UPDATED: Index clarity was worst than vive pro, until I removed the face gasket.

[JayRon]

UPDATE: After another two weeks of using the Index, i'm come to the conclusion that, with the shape of my head, the gasket does not place my eyes close enough to the lenses. There are too far away for the optimal optical clarity. By removing the gasket, my eyes get much closer and things appear optically clearer. This may not be a general problem but just for people with "awkward" head shapes.

Thanks to FishTail for pointing this out.

Original:

For the first week, I was really concerned that something was wrong because my vive pro (even without the lense mod) was far more clear than the index. I couldn't see the clarity that everybody was raving about. I wear glasses, am nearsighted, and have a wide head.

When I took off the face gasket and shoved my head directly in using this hack [Lookup 'Face gasket never arrived so I decided to put together a crude one' in the valve index reddit] everything become far more clear. Then I started to see what everybody is raving about. I didn't realize how much the SDE was removing detail from the scene. Now that I can actually see a clear image, it makes a huge difference over the vive pro. I just can’t go back to the vive pro anymore.

I think everybody with glasses (or wide heads or who think its blurry) should take off the face gasket and look directly into the Index. I think a lot of people are not getting the full index experience because they are not getting optical clarity: their eyes are two far away from the focal range of the lenses/panel.

At this point, I've cannot wear the face gasket and get the full index visual experience. I'm getting prescription VR lenses as well. I think prescription VR lenses are a requirement for index if you have glasses, not an option.

I think some thin face gaskets need to made to accommodate people getting optical clarity. With this change, the index is just a fantastic headset, some of the clearest images I’ve every seen in vr. Without it, I’d stick to the vive pro.

[JayRon]

Lex Lagger a écrit :

JayRon a écrit :

Well I got an eye examine and an new set of glasses. That seemed to help the clarity a bit.

I was starting to think this might be my problem too actually haha. But, Vive Pro with the lens mod is clear.

Yep Vive Pro is clear for me as well (even before new glasses), but the index places the lenses so close to your eyes that your focal characteristics (near sightness, etc) plays a bigger factor than the vive pro.

[FishTail [JoinUsInVR]💬GROUP]

JayRon a écrit :

... I took off the face gasket and shoved my head directly in using this hack [Lookup 'Face gasket never arrived so I decided to put together a crude one' in the valve index reddit] everything become far more clear.... \

Is there a point in removing the face gasket, if the side dial brings the lenses so close that they touch my face even when wearing the face gasket?

I tried this, and don't see much of a difference.

[MetalMessiah]

Fish Tail a écrit :

JayRon a écrit :

... I took off the face gasket and shoved my head directly in using this hack [Lookup 'Face gasket never arrived so I decided to put together a crude one' in the valve index reddit] everything become far more clear.... \

Is there a point in removing the face gasket, if the side dial brings the lenses so close that they touch my face even when wearing the face gasket?

I tried this, and don't see much of a difference.

Its not just eyes to lense, its lense to screen, using the dial brings the lenses farther from the screen.

I dont see much of a difference either, I feel this is probably mostly people that wear glasses that are seeing the problem

[FishTail [JoinUsInVR]💬GROUP]

MetalMessiah a écrit :

Its not just eyes to lense, its lense to screen, using the dial brings the lenses farther from the screen...

How sure are you about this? My FOV is 90% clear regardless, vs the Vive's 10% clear.

The Index teardown images I've seen look like the lenses are fixed to the IPD slide that is fixed to the LCD screen. And all the FOV knob does is make the face gasket slide close/far from the lenses.

My experience seems to support what I've seen as well.

The only thing taking the gasket off does for me, is allow the lower portion of the headset to come closer to my cheekbones. This change in viewing angle does effect optical image quality, but not significantly.

[FishTail [JoinUsInVR]💬GROUP]

My Index was meh, now it's about 80% clear across the FULL screen without moving my head.

Try going into the SteamVR settings, Devloper, and temporarily clicking "DISABLE Direct Display Mode". Then put something with text all over your desktop. Then put on the headset and close one eye. You'll see half your desktop.

Adjust the IPD, andgle of the headset, and position, and the in/out dial on the right side.

Do this until it's clear in the center, and only the outside 10% is slightly blurry. Then do the same for your other eye. Repeat as needed. Then "ENABLE Direct Display Mode" again.

Now for me, the ENTIRE screen of the Index is clear, except for the outside ~10% which is only slightly blurry. I can read everything. My Vive was crap compared to the Index.

[Chucky]

Doesnt work for me if i try this my headset turn red when i try switching the notepad with text to it.
And you cant adjust the PID for both eyes seperate dont make sense clsoing the eyes one by one and change die PID. If i did this for left eye and than change PID for right eyes the PID is changed for left eye too.

[Lex Lagger TTV]

Chucky a écrit :

Doesnt work for me if i try this my headset turn red when i try switching the notepad with text to it.
And you cant adjust the PID for both eyes seperate dont make sense clsoing the eyes one by one and change die PID. If i did this for left eye and than change PID for right eyes the PID is changed for left eye too.

The reason you close one eye is because your eyes will compensate for one another, same reason at an eye exam you test them one at a time. Once you get one dialed in you can work on the other. Keep going back and forth until it's good for both of them. In my case I had to tilt the head set sligthly as well to get it sharper as the up down is either slightly different, or feels different with placement. not sure which, but had to wear it so it feels slightly tilted in order for it to be better in both eyes. Still not perfect for me but also still talking to support about other issues.

[Chucky]

I cant see any changes if i try this out and change the PID... i tried so many things now and the text is still blurry like in this picture.
https://s2.imagebanana.com/file/190725/UzngQpgE.jpg

I opend a ticket now maybe they exchange my HMD because many Index User told me thats not normal the Text should be clear and not blurry...

I tested all Hz best resault 90Hz atm but still blurry.
Tested different Supersampling but withoud any effects.
Tested SteamVR Beta with new Firmware but sill no change...

I dont know what to do now... there arent so many settings i can check or? Something hidden?

What about "dropped Frames" if this number is high it isnt good or? Could this be a reason why the text is blurry?

With my GTX 2080 Ti it should be fine and a perfect clear picture on HMD but the Text reading hurt my eyes and i have to focus so much on text reading this shouldnt be normal or?

Or maybe i have a wrong expectation about how VR look like? I mean the clear Text on my PC Monitor is the best i can see and how about VR should it be exact as the Monitor or do i have to settle with it that VR text dont look as good as i know from PC Monitor?

[DZ Williams]

VR isn't as clear text to an actually monitor, we aren't there yet, one of the WMR headsets seems to be almost there though, the HP Reverb.

You should at the very least be able to make out what the text reads without any strain though.

[Lex Lagger TTV]

Chucky a écrit :

I cant see any changes if i try this out and change the PID... i tried so many things now and the text is still blurry like in this picture.
https://s2.imagebanana.com/file/190725/UzngQpgE.jpg

I opend a ticket now maybe they exchange my HMD because many Index User told me thats not normal the Text should be clear and not blurry...

I tested all Hz best resault 90Hz atm but still blurry.
Tested different Supersampling but withoud any effects.
Tested SteamVR Beta with new Firmware but sill no change...

I dont know what to do now... there arent so many settings i can check or? Something hidden?

What about "dropped Frames" if this number is high it isnt good or? Could this be a reason why the text is blurry?

With my GTX 2080 Ti it should be fine and a perfect clear picture on HMD but the Text reading hurt my eyes and i have to focus so much on text reading this shouldnt be normal or?

Or maybe i have a wrong expectation about how VR look like? I mean the clear Text on my PC Monitor is the best i can see and how about VR should it be exact as the Monitor or do i have to settle with it that VR text dont look as good as i know from PC Monitor?

Is this your first VR set up bud? I second what DZ Williams said about it not being clear, though I don't have experience with his recommendations.

I'm struggling a bit with getting clarity with mine as well though. I think it's the frensel lenses...

[Chucky]

Yes it is my first VR Set.
But people on a VR Forum say to me the text should be clear to read and not so blurry like in my example picture.
I know that the text will be blurry on the lense edges but i also have this text on my sweet spot at middle lense area while i focus on this.
It is very hard to read for me and like after you wake up and rubbing your eyes to see clear after sleep all the time when i try to read text in VR. This couldnt be normal or?

[DZ Williams]

Yeah it should be clear, especially in the sweet spot. Do you know your IPD? Maybe that's the problem. Mine is 74mm and index max is 70mm and it seems good enough...Do you wear glasses with your HMD?

[Chucky]

My IPD is around 63mm and i found out how i have a clear picture with better reading text. I have to put the headset more to the top but than i have a light gab where my nose and eyes are...

But now my HMD is broken i had a Crash while Playing DoomVR and now the lenses are black without power and any picture... SteamVR was deinstalled after PC restart (annyoing) and after reinstall and config i dont get any picture, lenses are black... -.- no more VR until Valve exchange my HMD... :(

[FishTail [JoinUsInVR]💬GROUP]

@Chucky, I might be able to help you on the not-working topic, and the not clear topic.

------------NOT WORKING--------
As for not working, try this:
[1] Submit a hardware support request telling them your problem and any error codes (this will help escalate a reliable fix for all)
[2] In SteamVR► Settings► Developer►click the "Remove all SteamVR USB Devices" button near the bottom
[3] Uninstall SteamVR (from the "tools" group of games)
[4] Browse to the SteamVR folder and DELETE IT (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR)
[5] Reinstall SteamVR from the store


-------------NOT CLEAR-----------
VR is never crystal cleAs for not being clear, VR never is perfect. This is in part because the screens are made square and flat, yet the human eye is so close, that the (focal) distance (=from the eye to the center is very different than to the edges. So it's complex and costley to make it all clear.

With that said, trust me and do what I said here. It will let you see the clearest it can be. That's your best bet:

Fish Tail a écrit :

My Index was meh, now it's about 80% clear across the FULL screen without moving my head.

Try going into the SteamVR settings, Devloper, and temporarily clicking "DISABLE Direct Display Mode". Then put something with text all over your desktop. Then put on the headset and close one eye. You'll see half your desktop.

Adjust the IPD, angle of the headset, and position, and the in/out dial on the right side.

Do this until it's clear in the center, and only the outside 10% is slightly blurry. Then do the same for your other eye. Repeat as needed. Then "ENABLE Direct Display Mode" again.

Now for me, the ENTIRE screen of the Index is clear, except for the outside ~10% which is only slightly blurry. I can read everything. My Vive was crap compared to the Index.

---------CLARITY COMPARISON------
As to what you should expect, check out this video, and others by this guy. They are a bit slow to watch, but helped me understand better too.

The Index looks clearer across the screen, and has less SDE, as seen in this "THROUGH THE LENSES - Valve INDEX vs Oculus RIFT S vs HTC Vive PRO" optical comparison around 7:20 https://youtu.be/ZaMyW6mtApg?t=439

Though the black levels are weaker on all LCD screens, I still prefer the Index overall. I also own a Vive. That was an $800 set in the day. Still sells used for around $300. That is only clear in about the center 20%. You literally pan your head to read text.


----Hope this helps! FishTail out.

[Chucky]

@Fish Tail
Thanks for the help i appreciate that.

I will test this after iam back home. (2-3 Days now not at home)

The problem with my ticket is, i dont have any error code that i could tell Valve. I opened a ticket because of the blurry text than i posted the black lenses problem but cant attach a new SteamVR Report... hopeful Valve answers soon.

I found out, if i put the Headset on i put it way to deep downward, when i put it more upward i can see text better and clear as before. The bad thing is than i have a light gap underneath my eyes and where my nose is... my face isnt made for VR!? oO
I think a custom face gasket would fix this light gaps, need to print a new one but the fabric they used arent purchaseable i cant finde this on internet.

So in 2-3 days i will check your tipps and hopeful it helps. Also i need to find out which nvidia drivers i had installed before they worked good with VR...