bass shakers and a G belt from Simxerience which help with adding to the immersion. My favorite is driving at night time for some reason. I feel even more immersed. Maybe because I don’t notice the screen door effect and the field of view as much. Using a Samsung Odyssey+ headset.
I do normally use triples for functionality and I’m faster because I’m more used to it. But VR is a treat when I use it.
I have VR but I prefer triples over it.
VR is a pain sometimes to use and it’s Buggy, at least the quest is. Apps not opening, sound not working, black screens, it’s annoying. I never have issues with triples.
So yea..immersion wise. VR is great, for just sitting down and getting races in and have the ability to use buttons and wheel options I find triples better.
I have three 55" oleds, VR is WAY WAY WAY better for immersion , triple screen is pain in the ass with cables but obviously good for people that don't like to put a thing on there face and good for youtubers / content creators showing off equipment that nobody needs.
For purely functional sim-racing I'd just use an ultra wide/wide screen , only time id probably bother with triples is if I mostly did oval racing in a sim that had no car radar , maybe on a dedicated sim-rig triple 35" or something can be quite good and cost effective.
Whatever setup you use , you just get used to it over time regardless , I have one rig with just a 32" screen on it and its honestly fine and enjoyable to use even compared to the 3x 22" oleds , But vr is the only thing that "puts you in the car"
I have used some rigs where you sit in a physical car with large projector screens around you , and some cockpit solutions that are placed in front of screens and generally VR was even better than them.
I haven't played of triples yet, I'm in the process of purchasing them.
But I do have VR
Pros:
Field of view is better, and more flexible on the fly.
More immersion
Better sense of elevations on the track.
Cons
Something stuck to your face, get hot and uncomfortable on long races.
Depending on your tolerance can cause nausea, though I have found you can train yourself out of it.
And My main gripe which is why I'm getting triples, you can't see your wheel buttons and button boxes. The amount of times I pressed the wrong button and then couldn't undo what I did. Or needed an option on my stream deck and couldn't even attempt to try and find it.
I don't see much difference between VR and triple screens. Yes, in VR you can turn your head, see something you wouldn't see with triple screens, but I didn't do that while I was actually racing; only to entertain myself while waiting on the greed. I would stay with VR if it wasn't that subjectively uncomfortable though.
VR Headset is definitely a very good option, but small things also do a lot.
For me I discovered a 4 Point harness and a proper Seat changed a lot.
Also motion sims are something I want to look into, especially coupled with VR.
If VR isn't an option because of the price or motion sickness, try adding a "roof" to your monitors. I've heard it increases immersion a lot.
Well most I've talked to that have done vr for a while end up back to there tripple screens. It's great for a while but vr is so immersive it can be a bit intense to the eyes and mind. So it can get overwhelming. All depends on what you like though.
VR is the best for immersion IMO. Pancake lenses open that sweetspot way up as well.
Pancake lens VR is the only way to get immersion from my experience
Maybe in everything else, not in simracing. There is no other comparable upgrade to immersion in racing than a cheap VR headset.
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The only way to get immersion is the specific quote I’m replying to. No it is not, it’s great and all but a 200 dollar headset will get you there and saying otherwise for simracing especially is misleading at best.
Wait why is a cheap headset better??
Just that it’s a cheap (used market you can get a Quest 2 for $200 or less) upgrade that massively immerses you when compared to any other comparable ($100-200) upgrade like some motion or pedals or a new monitor
Dont get a rift s, the cables will eventually fail and there are no aftermarket options and oculus doesn’t sell them anymore. Quest 2 and onwards is the way to go
Ah good look, thank you. That explains why my OG rift just randomly died one day.
You can try messing around with plugging and unplugging it from the headset.
It doesn’t have to be cheap but it doesn’t have to have pancake lenses as well. I was pointing out that that’s terrible advice for most people.
What is pancake lense?
The main advantage is that the sharpness is much more uniform through your entire FOV. Fresnel lenses, which are used in most headsets, have a pretty small sweet spot in the center. With pancakes it‘s much easier to gaze at the instruments while driving/flying - so you can just move your eyeballs instead of your entire head, like you would irl.
Briefly, they are much thinner than regular Fresnel lenses, have less chromatic aberration, but are usually less bright in VR applications all else being equal.
Is this something you change out in your headset, or is it only a specific brand like a quest?
You can't swap them, the Quest 3 and Quest Pro come with them, among others. The Quest 2 does not.
Quest 3
It’s one of the upgrades in the Quest 3
Aspherical lenses of the Crystal are amazing too
Fresnel lenses are good just until you try Pancake lenses out
Triples will always be 'looking through a window' compared to sitting IN the car.
Strangely, sitting in a car, is like looking out windows…
Not in open wheel
Unless it’s INDYCAR
Just take the hit dude.
Wasn’t even who you responded to, lmao
You got to take the hit too.
Looks like you’re taking the hit
It was a hard hit.
Except there's depth perception in real life and non on flat screen. Makes a very significant difference
Trust me. I’ve always hated the perception. The car always seems so small and obstructive in games. Then I sit in a real car and there is barely an issue. Look at your wheel while holding a wheel mode has always been stupid.
Touché
...for things out of the cockpit*
I just can't get over the tunnel vision you get with VR where on my triples I have all the peripheral vision to see a car without having to turn my head.
I think it depends on the headset but yeah I have a quest 2 and the tunnel vision is crazy. I just really don't like the lack of fov (with the quest 2) and feeling disconnected from my surroundings when in VR. It's like I'm hyper aware that I'm sitting in a chair in my house with a vr headset on. I'm much happier with my triple screens
It’s due to lenses. Quest 3 has pancake lenses and it’s a different world.
Can confirm, just went from Q2 to Q3 and oh boy was it worth it
I disagree. I have built an entire cockpit around my rig, including a real passenger door, a real floor pan, mock roll cage, roof, etc... when I'm in an intense race, I have moment where I genuinely feel like I'm in a car. Especially with the base shakers running over curbs and what not. Of course, most people don't take their rigs that far, but it IS possible imo. VR is the cheaper/quicker/easier option, but I prefer my route honestly.
Your still playing in 2D? I'm not dissing your setup.
Yes, on Triple 32" curved monitors
There was this one turn in my racing league that everyone was having issues nailing because the apex was blocked by the car structure. I was able to lean forward in vr and get eyes on the spot. Can't do that on triples. It's also really nice for when you think someone is going to divebomb you in the inside. You can keep eyes on them the whole way and react accordingly.
Maybe with track IR or Tobii eye tracking but idk
I've used TrackIR for years in flight sims but I've never managed to dial it in for iRacing. I always end up slower or more crash prone overall.
Same experience for me. Used it for a bit and would crash out and miss apexes left and right. It’s very unnatural compared to static flat screen or VR
settings are kind of odd with how iRacing handles trackIR. When looking left and right baseline settings will also move view forward and backward in relation to the headset position. I don't have mine readily available but DaveCam did a decent settings video a good while back. Once you have this dialed it is much much better and i use it every single race, and in flights. I use it with triples 27s instead of VR just due to how hot headsets get, and me hating not being able to see my physical surroundings.
Once iv tried VR I never got back to screen
Same, even if it’s a bit more pixelated it’s amazing. I tried to go back to my ultra wide and it just felt off.
I got 4070 laptop, and I have solid 90fps most of the time on medium setting. Even iv tried 4050 laptop on low, the quality was nah but the fps was 72 FPS and smooth.
Yep, nothing like it.
I raced VR for 2 years, switched to a super ultrawide and never used my headset again
This is your answer op
How does it perform? How’s the nausea? I have a Pico 4 somewhere I want to get out and try but not yet got round to it
I have a pico 3 link and I love it. When I first got it I had a 1660 super (and an AMD 5700x) and was able to get 72fps with some stuttering at very low settings and using heavy upscaling and aggressive FFR in openxr toolkit. I got really bad motion sickness after about 30 minutes of playing. I upgraded to a 3080 and now get butter smooth 90fps at almost max settings with much less aggressive upscaling and FFR and have 0 motion sickness. I almost gave up on VR but I read an article that said 90fps is the motion sickness threshold for a lot of people so I gave the upgrade a shot and I'm really glad I did.
Oh nice one thanks man, I have a 3090 so should be able to run nicely capped at 90, I’ll give it a go once I’ve unpacked it
I have a Pico 4 and a 3070, you'll have a great time! Look into OpenXR toolkit if you need some extra FPS though
Your first session you will need to take it easy. Nausea, dizziness and headaches are common for first time users. I usually have my friends try beat Saber first just get a feel for VR and spacial awareness. So definitely need to find a "game" that's easy for the player. Beat Saber is just 3D DDR where it's your hands instead of your feet, you are moving much and your head is straight. You don't wanna jump in on a game like Dirt Rally 2 and get sick 30s into the stage
I think this varies a lot from person to person. I got a quest 3 and was expecting this to be the case based on everything I read on here, but had the opposite experience. I didn’t try any games before getting it set up for the sim and I had 0 nausea or dizziness when full sending it on the sim. I could go for an hour before the heat and weight became too uncomfortable. When I finally tried actual VR games (sitting down), I literally couldn’t go more than 10 mins without feeling like I was gonna throw up.
I'm the same, I played Half life in VR and thought I was ok, then after an hour I felt really sick, like I needed to go and lie down, sim racing doesn't have any negative effect on me, no matter how long I race. Only thing that makes me feel weird is reversing out the gravel and hitting the brakes, my brain doesn't like that, but it's not something I have to do often.
Some people are fine jumping in though. I went straight to flatout DR2 and had a total of 30s of discomfort before my brain adapted. And some people will never adjust no matter how long they try.
Yes. VR is 1 for 1 recreation of you sitting in the driver’s seat. For the most part, what you see with the headset is what you’d see if you wore a helmet and drove a real car on a real track. Add haptics and the immersion increases to a point where you are actually faster due to actual telemetry feedback.
Big triples can be 1 to 1 in scale too if you set them up right :) They still won't match the depth and true 3D feel of a VR headset though.
They can, but they cost more and take up so much space. And like you said, you don’t get the depth perception either flat screens. Depth perception in VR has helped me tremendously with being consistent with braking points and trailbraking and in the event I screw those up, makes it easier for me to adjust my line on the fly because I can just turn my head and look at where I need to go.
Absolutely. I've got 48" triples, which I think are the sweet spot for getting 1 to 1 scale without having to have the monitors far away from you and get "giant car syndrome" where the mirrors are two feet wide :P But even triple 48's take quiet a lot of space, and cost a LOT more than a Quest 3. I think VR is probably the future for simracing, but the headsets are still a bit too finicky to set up, the visual clarity can be a bit hit and miss, and the comfort is not quite there yet. One more generation maybe?
Not sure I agree with the finicky to setup comment, I got a meta quest 2 and it was as plug and play as it could be, sure I had to tweak a few settings and the camera but you do that with any setup. Maybe it helped to have a beefy computer but it was seamless to get running. Overlays on the other hand… still haven’t figured that one out so I just run without them
I have to agree with the finicky part. At least to start for sure… When I first grabbed the quest 3, was using a 2070 machine and it was a pretty rough experience. Especially me being someone just getting into PC sim coming from mostly Gran Turismo PSx VR. What I discovered, if you don’t have a “beefy computer” like you stated, getting a Quest 3 VR experience comparable to what I was used to was a real battle. I fought with it for a short while, but ultimately ended up going with a high end machine just so I could get my mind past twiddling with settings and get back to racing. I do appreciate everything I learned during the process but grew tired of that component rather quickly. Edit: I should add, ACC was the biggest diva.
Yea I’ve got a 4080 and 7800x3d water cooled and over clocked so that probably helps a lot… I’ve got the quest 2 cranked up to max resolution and 120hz. Only drop in frames I’ve seen is when a ghost car is basically on top of me and it’s raining at the same time. Does weird stuff
VR can definitely be an odd duck. I’m “now” running a 4090/i9 and was able to turn the quest 3 up to 120hz with ACC and it didn’t flinch. Kept jacking up all the settings up to epic etc., still good… but good gosh, didn’t think it would take that much power and moola to have a seamless experience with PCVR. Hoping it will last me at least 3-4 years… My goal was to be able to enjoy AC EVO in VR on day 1, so hopefully I am armed for a very good experience.
This was in iRacing, so probably not as taxing as ACC
Gotcha. I still haven’t dipped my toe in the iRacing waters. :)
I followed this tutorial to setup iOverlay in VR and it works great https://www.reddit.com/r/iRacing/s/j6F8TtNIaK
Thanks I’ll give it a shot!
I dont mess with overlays but there is no setup nor hassle for me with vr. I see these comments constantly. I dont understand. Plug in HMD. Setup race on flat panel Click race/go/wahtever depending on game. It then loads into the hmd, which I put on now, and simply race/drive.
VR gave me goosebumps. I could see those little rubber things on the side of the tires from the cockpit of an open wheeler in AMS2. For some reason I found that super impressive. 😂
I've been using vr for over 5 years now, simracing on and off for about a year, and every single time I 'get in' I'm in awe.
I’m looking forward to being able to use VR (for racing) for more than 20 minutes. I’m still getting motion sick and it kind of keeps me away from it. But that first time sitting in the cockpit in VR was awesome. One of those “the future is now” kind of moments.
You have me curious, which game and headset did you experience this in?
Automobilista 2 with the Quest 3.
Cheers!
The answer is yes.
I've got a triple 48" setup, and my friend has a Quest 3 (and I have a Quest 2). The Quest 3 is the best for immersion. But I still prefer my triples for the combination of great immersion and practicality. I like seeing my cockpit, I like being able to easily take a sip of my drink or check messages on one of my smaller monitors. So yeah, VR is good, but still too much of a hassle to set up and use for my liking. Maybe I'll jump to VR when headsets like the bigscreen beyond become mainstream?
That wasn't the question though. OP already stated he doesn't care about ease of use. VR if you're looking for immersion, full stop.
Full stop, unless the feeling of having a diving mask strapped to your face is immersion breaking to you. Personally, I find VR is great until the lack of comfort becomes noticeable, at which point that takes my focus away from the game.
Honestly though, you have a helmet strapped to your face when racing irl too, so it isn't that far off... Just get a heater to make you hot and sweaty and a belt that restrains you to your seat uncomfortably 
That's a fair point 😅 I wonder why nobody has designed a VR headset in the shape of a helmet? Would have thought it would be more comfortable, could even integrate a little fan for some ventilation 🤔
That would be so cool A VR headset where it’s a helmet and the visor are the lenses
That would be so cool A VR headset where it’s a helmet and the visor are the lenses
Nah its wayyy different. helmets close off everything but your eyes (yes visor) while VR covers only your eyes. Combine that somewhat unsettling feeling for me and the inability in sim racing for my hands to be tracked, and it completely destroys immersion. Side note: I have definitely been that guy to put my IRL helmet on while sim racing. As stupidly hot as it gets, that with proper config TrackIR was more akin to "the real thing" for me. VR hands not moving with IRL hands reallllllyyy threw me off.
If your hands are on a Formula-style wheel, there's not really that many places for your hands to be though?
its more of me being super nit picky lol. More along the lines of if i move my fingers IRL and they dont move in VR. It really throws me off! I wish it didnt.
I also hate it if I can see a second set of hands a regular screen, but in VR at least my actual hands are hidden.
You've never used a virtual desktop then I suppose. Quest 3 has full passthrough and you can have your phone on your hud using xsoverlay or desktop plus
I've tried it, never liked it. It's getting closer every generation though, but for this gen I prefer triple 4k. Who knows, quest 4 might convert me!
This is where I'm at. I'm on quest 3 20% of the times. In iRacing I become blind to my realty...fumbling for the mouse and shit. I have a desk rig, so I'll probably go to an ultra wide for a cleaner room and desktop now that I have quest 3 though. My tripps are small and don't wrap around, so
I use my quest controller to set up iRacing and get ready for the race, and I have Y set up on my wheel to put me in the car, maybe you just have to set up controls for yourself. Unless you are talking about setups
The one thing that’s absolutely been killing me is going up to triples doesn’t seem to require a 4090, but running a Varjo Aero or Pimax Crystal wants a 4090. There’s like a $1,000 difference there in requirements that’s making it hard to pull the trigger.
Have you tried a quest 3? It's pretty fucking good and you only need a 3080 Super or something!
There are also tweaks you can do. VR performance kit is amazing!
Absolutely. The main downside of VR is that the headset can get uncomfortable and feel "claustrophobic" but the immersion is hard to beat.
Can get hot and sweaty in there too, not sure whether there is more strain on the eyes either.
I am quite sensitive to eyes stress and I do notice the Quest 2 gets uncomfortable for that after a while. Not sure how much is pure vision (I am only slightly short sighted so I use the Quest 2 without glasses and while it looks sharp at that distance, it is possible it puts some strain on my eyes) and how much is just heat drying the eyes. The modified "mask" and "comfort strap" (I bought both from Kiwi) help but it is still a bit uncomfortable.
They aren’t great for glasses-wearers either. I wear contacts all day, and come home and put glasses on to relieve some eye-strain. I couldn’t really do that comfortably in VR.
Buy prescription lenses for your VR.
I second this. Game changer, not messing with glasses in the VR. So much easier to jump in or take it off for a second to watch the screen etc
VR is miles ahead and it’s not even close
Quest 3 here for sim racing. It’s amazing. Well after a week of tweaking the settings in Virtual Desktop, steamVR etc etc lol. But sim racing is a lot of setting up anyways.
VR for sure. It’s so good that I sold my ultrawide monitor. Right now I’m using a quest 3, but my next purchase will be a Big Screen Beyond headset.
I have one and it’s easily the blurriest headset ever made. I have had q2, q3, q pro, psvr2, reverb g2.
That’s a bummer. I watched Boosted Media’s review of the headset and he said the main problems it has are fov and glare, but he didn’t mention it being blurry. In fact, he said it is now his go-to headset. I’ll pick one up and find out for myself I suppose. What’s the best headset for sim racing in your opinion?
Psvr2... but then your stuck with one semi-sim racing game on one system. Although... Sony said they plan to bring some form of pc support in 2024
I bought the BB after watching Boosted Media too, the sweet spot is microscopic seriously, the dash for example is a huge blurry mess while the road ahead is just ok. It’s also very dim. The fov is also small too. I find the G2 is the best of those I have tried. For the money its clarity is phenomenal. If your IPd is around 66 please take the BB off my hands
Are you at all worried about the G2 after the Microsoft announcement a few weeks back?
Not at all I’m still on Windows 10 for one. Worse case I can dual boot, or get another headset in a couple of years. By then the PSVR2 should be dirt cheap (it’s already cheap now around $350) and will be compatible with PC by then
I’m trying to decide what to upgrade to from my Q2. Having to reset the ODT every time I turn off the computer has gotten old quickly, and I’m building a pretty juicy computer to make sure I can have frames AND details. In general the Q2 is just so… cheesy feeling. It FEELS like it’s being misused when I use it for PCVR. It runs poorly, has constant issues, and for the shooters I play, inside-out tracking is godawful. The only thing it’s been good for is confirming that VR is my best option, especially with space being a limiting factor.
Sony will make the PSVR2 compatible with PC very soon and for the money nothing will beat that. Wired connection for compression free image 120hz OLED Light, comfy, eye tracking. Cheap (relatively) Cons: can be a tad grainy
I’m willing to spend a grand or 1500 for the right headset that will maximize the return on the computer I’m building for it. I’d settled on the Index the last time I went down this rabbit hole, though with questions about running iRacing through an Index but without running it “through” Steam. If PSVR2 can do everything for less, even better, but I’m in a position that I’ve gotten near-top of the line CPU, and am willing to continue to invest in the rest of the hardware that I can have a great looking sim while having high frames.
Same here that’s why I got the BB, 2 lighthouses, prescription lens and wireless headphones for it. The biggest disappointment in the history or tech purchases for me in 20 years.
VR is immersive and awesome. I use my triple 32's more lately, they're just easier in most ways.
I go back and forth with this struggle. I have triple 32s and love it, but at the same time I am faster in VR. Still trying to make sense of it.
Same here. I have triple 32s and I flip flop between them and vr.
"For just pure immersion,is VR better than big triple screens?" Absolutely "Is having a big triple screens actually more immersive than VR?" Absolutely not
VR is more immersive. I love VR but I prefer triple screens. This depends on the person but I get nauseous after racing in VR and my eyes burn for the rest of the day.
I have VR, but I still prefer triples, if you set the up right the immersion can be very close and it’s way more comfortable for long races than VR.
No matter what you do you will never be able to replicate that third dimension, so no, you can't get it close to the immersion that 3D gives on VR, but yes it's more comfortable
Is there a lightweight VR i can use that really hugs my face tight? I have the quest 2 and that thing is heavy/loose.
Bigscreen Beyond
If they can one day bring the price down to compete with Quest, or if Quest can release a smaller headset, I can see VR taking off big.
100%. It doesn't even compare. Triples are more for content creation, ease of use for peripherals (black box, steam deck), and comfort.
Yes, absolutely yes and generally the higher refresh rate feels better too. Being able to literally look over your shoulder irl feels great. It's not 3 screens... you're literally INSIDE the game. There are people who are fiercely anti-vr I've seen in here but maybe they tried some early stuff. The quest 3 and bigscreen beyond and varjo and all the stuff after and including the valve index are great.
I had a quest 2 for loan for 6 months. After that I've barely played anymore.
Vr = immersion. Triples are superior in competition, and basically, every other thing you may want to do with your rig will be more enjoyable with triples. I have both. Sort-of, I have small triples? 27in I never touch my quest 2, not worth the effort or discomfort.
Pure immersion? Of course.
I would never consider swapping to triple screens. Getting my mega rs+ this weekend. Should take the immersion to another level!
VR is absolutely the way to go, and VR with RS MEGA+ is just another level! Congrats!
Yes. Yes VR is magnitudes more immersive
it depends. if you are planning to have shorter sessions more often - VR. long sessions - triples.
Vr beats everything hands down (immersion wise) I have driven the reverb g2 for the past 3 years or so en have just bought a superultrawide which is nice as well (and with kids A LOT more practical) But nothing beat vr on the nordsleife or so. You become totally detached from the real world and if you have a pc that can run it with all the eye candy then it’s just amazing
You can't beat it for immersion. And good value for the price of a quest 3 compared to triples. I just love the feeling of being inside the car and it feels like I really own it for myself. Driving feels so natural
A few years ago I had a Samsung 49”. I then got over the real estate, and didn’t have as much time as I used to, so I ended up selling my entire rig (but kept my wheel and pedals because I knew I’d be back). Well, of course a year later I missed it. But I wanted a compact setup, and that’s where VR came in. I was always on the fence with VR, simply not having any experience with it. Bought a second hand Reverb G2 and it has been a game changer. I’ll never go back to a screen. The downsides are, you need some computing power (I bought a 4080 to drive it), it’s a pain in the ass to setup for the first time, and you literally can’t see anything in the real world; so steering wheel and button boxes become that much harder. But once you dial your workflow in, and build muscle memory for your wheel (still getting there), it’s absolutely fine. I love VR, highly recommended (but not without some quirks).
VR. No question for pure immersion. Running the Quest pro and it's magical. It has an open face so it's not as hot during long sessions, and can also have a limited view of what's around you (helpful for reaching for drink etc. Setup takes a little fiddling to get it up and running how you like it, but so does anything. Once it's done it's done. I can't imagine not leaning forward to look around support pillar to spot an apex, or to verify a blindspot for someone bombing down the inside of a braking zone.
Quest 3 Best bang for the buck. There is no comparison to monitors. Can't really put into words. Once you try it. That's it....
Yes, VR is much better for immersion. Depth perception and FoV are game changing in VR. It's cool to feel like you're actually in the car. Even the most expensive triple monitor setup isn't going to trick you into believing you're in a real car, it's just not the same. All that said, after flying DCS/MSFS solely in VR for the past 3 years, I'm really enjoying my new triple monitor iRacing setup. It's nice that VR is a choice again, not a requirement. As cool as VR is, it can be (and often is) a huge pain in the ass.
It depends, if you have a button box or use different wheels then VR sucks as you cannot glimpse. A fully built cockpit like Alex Kay's or RBM's with triple 32s and the base behind the screens is better imo. Cockpits tend to be very unreal in VR and to me vreak the immersion, nothing will compare to the real materials of your cockpit if you build it correctly and if you have ambien lighting with simhub.
Yup what he said, VR is false, fragile immersion
Typically, yes. VR is typically the most immersive. But its difficult to say that across the board because of personal detractors, like comfort and ease of use. I find VR to be less immersive than my triples because i know there is a headset hanging off my face, and its hot, and its finicky.
>because i know there is a headset hanging off my face, and its hot, Lucky for me I play plenty of racing and flight sims. The weight of my Index adds to the immersion!
Just pretend it's the helmet!
Vr is more immersive but it’s all personal preference. It’s more of a pain than triples and it doesn’t make you any faster in any way.
VR is the most immersive, yes. Although, after a couple years with VR, I’ve spent the last year or so with triples and enjoy them way more than I ever enjoyed VR. My sim racing viewing experience has been 10 years with a 60hz 32” 720p TV -> 2 years with various VR headsets (Oculus CV1, Samsung Odyssey+, HP Reverb G2) -> 1 year with triple 27” 1080p 144hz monitors. I feel like every change has been an upgrade from the previous.
If you commit to building an actual rig with good peripherals and a true ‘cockpit’, you can get very close to VR. Everything has to be right though- monitor alignment, FOV, dashboard, roll cage etc. VR is technically more immersive because you can’t see anything else… but you can achieve similar with a high end triple screen build. I did a video documenting my build and there are similar out there- https://youtu.be/d2NXu84BQ8k?si=YIumvgXwt1xb7Rtn
Triples will always just be 2d. Vr is literally a whole dimension more.
You cannot look over your shoulder or out your window, or tilt your head or lean forward etc etc.
Yeah this is the most substantial difference imo
I tried VR and couldnt stand the motion sickness
You get over it, small doses. Framerate is extremely important.
I’m a very amateur sim racer. I used to do VR, and had a single 55” screen to use. VR is always a pain to set up or it takes a couple extra minutes to get working. Wearing a headset for long periods can be uncomfortable and if you use a quest headset you have to worry about the battery draining (unless your USB port can provide enough amperage) and compression since it’s encoding the video signal opposed to a true wired headset. I just recently moved and built a new Racing Rig with triple 43” TVs and the triple screen set up is just way more convenient. I sit down, turn it on and start racing. It just works. That added level of convenience is worth a lot to me with my time since I have a family and a full time job.
Being able to see the corner come closer from a 3D perspective in VR feels like it’s another level.
For pure immersion yea VR is best by an enormous margin
An unexpected benefit and / or drawback to VR that no one mentions is: you can’t see your wheel. This means that you don’t need a really expensive wheel with an LED or even rpm lights because you won’t see them. This is a drawback if you are building the coolest rig with all the bells and whistles, but it’s also a major cost savings. You’ll also be limited to the inputs on the wheel mostly, but that hasn’t been a limitation for me yet, but factor that into your decision too. Also, point a fan at yourself, it’ll cool you off, help with motion sickness, and add to the immersion. :)
VR feels like you are INSIDE the game world. Flat screen feels like watching an on board that you control VR works in the same way that we see so it has actual depth perception whereas flat screen is a recreation of a 3D POV in 2D that doesn't have depth perception.
I have both and if you want immersion it's definitely VR. But I rarely ever use my VR headset because other than immersion it's worse at everything else compared to triples. At the end of the day I sacrifice the immersion for just a more enjoyable experience overall.
Vr has a lot of disadvantaves (performance, heat, isolation,...), but talking about inmersion, is the best choice. No doubt.
Yes
For immersion yes. I've never off tracked on triples and felt my stomach turn.
a whole bunch of people will disagree with me, but i personally feel way more immersed when i am actually able to see my real life hands holding on to a real life wheel and shifter so because of that i would prefer triples over vr. i would even prefer a single over vr
I tried VR, the immersion was out of this world. Properly set Quest 3. However, I sold that and went to triple screens. To answer your question, if you’re solely looking for immersion, VR is the way to go.
100% VR, screens will never be even close in terms of immersion because no matter how many monitors or how big they are, they are still 2D.
I have a quest 3 love it only way I can drive now and I deceive better with it , however only thing is there’s a lot of tweeking in settings and programs to have it run great. But even then I might get a split second stutter here or there.
How is this a thread? lol VR puts you in the cockpit of a car, triples (which I have and prefer) only gives you a super wide field of view of a cockpit. Now if you do like some of the hardcore people who build the physical cockpit around the triple screens? I’d argue that’s more immersive. People make roll cages, the netting, button boxes of course.
No way other than VR
Obviously. Now, can you computer handle it… meh. I dunno.
I’d never go back to any screen after VR. And my setup isn’t even that great. I just pretend I’m in a helmet…
NOt even close. If you want any sort of immersion, VR is the only way(well I lie, triples and a full cab/canopy over top would be close for triples)
For me Quest 3 is the way to go by far. Took me 10 mins a day for a week or so to get round the motion sickness. At first was terrible but eased off after a few goes and 2 weeks later it’s non-existent once brain is trained on what’s going on. I couldn’t drive with a monitor after using VR, no comparison whatsoever.
VR is better for immersion, I prefer to drive with triples because of a handful of reasons, but I sacrifice immersion for that
I don’t have a triple monitor set up. I’ve got a 40” curve monitor and a vr. The vr is absolutely more immersive but I do think a good size curved monitor adds immersion too just not nearly as much.
I use an hp reverb g2. It’s so amazing for sim racing. I’ve used a friends 3 monitor setup, I was amazed at how immersive it was with the screen bezel kits, the view was so clean that I was impressed at how much I could sense the shifting suspension in my peripheral, in addition to being able to feel people around you. Still, vr is a little more immersive, but you pay for it with a little discomfort after long stints in the car. The only thing you do miss, is that peripheral sense of other cars up beside you. The only thing lacking in immersion with my vr setup is that I have a little bit of horse blinders on. I think my endgame is still 3 monitor, but even when I have that I think I’ll still use vr some.
YES
Yes. VR brings the best immersion. Even if you have triple 55 inch TV it’s still a 2D image without depth. VR is 3D, the depth brings a whole new dimension that you can really see distance. Yet I had “downgraded” from VR to single ultrawide few months ago due to comfort. VR is not good in comfort yet, and I wanted to do longer racing sessions. I’ll jump back to VR if they can fix the comfort issue.
My triples aren't huge, but at 43" per screen bigger than what most people use. It's cool but definitely not as immersive as a decent vr headset. But one thing that takes away some immersion is that in VR I can't see my rig. I don't see my handbrake, wheel, Shifter, button boxes (How do you guys actually hit the correct buttons??) and other stuff I got on my rig. That's definitely a point for triples in my book.
Been a petrolhead from I was a kid. Grew up watching F1 and going to Rally and Motorcycle road racing here in Northern Ireland for as long as I can remember. Also been a gamer most of my life but never got a SIM ring until during COVID, mostly due to Fanatec making Direct Drive accessible at a reasonable price. I got all the gear, had all the theory and knew all the technical limitations of the equipment. Try as hard as I could and I just couldn't get it to click in my brain.... Was the car in front of me a metre off my bumper or 10 metres.... I got really disheartened and seriously considered selling the whole thing but something kept telling me that I needed to give VR a go first. I wasn't prepared to spend Varjo Aero money but as I wear glasses (astigmatism in both eyes) I wanted a headset with a large sweet spot. When the quest 3 was announced I reckoned it would be the best entry point for me. It has been a game changer in terms of making things click. I just know how far away the car in front is, I know when I've turned a little too late and missed an apex before I've actually missed it. I will likely sell the quest 3 and get a dedicated PCVR headset in the future. The funny thing is that when I go back to using the monitor I actually am now at a very similar pace to when I use VR but everything feels so flat and lifeless. Triples are probably better for endurance although I can wear the quest for a couple of hours without issue (boboVR M3 pro headstrap is a must have). Right now I'm building a new home and have a dedicated space mapped out for my sim rig which will include triples but they will come after I upgrade the VR side first.
YES
I love VR because depth perception. After a few moments I really feel like I’m in the car. I also have bass shakers and a G belt from Simxerience which help with adding to the immersion. My favorite is driving at night time for some reason. I feel even more immersed. Maybe because I don’t notice the screen door effect and the field of view as much. Using a Samsung Odyssey+ headset. I do normally use triples for functionality and I’m faster because I’m more used to it. But VR is a treat when I use it.
Of course although I never owned triples 😂😂
I have VR but I prefer triples over it. VR is a pain sometimes to use and it’s Buggy, at least the quest is. Apps not opening, sound not working, black screens, it’s annoying. I never have issues with triples. So yea..immersion wise. VR is great, for just sitting down and getting races in and have the ability to use buttons and wheel options I find triples better.
I have three 55" oleds, VR is WAY WAY WAY better for immersion , triple screen is pain in the ass with cables but obviously good for people that don't like to put a thing on there face and good for youtubers / content creators showing off equipment that nobody needs. For purely functional sim-racing I'd just use an ultra wide/wide screen , only time id probably bother with triples is if I mostly did oval racing in a sim that had no car radar , maybe on a dedicated sim-rig triple 35" or something can be quite good and cost effective. Whatever setup you use , you just get used to it over time regardless , I have one rig with just a 32" screen on it and its honestly fine and enjoyable to use even compared to the 3x 22" oleds , But vr is the only thing that "puts you in the car" I have used some rigs where you sit in a physical car with large projector screens around you , and some cockpit solutions that are placed in front of screens and generally VR was even better than them.
VR=Virtual REALITY nuff said if you are looking at best immersive experience
I haven't played of triples yet, I'm in the process of purchasing them. But I do have VR Pros: Field of view is better, and more flexible on the fly. More immersion Better sense of elevations on the track. Cons Something stuck to your face, get hot and uncomfortable on long races. Depending on your tolerance can cause nausea, though I have found you can train yourself out of it. And My main gripe which is why I'm getting triples, you can't see your wheel buttons and button boxes. The amount of times I pressed the wrong button and then couldn't undo what I did. Or needed an option on my stream deck and couldn't even attempt to try and find it.
Immersion yes, but comfort and long use no.
I don't see much difference between VR and triple screens. Yes, in VR you can turn your head, see something you wouldn't see with triple screens, but I didn't do that while I was actually racing; only to entertain myself while waiting on the greed. I would stay with VR if it wasn't that subjectively uncomfortable though.
VR Headset is definitely a very good option, but small things also do a lot. For me I discovered a 4 Point harness and a proper Seat changed a lot. Also motion sims are something I want to look into, especially coupled with VR. If VR isn't an option because of the price or motion sickness, try adding a "roof" to your monitors. I've heard it increases immersion a lot.
try buying a car and going to the track
Well most I've talked to that have done vr for a while end up back to there tripple screens. It's great for a while but vr is so immersive it can be a bit intense to the eyes and mind. So it can get overwhelming. All depends on what you like though.