Lighting and image quality in VR

[Dirty Harry]

Hello trucker. I mostly play in VR. In my opinion, ETS2 is made for VR. It's just so cool to be able to look around.

Unfortunately, I don't think the image quality in VR is very good. The lighting isn't very good. Objects that are indirectly illuminated are much too dark. That means the entire cockpit of the truck. I can hardly see my black steering wheel or my cat on the dashboard. I can't set the game to be any brighter. Everything that is directly illuminated is then extremely bright. The license plates are then just white at night. Have you had similar experiences? Is there anything you can do about it?

Is there a way to make everything clearer? Everything is pretty muddy in VR. Even though I have the graphics set to high and ultra.
That should be possible. Automobilista or MSFS are also razor sharp.

Thanks.

[Captain Baldy]

It sounds like you're experiencing common VR lighting and image quality issues in Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2). VR in ETS2 can be stunning, but unfortunately, its VR implementation is not as optimised as games like Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) or Automobilista. However, there are a few things you can try to improve clarity, brightness, and reduce the “muddy” look in VR.

1. Adjusting Brightness and Lighting in VR
ETS2’s lighting system isn't well-balanced for VR, especially with indirect lighting. Since there is no in-game brightness slider, try these fixes:

✅ Enable HDR Mode

Go to Documents > Euro Truck Simulator 2 > config.cfg
Find uset r_hdr "0" and change it to "1"
This can help improve lighting balance in VR.
✅ Try Alternative Lighting Mods

There are lighting enhancement mods on the Steam Workshop or external sites like Reshade/Next-Gen Graphics Mod, which can improve indirect lighting and make cockpits clearer.
✅ Tweak Gamma and Color Settings via SteamVR or Oculus

In SteamVR Settings > Video > Per-Application Settings, adjust Brightness/Gamma.
If using Oculus, try changing the "Contrast" and "Brightness" settings in the Oculus Debug Tool.
2. Fixing the "Muddy" and Blurry Image Quality in VR
Even on High/Ultra settings, ETS2 can look blurry or washed out in VR. Try these fixes:

✅ Increase SuperSampling

In SteamVR Settings > Video > Per-Application Settings, increase the resolution scaling (SuperSampling) to 1.5 - 2.0 (Higher values make VR much sharper but require more GPU power).
If using Oculus, set Pixel Density to 1.3 - 1.5 in Oculus Debug Tool.
✅ Force Higher Anti-Aliasing (AA)

In config.cfg, change uset r_msaa "0" to "4" or "8" (higher values smooth jagged edges).
Set uset r_scale_y "1.5" and uset r_scale_x "1.5" for higher rendering resolution.
✅ Use OpenXR Instead of SteamVR (for better clarity)

If you’re using a Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) or Oculus headset, try forcing ETS2 to use OpenXR instead of SteamVR.
Go to Steam Launch Options and add:
diff
Copy
-oculus
or
diff
Copy
-openvr
Some users report better clarity and sharpness with OpenXR compared to SteamVR.
✅ Turn Off Depth of Field (DOF) and Motion Blur

These settings make objects look muddy in VR. Disable them in Graphics Settings.
✅ Check Your VR Resolution in SteamVR or Oculus

SteamVR sometimes scales down resolution automatically.
Go to SteamVR > Video > Per-Application Settings and make sure ETS2 is running at 100% resolution or higher.
3. Other Optimisation Tips
✅ Increase Truck Dashboard Brightness

In ETS2 Graphics Settings, set Truck Interior Light Intensity to High.
Try a dashboard lighting mod from the Steam Workshop.
✅ Use a VR Performance Mod for Sharper Image

Mods like "VR Graphical Tweaks" or "VR Optimization Mod" can improve clarity.
✅ Check Nvidia Control Panel (for Nvidia Users)

Open Nvidia Control Panel > Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings (select ETS2).
Set Texture Filtering - High Performance and enable Anisotropic Filtering x16.
✅ Try Launching the Game in DX11

ETS2 still uses older graphics rendering, but DX11 helps with VR.
In Steam > ETS2 > Properties, add this launch option:
diff
Copy
-dx11
Conclusion
ETS2 isn’t as VR-optimised as Automobilista or MSFS, but with the right tweaks, image clarity, brightness, and lighting can be improved. Start with SuperSampling, HDR mode, and AA settings—these have the biggest impact. If lighting is still too dark, VR-friendly mods might help.

Hope this helps—happy trucking! 🚛😎 Let me know if you need more detailed steps!

[Dirty Harry]

Originally posted by a mite of Nurgle:

It sounds like you're experiencing common VR lighting and image quality issues in Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2). VR in ETS2 can be stunning, but unfortunately, its VR implementation is not as optimised as games like Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) or Automobilista. However, there are a few things you can try to improve clarity, brightness, and reduce the “muddy” look in VR.

1. Adjusting Brightness and Lighting in VR
ETS2’s lighting system isn't well-balanced for VR, especially with indirect lighting. Since there is no in-game brightness slider, try these fixes:

✅ Enable HDR Mode

Go to Documents > Euro Truck Simulator 2 > config.cfg
Find uset r_hdr "0" and change it to "1"
This can help improve lighting balance in VR.
✅ Try Alternative Lighting Mods

There are lighting enhancement mods on the Steam Workshop or external sites like Reshade/Next-Gen Graphics Mod, which can improve indirect lighting and make cockpits clearer.
✅ Tweak Gamma and Color Settings via SteamVR or Oculus

In SteamVR Settings > Video > Per-Application Settings, adjust Brightness/Gamma.
If using Oculus, try changing the "Contrast" and "Brightness" settings in the Oculus Debug Tool.
2. Fixing the "Muddy" and Blurry Image Quality in VR
Even on High/Ultra settings, ETS2 can look blurry or washed out in VR. Try these fixes:

✅ Increase SuperSampling

In SteamVR Settings > Video > Per-Application Settings, increase the resolution scaling (SuperSampling) to 1.5 - 2.0 (Higher values make VR much sharper but require more GPU power).
If using Oculus, set Pixel Density to 1.3 - 1.5 in Oculus Debug Tool.
✅ Force Higher Anti-Aliasing (AA)

In config.cfg, change uset r_msaa "0" to "4" or "8" (higher values smooth jagged edges).
Set uset r_scale_y "1.5" and uset r_scale_x "1.5" for higher rendering resolution.
✅ Use OpenXR Instead of SteamVR (for better clarity)

If you’re using a Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) or Oculus headset, try forcing ETS2 to use OpenXR instead of SteamVR.
Go to Steam Launch Options and add:
diff
Copy
-oculus
or
diff
Copy
-openvr
Some users report better clarity and sharpness with OpenXR compared to SteamVR.
✅ Turn Off Depth of Field (DOF) and Motion Blur

These settings make objects look muddy in VR. Disable them in Graphics Settings.
✅ Check Your VR Resolution in SteamVR or Oculus

SteamVR sometimes scales down resolution automatically.
Go to SteamVR > Video > Per-Application Settings and make sure ETS2 is running at 100% resolution or higher.
3. Other Optimisation Tips
✅ Increase Truck Dashboard Brightness

In ETS2 Graphics Settings, set Truck Interior Light Intensity to High.
Try a dashboard lighting mod from the Steam Workshop.
✅ Use a VR Performance Mod for Sharper Image

Mods like "VR Graphical Tweaks" or "VR Optimization Mod" can improve clarity.
✅ Check Nvidia Control Panel (for Nvidia Users)

Open Nvidia Control Panel > Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings (select ETS2).
Set Texture Filtering - High Performance and enable Anisotropic Filtering x16.
✅ Try Launching the Game in DX11

ETS2 still uses older graphics rendering, but DX11 helps with VR.
In Steam > ETS2 > Properties, add this launch option:
diff
Copy
-dx11
Conclusion
ETS2 isn’t as VR-optimised as Automobilista or MSFS, but with the right tweaks, image clarity, brightness, and lighting can be improved. Start with SuperSampling, HDR mode, and AA settings—these have the biggest impact. If lighting is still too dark, VR-friendly mods might help.

Hope this helps—happy trucking! 🚛😎 Let me know if you need more detailed steps!

Thanks for all the information. I'll have to experiment a bit.
The entry
<uset r_hdr "0" and change it to "1">
doesn't seem to exist in the config.cfg anymore.
There is only
<uset r_hdr_display_gray_offset "0.0">
<uset r_hdr_display_white "-1.0">
<uset r_hdr_display_black "-1.0">

I noticed that the exposure changes depending on whether I'm looking at something dark or something light. In VR and monitor.

I went to Greece today. Without VR. It's so beautiful. But it's no fun in VR. It's kind of exhausting. It's like not having your glasses on.
I'll try a bit now. Maybe your tips will help.