Just tried AC in VR

He has a slightly better gpu. I'm similar to your spec (you should add your i5-7600k, GTX1070, 16GB DDR4, stock clocks, CV1 to your sig if you can because makes it easier to compare)

You seem to be getting slightly better performance than me. Main difference is the cpu 4690k v 7600k.

That said, I've not really noticed a big downside to the 90fps dropping to 45fps though. This ASW seems to work. So I just use ppd 2.0, sometimes I get 90, sometimes it drops, but it's only really looking on the render stats that I notice that fact.

 

How many of those vibrators do I need? I thought I had to have like 4 of them (shown on the SimXperience website) and the price adds up pretty fast.

 

TBH... the difference is probably the console. When I was console, my V2 felt great, better than my TX, but I'd agree it was more marginal. I didn't really feel the fidelity in my V2, until I went to PC. It also depends on the settings. If the Spring and Damper are on, the fidelity is diminished. The pedals, though are big improvement. But, again, different with console. They have to be connected through the base, and you lose a bit of resolution. On the PC side, they claimed that's been fixed in the latest firmware, but if you don't adjust the Brake Force at the wheel, I think it can still feel strange. Basically, Fanatec on console isn't really showing the full potential of the product. The brake mod for the V3s really makes a difference, too.

That said, I'd agree that, if you already have a decent wheel you're happy with, VR would be a better investment than a new wheel. But pedals are different. I have an Oculus Cv1 and LOVE it, but if I had to choose, I think I'd prefer good pedals over VR.

 

I was doing the same, ramping things up and letting ASW handle the drops. It does seem fine, and can be for some people. But I noticed things... Like on Silverstone, when coming down Wellington Straight, the columns on the spectator stands in the distance where flickering when ASW was running at 45 fps. But with 90 fps, they don't flicker at all. I played with 45 fps for a while, but after switching back to 90 fps, I realized the flow is smoother and more consistent. 45 fps wasn't bad, but I was definitely unknowingly "accepting" some of the issues.

The other thing that really changed my mind was seeing how hard the GPU was working in the Oculus Debug Toolkit. It was an insane load on the GPU. And after switching back to 90 fps, I quickly realized that the graphics were totally fine. Whatever I had gained with the higher PD wasn't that big of deal, because I didn't miss it, but I did notice the improved image flow and stability with the solid 90 fps.

 

One of the best test I found for seeing if you can tell the difference between 90fps and 45fps is to setup a race with 919s on a big fast track. When you get those cars up to speed the fps becomes very noticeable.

 

Unless you do a DIY motion setup, the cost will be in the thousands.

Please excuse my OT for a moment: A decent SimVibe setup can certainly reach well into four figures pretty easily but, you can get better value by going with a decent amp and a couple of ADX bass-shakers for under $400. That will get you more tactile than a couple of BK-gamer2's ever will. A 4-puck array of Dayton mini's wired to a Lepai HiFi 2.1 Bass Boost Amp can create better tactile than a single BK-G2 can IMO; it's all in how you setup the transducers on your rig. I have the Dayton-pucks mounted inside the back of my racing seat so they are in near-direct contact and that's the trick to getting the most bang for your buck - effective mounting.

In any case, nothing beats SimVibe for transferring tactile from physical events effectively with Racing Sim's so that should be on your shopping list IMO.

My favorite tactile weapon of choice is the BK-LFE mounted on a bracket under the seat; it makes bumps big enough to cause my CV1-HMD to almost fall off my head in Dirt Rally.
That can be powered by something like the Behringer iNuke 1000 amp pretty well.

 

It really depends. I highly recommend that you run a tactile setup with SimVibe (although you can run it off the audio feed directly) SimVibe is fairly expensive software and costs something like $80. With SimVibe you need a separate sound card installed in your computer, $20. There are several different versions of "shakers" that you mount on the chassis, they cost about $50 give or take. You need at least one subwoofer amplifier to run the shaker, that is about $50 give or take. That comes to about $200 for a decent setup.
If you want to run front and back shakers add another $100 for a shaker and amplifier. If you want four channel (left, right, front, back) add another $200 for the shakers and amplifiers. If you plan on running 4 channels then buy a four channel subwoofer amplifier. It probably won't save you money but it will give you more functionality.

I have a four channel rig and I love it. It cost me about $550.


I might add that tactile simulation works great with a VR headset. When I start up a race and I pull the VR headset on and the tactile shakers kick in with a throbbing engine vibration it feels like I have just entered the cockpit of a race car. Wonderful.

 

As you can see from Dean reply, it depends.
If you are after a motion type set up then it can get expensive quickly.

What I have adds vibrations to my seat. It is deceptively efficient at adding immersion and also not expensive, particularly at a first step. One day I will probably go the motion way, probably with a DIY type project involving simvibe and some mechanical AC motors.
For now my single sound driven ButtKicker is doing a good job and I am recommending it to anyone wanting to add a little more sensation to the driving without braking the bank.
In any case, it will always have its place even when I go into Motion, there is always something that needs to vibrate somewhere inside a car for added simulation.

 

Same. I just added a single BK2 after they finally restocked. I'm sure multiples would be awesome, but I'm extremely happy with one right now. It's a huge step up from nothing.

 

One additional for your GF

 

I recommend adding more diversity as opposed to replicating units for stereo although, both may be ideal. Having three different size transducers broadens the effective Vibe range more than stereo can and suspension effects are not that easy to isolate effectively whereas small vibes, mid-range and large bumps are much more obvious and satisfying.

SimVibe's are something that PC1 was really good at and I found tuning Vibes in the first title easier than in most other titles; I suspect the telemetry output just had more rounded wave peaks than others so it tends to produce softer effects - not overly harsh or requiring lots of fine-tuning.

 

Just for information: Did the above, using track SPA at full (23) 919s AI grid and smoke on full. 90+ fps from start to finish (10 laps). PP filters on, Pixel density @1.5. Superb rendering with Oculus Rift. I think the CPU 7700k deals with it just fine together with the 1080Ti.

 

I was actually testing on his PC, and he does have the brake mod. However I think the reason that I was not so impressed with his wheel is that I'm very likely already quite close to the full potential of my G27 but his wheel and pedals are far far away from being optimized. Maybe if he had spent the same amount of work I put in my G27 his setup would be far superior than mine.

@Dean Ogurek @RReed43 @Cote Dazur
My apologies for these many maybe really simple and stupid questions:

• What is a "tactile setup"? Does that mean the shaker convey tire traction information and you can feel tire skidding in an oversteer situation with your butt?
• How many shakers do you guys have? Do I need to have say 1 shaker each corner to have information about 4 tires? What kind of feeling will I get if I have 1 or 2 shaker(s) - is it possible to do 1 front and 1 rear? Can you get understeer information from the shaker(s)?
• Subwoofer amplifier is mentioned in your guys' posts. Is it like the power supply for the shakers?

The shaker setup sounds very interesting to me now. If I can get more realistic feelings for car when it understeers and oversteers with something around $500, it would be fantastic for me I think (I was actually thinking about saving towards the Next Level Motion Platform for its compactness compared to other solutions but it's like $3500-$4000).

 

"Tactile" is the word used to describe vibrations in a simulation setup.

I have four, two under pedals left and right, and two under seat left and right.

If you only have one shaker I would recommend it being placed under seat.

If you have two shakers I would recommend one under seat and one under pedals. The difference between the vibrations are much greater front to back then they are side to side. Side to side is most noticeable when you hit a curb with you left or right tires, the rest of the time the vibrations aren't that recognizably different. Front to back are really different as the engine effects are really felt under the pedals while road bumps are felt in the seat.

"Shakers" or more properly "bass shakers" are very low frequency transducers (speakers). They operate in the 15 hz to 100 hz range. They require a lot of power to drive. Regular audio amplifiers typically deliver very little power at these low frequencies and therefore won't drive a bass shaker. The amplifiers designed for this frequency range are known as subwoofer amplifiers. In stereo systems "woofer" is a bass speaker and a sub-woofer is a really low frequency speaker. A bass shaker is a type of sub-woofer.

It actually takes a lot of power to drive a bass shaker. I have an individual 75 watt amplifier for each of my shakers. I have them turned up pretty high. They are hot when I am racing. I have had to back off on volume because the amplifiers would over heat and shut down until they cool down. I hate driving without the shakers operating because it is such a big part of the simulation. My racing rig feels alive when it's running.

 

RReed43 is spot on regarding the terminology and general setups. The BK-LFE I mentioned is a very large transducer designed for drum thrones (seat) that can work at frequencies as low as 5hz and there are not too many amps that can reach that but, the iNuke 3000 can and those amps have active cooling fans to avoid overheating - that's something you want to look for in a durable / reliable setup IMO.

Some might be surprised to find that I have a total of 8 transducers mounted on my seat alone; 2 for Left / Right suspension / BK-LFE for large bump effects / Aura-Pro for engine vibes & Shifts / Dayton Mini-Puck array for engine vibes. Using some leverage in mounting is needed to get the most from transducers so brackets or mounts with the right amount of flex tend to be more effective than rigid mounts, that's why the BK-gamer's use the extended bracket for mounting - leverage.

 

I play AC with Oculus Rift and wheel/pedals and immersion is great but now I read that with "buttkicker-stuff" immersion can be even further increased.
I live in a flat with neighbours all around and not enough space for a "racing rig". I sit on a normal "office chair", the wheel mounted on a normal desk.
Is there a way for me to use such a "buttkicker"?
Will it make sense (increased immersion without disturbing the neighbours)?
How much would it cost and is it difficult to implement?
What would you suggest to me?

 

Is that simvibe oversteer -effect working in assetto corsa? Sure it shows in effect list, and you can add that effect, but it does nothing for me.

 

Yesterday, I was hotlapping in Monza, with a Ferrari 458 stage 3. Everytime that I was turning at T1 (hard braking), the game was lagging (fps drop I guess even if I didn't check the stat).

Very strange because I can run a race everywhere else, full grid, at 90fps (supersampling at 1.6). But in Monza, alone, it creates problem.

 

Have you tried another car to rule out possible (cpu) lag caused by bottoming out?

 

The shaker I am showing in post #800 is designed to attach to an office chair.