Is it possible to play DCS without a VR headset?

[Switch]

First off, I'm playing this on a 1080p gaming laptop with a 1660Ti, not a desktop.

I live in a tiny home with satellite internet, and the notion of getting a VR headset and the whole kit is completely out of the question.

That being said, I've learned the fundamentals of the F-15C in startup, taxi, takeoff. I'm still working on my landings, but I'll get there..

For fun, I've tried to run some easy 1v1 instant action missions with some combat with them, but I can't shoot down anything that's not a defenseless bomber.

I feel like without a headset, I basically can't do anything in this game besides free flight.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't seem to find a toggle switch that locks the in-cockpit camera to the locked on target, so as soon as lock breaks, I have no idea what's going on.

I designated the hat switch on my joystick to camera panning, but it's only up/down/left/right and It's extremely difficult to track anything.

So what does one do in this game, when all they've got is the regular monitor, keyboard and mouse, and basic joystick?
It really seems that the only way to play this game, really, is to Nut up and go all in on an Index and HOTAS or GTFO.

[Noobiecanoobie]

As replies suggest, it's not essential but some form of head tracking is highly recommended.

I use EDTracker Pro
http://www.edtracker.org.uk/
(Actual pro web site down at time of writing)

I found this to be a game changer, a completely new and better experience.
Partly because you can turn your head to look around you, freeing up joystick or keyboard controls. Partly because during dog fighting you must turn your head to track or locate enemies. But amazingly, it makes the games/sims so much more fun because you can focus on a specific location while moving. In flight sim, you can look outside at a location of ground while moving the aircraft. In car sim, you can focus on the corner while steering. It's a new and unique experience.

The EDTracker does not have position tracking, only orientation, but is very compact, comes in cordless model and is compatible with any game that supports TrackIR via OpenTrack. Still a little costly, but you'll use it on many games for many years, so worth it.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

Switch の投稿を引用：

This answers my question. "No, but yeah kinda" if you want to get good.

Even if you're bad and want to stay that way, headtracking makes a world of difference (read the comment above).

It gives you the ability to control view independently from the aircraft's movement, without having to use fingers/hands, without having to get your hands off the HOTAS, without having to dedicate HOTAS buttons to it, etc.

It allows you to be in permanent control of the important things (flight controls, radar, weapons, countermeasures, comms and the bandit's/incoming missile's location) in the heat of battle, without having to sacrifice anything.

My recommendation of building your own headtracking set stands.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

@Maki Nishikino

You're right, I didn't express myself correctly (kind of realized it after posting, but I decided not to edit the comment).

I really meant PVP, not just sticking with SP, my bad.

It's totally fine to avoid PVP, I'm not trying to attack you in any way, you're free to play as you want, obviously, whatever floats your boat.

As I interpreted it, the OP wanted to know whether headtracking + HOTAS was required to be competent in combat (be it PVE or PVP) and the answer is a resounding yes.

You actually proved my point, 10 years playing DCS and avoid PVP because you know you need headtracking + HOTAS to be competent, that's what I wanted to point out (again, it's not meant as an attack in any way)

[Sizigmund]

Soup Chewer の投稿を引用：

@Maki Nishikino

You're right, I didn't express myself correctly (kind of realized it after posting, but I decided not to edit the comment).

I really meant PVP, not just sticking with SP, my bad.

It's totally fine to avoid PVP, I'm not trying to attack you in any way, you're free to play as you want, obviously, whatever floats your boat.

As I interpreted it, the OP wanted to know whether headtracking + HOTAS was required to be competent in combat (be it PVE or PVP) and the answer is a resounding yes.

You actually proved my point, 10 years playing DCS and avoid PVP because you know you need headtracking + HOTAS to be competent, that's what I wanted to point out (again, it's not meant as an attack in any way)

As for me, I'm playing only "Single player". Once I played an online game, but then I just realized that there is nothing interesting in it for me, becuase there is no story line, just shoot other players and thats all gameplay. I like storyline games, so I'm playing mostly RPGs, quests and RP actions. In DCS I like the single player campaigns because they have a kind of story line. It is not as RPG games story lines, but it is nice too. I just prefer to fly missions where I need to provide an air support for my ground units, or air cover for my bombers. This is what I'm interested in. But PvP is always the same. You only try to shoot other players, some will be better than you, some will be worser, but the gameplay is the same all the time and it getting me bored very quickly.

Now, for a single player tracking devices are not mandatory, so I'm playing with a joystick and it is O.K. for me.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

@Sizigmund

Do yourself a favor and play MP PVP, instead of talking about it from a position of ignorance.
(It's not meant as an attack, it's just a description of what you're doing)

[Sizigmund]

Soup Chewer の投稿を引用：

@Sizigmund

Do yourself a favor and play MP PVP, instead of talking about it from a position of ignorance.
(It's not meant as an attack, it's just a description of what you're doing)

I'm not playing online games at all. As I said, I was playing once and I even was good in it, not the best, because of a high ping, but even with a high ping I was better then some other players. But as I said, I got borred from this kind of gameplay. Because it is always the same, so I back to storyline games. I know that some people enjoy to compete in online, and find this kind of gameplay very attractive, but as I said, I prefer a good single player campaign over an online PvP shooting without any meaning.

[*URC* PRUTLIP]

Noobiecanoobie の投稿を引用：

As replies suggest, it's not essential but some form of head tracking is highly recommended.

I use EDTracker Pro
http://www.edtracker.org.uk/
(Actual pro web site down at time of writing)

I found this to be a game changer, a completely new and better experience.
Partly because you can turn your head to look around you, freeing up joystick or keyboard controls. Partly because during dog fighting you must turn your head to track or locate enemies. But amazingly, it makes the games/sims so much more fun because you can focus on a specific location while moving. In flight sim, you can look outside at a location of ground while moving the aircraft. In car sim, you can focus on the corner while steering. It's a new and unique experience.

The EDTracker does not have position tracking, only orientation, but is very compact, comes in cordless model and is compatible with any game that supports TrackIR via OpenTrack. Still a little costly, but you'll use it on many games for many years, so worth it.

how to buy when website is down or not showing it

[Maki Nishikino]

Soup Chewer の投稿を引用：

As I interpreted it, the OP wanted to know whether headtracking + HOTAS was required to be competent in combat (be it PVE or PVP) and the answer is a resounding yes.

So I'm not competent in winning a dogfight? I've merged in DCS and won dogfights. I might make it difficult for myself (from the perspective of someone who does use such peripherals) but that doesn't make me incompetent. In PvP past the merge would it be difficult without the peripherals? Yes, but it's not impossible. It might take getting used to but you can become competent.

The consensus is that a head tracking device and a good joystick is best but quite honestly you can get away not having them. Think about it, why would I spend so much on DCS modules and not go out and get a good joystick and drag out my TrackIR from my closet? Simply because what I use works and can't be bothered dragging out my TrackIR. Again, it's not ideal of course but I've got the hang of it. How many people in this world are handicapped and yet can still function in everyday life by improvising?

Soup Chewer の投稿を引用：

You actually proved my point, 10 years playing DCS and avoid PVP because you know you need headtracking + HOTAS to be competent, that's what I wanted to point out (again, it's not meant as an attack in any way)

That isn't why I avoid PvP, I have given you the reason why I don't play PvP. To reiterate yes the peripherals are of much help but they're not a necessity. The reason I don't spend money is simply because I can improvise. My PFC yoke was ~$2,000, throttle quadrant ~$500, don't remember what I paid for the rudder pedals. I don't use any of this for DCS, I use a cheap $50 HOTAS-X I bought over 5 years ago and it's still working just fine.

I've actually been playing the series ever since Lock On was a thing, still remember that A-10 demo mission. I even bought Black Shark that came in a box and come to think of it that might actually have been my introduction into DCS (I may have got it before the A-10C which I bought 9 months after it was available).

[ernest p. worrell]

Not only is it possible to play this game without VR, it's also possible to play it without head tracking hardware/software of any kind. You can try this game out for free and play crudely with mouse and keyboard. You can buy a dirt cheap $20 joystick and from there be able to actually do some semi-real stuff. You can buy a cheap HOTAS after that for 60-150 dollars and then stop there if you want.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

@Maki Nishikino

I also got PVP kills (even won dogfights) back when I used mouse + hat for view control... but that doesn't mean it was a good (or desirable) option.

Truth is that I was still getting killed most of the time, and many of those deaths could've been easily avoided, had I used a headtracking set.

Every time I wanted to control my view, I had to sacrifice control of my plane / radar / weapons / countermeasures / comms... and, on top of it, I couldn't keep visual contact with the bandit/missile/ground target reliably (fingers simply aren't meant to do the neck's job).

I kept playing like that for years, thinking it was good enough.

Ofc, I didn't realize just how uncomfortable, flawed, inefficient and unnecessarily stressful it was until I built my headtracking set and experienced the difference.


Now, only you know why you can't be bothered to get your trackir out of the closet, I can only guess and speculate.

Seems like you've gotten used to manual view controls and that PVP isn't your cup of tea, you prefer PVE.
Since PVE is like shooting fish in a barrel, manual view controls are good enough, don't really need more.

Is that a fair description?


Be that as it may, you're still willingly handicapping yourself and I don't think the OP shares your enthusiasm for manual view controls 😅


As for handicapped people, given the choice, do you think they'd choose to remain handicapped?


Anyway, it's not my business to tell people how they should or shouldn't play, I speak for myself and my own experience.

I assumed that the OP was ultimately interested in PVP (my bad?).
And yes, in my experience, doing PVP with manual view controls (and no HOTAS / barebones HOTAS) is like bringing a knife to a gunfight... that's all I wanted to say about this, sorry if I was rude and pushy.

[Supernerd]

Bottom line, it's a bonus only IF you want to invest more in it. One is not "handicapping themselves" by not spending more on additional hardware. It is VERY accessible without VR, head tracking, or HOTAS. The answer to your question "Is it possible to play DCS without a VR headset?" is an unqualified YES! If you in particular would WANT one is a personal preference, but it is not required.

Also, overall there seems to be a good community. However, as with all things, there are sadly a few people that think they know what is best for everyone. It is an unfortunate reality whenever people are involved.

[Maki Nishikino]

Soup Chewer の投稿を引用：

Anyway, it's not my business to tell people how they should or shouldn't play, I speak for myself and my own experience.

It's neither of ours, we simply share our experiences. I simply don't find it necessary, but undoubtedly it does help, I can't argue with that. I plan on getting more modules, very excited for the OH-58. Quite honestly unless my HOTAS-X just stops working I'm not going to get something else. Pardon me for sounding arrogant here but If I really had an issue I would just shovel money at the problem.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

@Sizigmund

I could write a wall of text telling you just how predictable (and hence boring) the AI is, how humans are unpredictable and even intelligent sometimes 😅 (which makes MP interesting and forces people to learn stuff), how DCS PVP servers differ A LOT in terms of complexity, features, style, etc...

But nothing I can write will make you realize these things, you have to discover them on your own.

[Maki Nishikino]

Soup Chewer の投稿を引用：

@Sizigmund

I could write a wall of text telling you just how predictable (and hence boring) the AI is, how humans are unpredictable and even intelligent sometimes 😅 (which makes MP interesting and forces people to learn stuff), how DCS PVP servers differ A LOT in terms of complexity, features, style, etc...

But nothing I can write will make you realize these things, you have to discover them on your own.

Most DCS players aren’t playing PvP, they play offline thus against AI. I mean if you find PvE boring then fine, just don’t think that PvP is the only way to truly enjoy DCS for everyone. You’re not the only one who plays DCS, remember that. The server I play on has AI of various difficulty, it’s fun for me and the many others that play on it. There is a ton you can do on the server, virtually all modules can be utilized.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

Supernerd の投稿を引用：

Bottom line, it's a bonus only IF you want to invest more in it.

It's a bonus in all cases. Whether you want to invest in it or not, that's another matter.

Supernerd の投稿を引用：

One is not "handicapping themselves" by not spending more on additional hardware.

If that additional hardware is a headtracking set and a HOTAS, then they definitely are (this doesn't mean they should buy it, though. That's a separate matter. As for the HOTAS, it depends on the module you're flying).

As for the headtracking set, it can be built with dirty cheap components (except for the high fps camera... but all in all, it's still way cheaper than trackir or a VR set)

Supernerd の投稿を引用：

It is VERY accessible without VR, head tracking, or HOTAS.

Totally accessible without VR, not so much without headtracking and HOTAS (the latter depends on the module you're flying, like I said)

Supernerd の投稿を引用：

The answer to your question "Is it possible to play DCS without a VR headset?" is an unqualified YES! If you in particular would WANT one is a personal preference, but it is not required.

Sure, but maybe you should read the whole post, not just the question.

OP is finding manual view controls to be a pita (which they definitely are), maybe don't ignore that?

Supernerd の投稿を引用：

there are sadly a few people that think they know what is best for everyone. It is an unfortunate reality whenever people are involved.

Sure.

There are also those who think they have an informed opinion, when they don't.