VR Work

[RodgerDash]

The VR studders or screen tears badly with Oculus Quest 2. Holy crap it's some bad screen tear.

[Wolff]

Check this out.
https://youtu.be/IbvnR7a6MWM

If you still have problems after this video then your probably not up to spec.

[dutchchili]

works great!
I can push the super sampling tot 1.5 (RTX3070) on missions with little traffic.
I noticed that when you change these settings in Oculus Desktop mode', so can immediately observe the result. No need to start DCS....get a coffee...see how it works.
Dit you play with bitrate and encode resolution too?

[Wolff]

Awesome! I'm just waiting on a CableCC Single Port USB 3.1 Type C USB-C Female to USB 3.0 Motherboard 19pin Header Cable 40cm Cable High Qualitycc × 1. This item is coming from China. The one thing I'm surprised that Corsair didn't include with the ICU 4000x mid-tower case. The USB 3.1 is on my front panel connector.

Since I'm using AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT with the Oculus Tray Tool. I kept the preset settings to disabled and just changed it to 1.3 super sampling. The great thing about this tool is using it to launch the Oculus app from your desktop. If I don't want to play DCS in VR for working with mission editor for example I don't want the Oculas launching every time DCS starts so, you have control over the Oculas app with the Tray Tool.

I might up the super sampling a bit but, I won't see any great changes in my headset until more cores are opened up. DCS uses only one core for VR which can create cpu bottlenecks with new systems.

[dutchchili]

Interesting enough, according to the Windows Performance monitor the CPU is extremely bored (Intel i7 10th generation) while playing, and the NVidia GPU is running close to 100%.

I noticed, even with your 'focus on smooth running' settings, stutters can occur in multiplayer. Not in 'just dogfight', but in 'capture bases caucasus'-or-something-like-that. 10 minutes into the mission i get stutters. The graphics and OTT settings effect the severity, but ending the mission does not recover the FPS. I think this is some sort of bug where DCS 'chokes' and cannot/doesn't recover.

With the CPU not running at 100% and not using all cores, performance can theoretically be much better. Push more processing to the CPU and less to the GPU.

I also wonder if the processor in the VR headset if fully utilized. From what i read most of the work is done by the graphics card. But the headset has one of its own. Can't those share the work?

Finally, those MSSA and Ansitropic setting produce strange shadows sometimes. Like horizontal shadows from trees on a hill (shadow is 'in the air').
If i switch off MSSA and ansi, and compensate with super samples of 1.8, shadows look better. However, this is so demanding that in only works in mission with hardly any planes and ground targets
(also strange btw, as 'out of sight' targets should have little impact, but it seems they do. More so in multiplayer.....effects of connection speed?)

Well, an already great simulator can and will be better in the future :)

[Wolff]

With the settings I have right now I can fly with very good control, the best I’ve ever had playing DCS. If I change my settings for better eye candy this will suffer. I did find a link on shader settings that I will look into, not sure if this is for Nvidia only.

https://forums.eagle.ru/topic/183659-vr-shaders-mod-for-better-vr-experience

My settings in DCS for AMD

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2565606319
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2565606328

My screenshot in-game with the settings I have right now and this is not the way it looks in my headset. If I had eye candy like this I would be super stoked.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2564195947

We are not alone when it comes to trying so many different ways to keep a balance for performance and eye candy and hopefully things will get optimized soon.

[dutchchili]

After some more testing. It seems that pixel densities set outside of DCS have no effect.
I ended up training MSSA and ansitropic filtering for a pixel density of 1.5. Give me a sharper cockpit and fluid flying (FPS 36 according to DCS).

[Wolff]

I'll try 1.5 later. Your getting 36 FPS per eye for 72, very good.

[Wolff]

Going to try the VR shaders mod and see how it performs, you get it from the link I posted up above. I really wasn't into backing up files and changing stuff, should be no reason why we have to do this in the first place and is annoying. I was just going to wait till optimizations before getting back into it. Anyways, found a video showing the best way to install mods and i was surprised that JSGME is still used today, I use to use this program for all my games with mods years ago and it is a great program for that.

https://youtu.be/GYAxD41QIYs
https://youtu.be/55NCWF0Dxvg
https://youtu.be/t1gcgAXhgtA

Readme txt for

------------------------------------------------------------------
DCS World VR shaders mod
by Keijo "Kegetys" Ruotsalainen, http://www.kegetys.fi
------------------------------------------------------------------

For DCS World version 2.7.0.4625 (15.4.2021). Using with other
versions may or may not work.

Various shader changes for improved performance in VR, without sacrificing
too much on visual quality and graphicsl improvements (see list below)

If you downloaded this mod from anywhere else except from 'kegetys.fi' URL
please download the original from there before contacting me with any issues.

Install:
- Backup your Bazar/shaders directory (but keep the files in place)
- Extract files from this zip, overwriting the existing files
- Run DCS World. The shaders will be compiled as they are used
for the first time, so first startup and loading of mission will
take a while (can be 10 minutes or more). While playing you can
also see some stutters when new shaders are compiling for the
first time. These will stop after everything has been compiled.

Uninstall:
- Restore Bazar/shaders backup
- Delete files from C:\Users\<user>\Saved Games\DCS\fxo and metashaders2 directories.

Settings can be adjusted by editing 'Bazar\shaders\deferred\_HMD.hlsl' file
with a text editor.

Performance optimizations:
- Simplified canopy glass shader*
(ENABLE_SIMPLE_CANOPY setting)
- Simplified histogram calculation
(ENABLE_SIMPLE_HG setting)
- Disabled bloom & color grading
(ENABLE_NO_BLOOM setting)
- Simplified grass rendering
(ENABLE_SIMPLE_GRASS setting)
- Reduced shadow PCF maximum sample count from 16 to 10
(ENABLE_SIMPLE_SHADOWS setting)
- Simple transparent objects rendering, ie. propellers and smoke
(ENABLE_SIMPLE_TRANS setting, disabled by default)
- Disabled atmosphere for things close to camera
- Removed one GBuffer entirely for bandwidth savings
- Removed water refractions shader as it doesn't work with the above

Visual improvements:
- Albedo texture supersampling, for sharpening object textures.
Visible especially with cockpit text labels.
(ENABLE_DIFFUSE_SS setting)
- Multi-sampled shadow sampling in terrain with MSAA enabled.
(ENABLE_TERRAIN_SHADOW_MS setting)
- Alpha-to-coverage support for trees and tree flat shadows with MSAA enabled.
(ENABLE_ATOC setting)
- Improved night vision goggles, useable in VR with smaller, properly
positioned scope and new noise effect.
- Optional NVG scope raise/lower feature with gain control (fixed gain)
(NVG_GAIN_ADJUSTS_POSITION setting)
- Added dithering to HDR tonemap to smooth out banding, visible especially at the sky
(ENABLE_DITHERING setting)
- The 3D mouse cursor is less bright at night time
- Slight mip bias adjustment for text rendering (sharper text)

* This optimization does not work with planes which do not use the glass
shader for the canopy glass.


------------------------------------------------------------------
Vesion history
------------------------------------------------------------------
2.7.0.4625:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.7.0.4625 (15.4.2021)
- Removed the ENABLE_HMD_MASK & MASKSIZE settings as a correct mask is included in DCS now
2.5.6.50321:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.6.50321 (6.6.2020)
- Fixed tree AToC in TGP
2.5.6.49314:
- Renamed the mod to 'DCS World VR shaders mod'
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.6.49314 (23.5.2020)
- Removed MSAA_MASKSIZE setting as ED "cloned" it to DCS itself
- Added multi-sampled terrain shadow sampling (less aliased shadows with MSAA)
- Added alpha-to-coverage support for trees and tree flat shadows (less aliased trees with MSAA)
- Fixed ship wakes being permanently "burned in" with high water detail
- Simple transparent objects rendering setting (off by default - not well tested)
- Fixed some issues with NVG especially with NVG_GAIN_ADJUSTS_POSITION enabled
2.5.6.47224:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.6.47224 (19.4.2020)
- Fixed some potential issues with GBuffer decoding
- Fixed simple glass albedo color
- Added ENABLE_NO_BLOOM setting to keep bloom enabled (appears to perform better nowdays)
- Changed HMD mask outside area to write black rather than discard to be compatible with bloom
- Added albedo texture supersampling (ENABLE_DIFFUSE_SS setting)
2.5.6.45915:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.6.45915 (3.4.2020)
2.5.6.43503:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.6.43503 (16.2.2020)
- Restored original sun flare
- Added simplified version of histogram calculation (previously it was removed completely)
- Above can be turned off with ENABLE_SIMPLE_HG setting
- Removed the sRGB fix as the game seems to have some other workaround for it now
- ENABLE_SIMPLE_SHADOWS now limits the sample count to 10 instead of 16
v2.5.5.41371:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.5.41371 (4.1.2020)
v2.5.5.34644:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.5.34644 (14.8.2019)
v2.5.4.28615:
- Restored resolveDepth as it was causing problems with haze and NVG depth effect
- Fixed fog not being visible near the camera
- NVG effect improved for VR goggles (smaller scope, correct positioning, new noise)
- NVG gain now does something proper rather than just brightens up the sky
- NVG parameters configurable from _HMD.hlsl
- Included the sRGB gamma fix in the mod (fix elevated black levels, visible esp. at night)
- Added simple dithering to HDR tonemap to smooth out banding, visible especially at the sky
- Made the 3D mouse cursor less bright at night time
- Some optimizations can now be turned off from _HMD.hlsl (simple shadows, grass, canopy)
v2.5.4.25729:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.4.25729 (20.12.2018)
v2.5.3.21107:
- Compatibility with DCS World version 2.5.3.21107 (31.8.2018)
- Fixed moonlight illuminating cockpit glass too much
v2.5.2.19273.411(b):
- Fixed compile error with DIFFUSE_UV
v2.5.2.19273.411:
- Fist version

[Wolff]

Made some changes and works a lot better for me now. Not going to touch anything now.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2566338568
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2566338595

[dutchchili]

what did you change?

[Wolff]

You know the old saying, “Keep it simple stupid” Just what I did. Only using the Oculus Tray Tool. With the settings that Tactical Pascale has recommended on his video on the link above. I unchecked the mirror options in DCS VR options as well. I won’t see anything better than what I have now, until more cores are opened up.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2566724924
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2566724909

[RodgerDash]

引用自 Wolff：

Check this out.
https://youtu.be/IbvnR7a6MWM

If you still have problems after this video then your probably not up to spec.

My machine is up to specs. This worked for me. I am now ready for the Eurofighter. Thank you!