VR Headset + HOTAS Recommendations

[Rookie2311]

Hello I am looking for a good VR headset to play DCS with (That fits glasses) as I have never experienced VR before. I am also looking for a good HOTAS setup and rudder pedals that works well with both helicopter and plane modules.

[★Macman★]

G2 with T.16000 & TWCS which you can even mount vertical on side of chair as a Collector using velcro. A nicer stick is the VKB Gladiator NTX which uses a softer centre return although some had issues to need re-greasing the Yaw and has a slight spot it can catch to get used to but is far better and still not too pricey and better for your Chopper. Matching Thrustmaster TFRP Flight Rudder Pedals do the job or Logitech (Saitek) Pro Flight Rudder Pedals for a wider stance.

Nice upgrade to the TWCS: I have this. You can tighten it as you like for resistance already.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXqHUsm0cho

Although had issues of the Battery (as did Oculus for years) it has no actual power issue with controllers although you can get far longer Usage with higher rating Rechargables & Charger although I NEVER use Controllers in Sims.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVY4gtWLNCI
*I use glasses often with plenty room.

[Draken35]

Oculus Quest 2 fits nicely over glasses.

[Sandhill]

HOTAS is very much budget dependent...

[Rookie2311]

Originally posted by Sandhill:

HOTAS is very much budget dependent...

Budget is currently not an issue for me.

Originally posted by Macman:

G2 with T.16000 & TWCS which you can even mount vertical on side of chair as a Collector using velcro. A nicer stick is the VKB Gladiator NTX which uses a softer centre return although some had issues to need re-greasing the Yaw and has a slight spot it can catch to get used to but is far better and still not too pricey and better for your Chopper. Matching Thrustmaster TFRP Flight Rudder Pedals do the job or Logitech (Saitek) Pro Flight Rudder Pedals for a wider stance.

Nice upgrade to the TWCS: I have this. You can tighten it as you like for resistance already.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXqHUsm0cho

Although had issues of the Battery (as did Oculus for years) it has no actual power issue with controllers although you can get far longer Usage with higher rating Rechargables & Charger although I NEVER use Controllers in Sims.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVY4gtWLNCI
*I use glasses often with plenty room.

Thank you for the information that is very helpful

[HoboCop]

If budget isn't a problem, then spend as much as you can on the HOTAS.

Virpil are VERY GOOD! As long as you do not mind the wait.

And for pedals, the best I found are the thrustmaster pendular ones. They are so so good.
My first set of pedals were the cheapo TFRP suggested above, and these were horrible clunky things that I hated using, and they also broke with hardly any use.

If you really do have deep pockets and want the immersion, then get the thrustmaster warthog throttle. The virpil warbrd base and then the a10 grip and you will have the ultimate for flying the a10c. Then you can also buy other grips too for other modules. I also have the f18 grip and this is brilliant for both the f18 and f14. The a10 grip works great for the a10 and f16.

Oh, and if you do get the warthog throttle, then I suggest modding the TGP slew stick - this makes it even better. It was the one minor pain I had with the stock throttle.

Don't buy the warthog hotas combo with the stick - the warthog base for the stick is absolutely horrible - I made the mistake of buying it as a combo and it was a waste of money because I replaced it with the virpil base.

For the VR: This is easy. The G2.

[Rookie2311]

Originally posted by HoboCop:

If budget isn't a problem, then spend as much as you can on the HOTAS.

Virpil are VERY GOOD! As long as you do not mind the wait.

And for pedals, the best I found are the thrustmaster pendular ones. They are so so good.
My first set of pedals were the cheapo TFRP suggested above, and these were horrible clunky things that I hated using, and they also broke with hardly any use.

If you really do have deep pockets and want the immersion, then get the thrustmaster warthog throttle. The virpil warbrd base and then the a10 grip and you will have the ultimate for flying the a10c. Then you can also buy other grips too for other modules. I also have the f18 grip and this is brilliant for both the f18 and f14. The a10 grip works great for the a10 and f16.

Oh, and if you do get the warthog throttle, then I suggest modding the TGP slew stick - this makes it even better. It was the one minor pain I had with the stock throttle.

Don't buy the warthog hotas combo with the stick - the warthog base for the stick is absolutely horrible - I made the mistake of buying it as a combo and it was a waste of money because I replaced it with the virpil base.

For the VR: This is easy. The G2.

Thank you for the information it is very helpful

[Sandhill]

If budget is not a problem, you can bypass Thrustmaster entirely and buy a Virpil base and throttle, nothing TM makes compares. Some folks prefer the Thrustmaster Warthog grip to any of the Virpil grips as the TM is a replica of US military grips, where Virpil no longer does any such. The TM grip is compatible with the Virpil base, but it is currently badly price inflated due to MSFS demand.
For rudder pedals there are several excellent choices on the market, and do keep in mind that if you already have auto racing pedals they do a pretty good job at a savings of a few hundred USD.

[Rookie2311]

Originally posted by Sandhill:

If budget is not a problem, you can bypass Thrustmaster entirely and buy a Virpil base and throttle, nothing TM makes compares. Some folks prefer the Thrustmaster Warthog grip to any of the Virpil grips as the TM is a replica of US military grips, where Virpil no longer does any such. The TM grip is compatible with the Virpil base, but it is currently badly price inflated due to MSFS demand.
For rudder pedals there are several excellent choices on the market, and do keep in mind that if you already have auto racing pedals they do a pretty good job at a savings of a few hundred USD.

Thank you for the information

[Gamerdoc7]

To be honest if the budget is not a concern, I wouldn't bother with T1600 set. It's a great introductory product but at some point you will want to upgrade it.

I have Warthog HOTAS set and happy with it. However if I had a desk I could just use for flight sim, I would have gotten F18 set from Winwing. It's a replica of F18 HOTAS plus a LOT of control switches around the throttle at 1:1 representation (F18 stick is said to be slightly smaller than the real one). You need to get a mount as this is not something you can put on your desk. Monster mount is the one usually recommended, over their own mount.

Alternatively, Virpil or VKB's sticks are considered to be better than Warthog's, as Warthog's plastic gimbal will degrade at some point. However they are more expensive than Warthog set. On the other hand, the warthog throttle is considered very good but I am sure Virpil and VKB throttles are good too. Many people use Warthog throttle and Virpil/VKB stick combo.

MFG crosswind is generally considered to be the best rudder, with all metal components. I have Logitech Saitek pro and I like it, as I have no problem flying Warbirds and jets with it, but I am not sure how it will fare with helicopter. MFG is apparently a lot more precise, and because of its metal weight, it doesn't move around with you moving your feet around.

To play VR at reasonable frame rate with reasonable visuals (as DCS at the moment is poorly optimized for VR), you need a beefy computer, preferably 9700k or better, and at a minimum 2070S, 3070/80 preferred. You also need 32GB ram at high clock if you have Ryzen. DCS NEEDS to be installed on SSD too. HP G2 and Quest 2 are the most recommended VR sets.

For reference, I have 6700K OC'd at 4.4Ghz with 2070S and 32GB ram, DCS installed on SSD but I gave up with my Quest 2 for now. I just run DCS at a big screen (55' TV) with TrackIR and I really like it because I can read things much better and things are so much prettier and smoother, but I understand it can't replicate the immersion and spatial perception of VR with a 2D screen. I am waiting for 12th generation Intel or Ryzen with DDR5 support plus 3080Ti before I buy another rig. I really want to wait for 4080 but not sure if I can wait that long lol

[Rookie2311]

Originally posted by Gamerdoc7:

To be honest if the budget is not a concern, I wouldn't bother with T1600 set. It's a great introductory product but at some point you will want to upgrade it.

I have Warthog HOTAS set and happy with it. However if I had a desk I could just use for flight sim, I would have gotten F18 set from Winwing. It's a replica of F18 HOTAS plus a LOT of control switches around the throttle at 1:1 representation (F18 stick is said to be slightly smaller than the real one). You need to get a mount as this is not something you can put on your desk. Monster mount is the one usually recommended, over their own mount.

Alternatively, Virpil or VKB's sticks are considered to be better than Warthog's, as Warthog's plastic gimbal will degrade at some point. However they are more expensive than Warthog set. On the other hand, the warthog throttle is considered very good but I am sure Virpil and VKB throttles are good too. Many people use Warthog throttle and Virpil/VKB stick combo.

MFG crosswind is generally considered to be the best rudder, with all metal components. I have Logitech Saitek pro and I like it, as I have no problem flying Warbirds and jets with it, but I am not sure how it will fare with helicopter. MFG is apparently a lot more precise, and because of its metal weight, it doesn't move around with you moving your feet around.

To play VR at reasonable frame rate with reasonable visuals (as DCS at the moment is poorly optimized for VR), you need a beefy computer, preferably 9700k or better, and at a minimum 2070S, 3070/80 preferred. You also need 32GB ram at high clock if you have Ryzen. DCS NEEDS to be installed on SSD too. HP G2 and Quest 2 are the most recommended VR sets.

For reference, I have 6700K OC'd at 4.4Ghz with 2070S and 32GB ram, DCS installed on SSD but I gave up with my Quest 2 for now. I just run DCS at a big screen (55' TV) with TrackIR and I really like it because I can read things much better and things are so much prettier and smoother, but I understand it can't replicate the immersion and spatial perception of VR with a 2D screen. I am waiting for 12th generation Intel or Ryzen with DDR5 support plus 3080Ti before I buy another rig. I really want to wait for 4080 but not sure if I can wait that long lol

Thank you for the information, I currently have a Ryzen 3700x, but only 16gb of ddr4 at 3200, and I also have a 2080S, so I would likely need more ram then?

[HoboCop]

Originally posted by Sandhill:

If budget is not a problem, you can bypass Thrustmaster entirely and buy a Virpil base and throttle, nothing TM makes compares. Some folks prefer the Thrustmaster Warthog grip to any of the Virpil grips as the TM is a replica of US military grips, where Virpil no longer does any such. The TM grip is compatible with the Virpil base, but it is currently badly price inflated due to MSFS demand.
For rudder pedals there are several excellent choices on the market, and do keep in mind that if you already have auto racing pedals they do a pretty good job at a savings of a few hundred USD.

I actually like the warthog throttle! Although I do agree that the gimbal / base for the stick is total garbage! I think the throttle (with the TGP mod) bypasses the Virpil throttles in terms of functionality. The Virpil throttles have far too many single press buttons instead of 2 way switches for my liking.

The only grip I have considered buying from Virpil is the F14 one (can't remember what they named it?). I do like my HOTAS to resemble what I'm seeing in the cockpit, this helps with reaching for switches etc in VR and the whole immersion. I wish someone would bring out a decent F16 TQS.

[Gamerdoc7]

Originally posted by Rookie2311:

Originally posted by Gamerdoc7:

To be honest if the budget is not a concern, I wouldn't bother with T1600 set. It's a great introductory product but at some point you will want to upgrade it.

I have Warthog HOTAS set and happy with it. However if I had a desk I could just use for flight sim, I would have gotten F18 set from Winwing. It's a replica of F18 HOTAS plus a LOT of control switches around the throttle at 1:1 representation (F18 stick is said to be slightly smaller than the real one). You need to get a mount as this is not something you can put on your desk. Monster mount is the one usually recommended, over their own mount.

Alternatively, Virpil or VKB's sticks are considered to be better than Warthog's, as Warthog's plastic gimbal will degrade at some point. However they are more expensive than Warthog set. On the other hand, the warthog throttle is considered very good but I am sure Virpil and VKB throttles are good too. Many people use Warthog throttle and Virpil/VKB stick combo.

MFG crosswind is generally considered to be the best rudder, with all metal components. I have Logitech Saitek pro and I like it, as I have no problem flying Warbirds and jets with it, but I am not sure how it will fare with helicopter. MFG is apparently a lot more precise, and because of its metal weight, it doesn't move around with you moving your feet around.

To play VR at reasonable frame rate with reasonable visuals (as DCS at the moment is poorly optimized for VR), you need a beefy computer, preferably 9700k or better, and at a minimum 2070S, 3070/80 preferred. You also need 32GB ram at high clock if you have Ryzen. DCS NEEDS to be installed on SSD too. HP G2 and Quest 2 are the most recommended VR sets.

For reference, I have 6700K OC'd at 4.4Ghz with 2070S and 32GB ram, DCS installed on SSD but I gave up with my Quest 2 for now. I just run DCS at a big screen (55' TV) with TrackIR and I really like it because I can read things much better and things are so much prettier and smoother, but I understand it can't replicate the immersion and spatial perception of VR with a 2D screen. I am waiting for 12th generation Intel or Ryzen with DDR5 support plus 3080Ti before I buy another rig. I really want to wait for 4080 but not sure if I can wait that long lol

Thank you for the information, I currently have a Ryzen 3700x, but only 16gb of ddr4 at 3200, and I also have a 2080S, so I would likely need more ram then?

If you only play single player, 16GB might be OK. Syria map apparently struggles with 16GB even in single player, although I don't have that map. I understand 32GB is a must for MP player however.

Again nothing beats VR in immersion but when you first learn a complex plane, you might find 2D works better at least in the beginning. You will be referencing manual and Chuck's guide a lot, and it's kinda hard to do, not to mention the fact that it's hard to read small letters in VR. My plan is to stick with 2D while I learn a module, and use VR when I am good enough to know where things are located and understand how to operate things properly.

Look up Winwing if you are into F18! If you are into A10, Warthog is still way to go I think; it's hard to beat 1 to 1 copy. When the stick gimbal dies you can always replace it with the better Virpil base as they are compatible.

[Gamerdoc7]

Originally posted by HoboCop:

Originally posted by Sandhill:

If budget is not a problem, you can bypass Thrustmaster entirely and buy a Virpil base and throttle, nothing TM makes compares. Some folks prefer the Thrustmaster Warthog grip to any of the Virpil grips as the TM is a replica of US military grips, where Virpil no longer does any such. The TM grip is compatible with the Virpil base, but it is currently badly price inflated due to MSFS demand.
For rudder pedals there are several excellent choices on the market, and do keep in mind that if you already have auto racing pedals they do a pretty good job at a savings of a few hundred USD.

I actually like the warthog throttle! Although I do agree that the gimbal / base for the stick is total garbage! I think the throttle (with the TGP mod) bypasses the Virpil throttles in terms of functionality. The Virpil throttles have far too many single press buttons instead of 2 way switches for my liking.

The only grip I have considered buying from Virpil is the F14 one (can't remember what they named it?). I do like my HOTAS to resemble what I'm seeing in the cockpit, this helps with reaching for switches etc in VR and the whole immersion. I wish someone would bring out a decent F16 TQS.

I like the throttle too! I even like the stick as it's fairly new. I just plan to change the base to Virpil Warbird when it starts acting up.

[Rookie2311]

Originally posted by Gamerdoc7:

Originally posted by Rookie2311:

Thank you for the information, I currently have a Ryzen 3700x, but only 16gb of ddr4 at 3200, and I also have a 2080S, so I would likely need more ram then?

If you only play single player, 16GB might be OK. Syria map apparently struggles with 16GB even in single player, although I don't have that map. I understand 32GB is a must for MP player however.

Again nothing beats VR in immersion but when you first learn a complex plane, you might find 2D works better at least in the beginning. You will be referencing manual and Chuck's guide a lot, and it's kinda hard to do, not to mention the fact that it's hard to read small letters in VR. My plan is to stick with 2D while I learn a module, and use VR when I am good enough to know where things are located and understand how to operate things properly.

Look up Winwing if you are into F18! If you are into A10, Warthog is still way to go I think; it's hard to beat 1 to 1 copy. When the stick gimbal dies you can always replace it with the better Virpil base as they are compatible.

Yeah I'm a SP only guy it's just what I prefer, and that isn't a bad idea about starting out in 2D actually to learn the module.