Does IPD make any difference?

[Bastila Shan]

Does setting the right ipd - distance between pupils, make any difference in your vr headset or will the default values do just fine?

Oculus rift s btw.

[Might Be A FemMarine]

Wrong IPD means smaller or no "sweet spot" and causes eye strain.

Diddle with the setting until you have it right.

[kakek]

Short version : Depends on people.

Longer explanation :

To see the world in 3D, your brain constructed a neural network to reconstruct spatial information from 2 pictures that your eyes perceive. It was constructed by evolution during your very early age, more or less by making random connection between neurons and keeping the ones that made you able to perceive and navigate the world around you.
But there is not ONE neural path to achieve this. The same result can be achieved by an infinity of neural paths, that will make use of different parts of what the eyes transmit. So some people don't even see 3D at all, others can see it with only one eye, some others see in 3D but not that much. Except we never realise it unless they pass advanced test.

Some people neural path require a very exact replica of what reality would have been to work. Those people will not see 3D in movie or even VR, because the picture sent to our eyes are not 100% similar to what they should have ben in real life.
Other have much more flexible path, wich will make do with aproximate picture. But sometime the brain will have to work a bit harder to reconstruct the 3D space (and see in 3D) with imperfect stereo image. This and cause headache with time.
For most people, after repeated use of VR, this path used to see in 3D will modify itself. Because our brain never totaly stops changing, and hte headache will disapear.


And some people's neural path rely a lot on the spacing of their eyes, while other not so much.

Me ? My IPD is pretty close to the norm, and I can set it ot pretty much anything +/- 20 mm and see almost no difference. My brain just correct whatever my eyes receive without any effort anymore.

So for me it doesn't matter.

But for most people it IS important. Setting the correct IPD ( wich is the spacing between the eyes BTW ) will create a picture closer to reality, and make it easier for their brain to use it's usual method to see in 3D.
Even if you see 3D alright with other IPD, the right one could make the immersion very slightly better, while being less tiring for your eyes.

BTW, Rift S only had software IPD. The lenses don't move, only the picture behind the lenses is ajusted. This allow for less adjustement than moving lenses.

[Baldrickk]

It's one of the reasons I went for the Index.
My IPD is 70mm, which is the max the Index can do.
The Rift S is fixed at 64.5mm, which is the average.
The further you are from that, the worse it's going to be.

Everything from clarity to pupil swim* and glare is affected by it.

I pretty much wouldn't be able use a Rift S without problems myself.

The easiest way to measure yourself is with a ruler and a mirror - close one eye, line up the 0 on the ruler with the middle of the pupil of your open eye.
Then swap eyes and read off the value on the ruler directly in front of your other eye.
If you go to an optician, they'll be able to give you a more accurate measurement, but the above is a good way to get close.

*pupil swim is down to the pupil moving laterally as you look around.
You're no longer looking through the centre of the lens and this leads to distortions.
Again, it's a point where the Index shines.
The dual lenses give very good clarity, and pupil swim is much lower than on the other headsets.

[voormithadreth]

For whatever reason it doesn't matter to me on my Quest. I can set the IPD slider almost anywhere and it looks fine. When my family visited for Thanksgiving, none of them had to adjust it either.

[Might Be A FemMarine]

Originally posted by kakek:

Some people don't even see 3D at all, others can see it with only one eye, some others see in 3D but not that much.

For most people, after repeated use of VR, this path used to see in 3D will modify itself. Because our brain never totaly stops changing, and hte headache will disapear.

I can set it ot pretty much anything +/- 20 mm and see almost no difference.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. What? Some people don't see 3D? Where can I find sources on this?

I get intense eye strain from my Index if my IPD setting drifts by even two millimeters, and at 5 millimeters I no longer have a sweet spot! I've been using VR for over half a year. You shouldn't be able to see sh*t if your setting is off by 20.

My setting is somewhere around 60.5 millimeters. The fact that I have a flat asian face and lenses practically touching my eyes probably has to do with it. But... 20 mm??

[a.j]

Originally posted by CatgirlKazu:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. What? Some people don't see 3D? Where can I find sources on this?

Individuals who have amblyopia (an imbalance in visual strength between the two eyes), strabismus (misaligned eyes), or other conditions that inhibit focusing, depth perception or normal 3D vision may not experience the 3D effects of VR headsets.

I got that from here https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/are-virtual-reality-headsets-safe-eyes pretty good read if you're into VR. I don't know if anything in the brain will inhibit your ability to see 3D but many eye deformities/conditions will.

[EAST]

Yes. I measure my IPD to 60mm with this test: https://imgur.com/a/gyYKB This is usually most comfortable for me when I adjust the hardware IPD on the headset and depending on how close I can get the lenses to my eyeballs. On my old Vive I would get eyestrain even at 60 so I had to switch out the Standard VR facemask for a thinner one to get my eyes closer to the lenses to avoid any issues. Minimum IPD on Vive was 60mm.

With Index I can set it to 60mm and then push the lenses right up to my eyeballs and it's perfect. Index IPD range is 58-70mm.