C
CptMrCalm
Apologies for what might seem like a nasty rant. It isn't. As frustrating as my experiences have been, I want to point out that I want WMR and indeed VR in general to succeed.
But please Microsoft - Please. I know that you can solve these gripes easily if you just tweak the WMR and offer us an update.
Recently bought a HP Reverb G2. It was my first WMR headset.
(Latest drivers for hardware and software (both windows and nvidia) as of 09 dec 2020)
I have another headset that I have used with Steam VR for 3 years or so and this is my first experience into WMR. I had heard a lot of bad things about WMR but figured them as just anti-VR talk.
Wow does WMR need some work!
Mouse Control while using WMR
My first thought was - why? why tamper with it at all? Steam VR just works. But the "Windows key + Y" combo produces interesting results for the Apps you want to use it for. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.
DCS is my main flight sim - and sometimes you get the mouse and sometimes you don't meaning that sometimes you have to restart all apps to get control of the mouse.
If you move too far forward, sometimes the mouse leaves the VR world so I can't click on anything. I thought at one point that perhaps the Win+Y had to be done while the WMR portal was in focus. This isn't the case still.
Bear in mind, DCS was something I was using with Steam VR for years with no issues with the mouse what so ever. I stress - EVER.
- so my last thought still is why?
Recommended Fix - ensure the mouse is available in any application when using WMR. Regardless of VR or desktop. Seated or free standing. If you must, at least free its use for the app in focus. (ESPECIALLY the VR app). Such an easy one to do this.
3 DOF.
Again, I ask.. why?
I cant think of a single reason why anyone in VR would want 3DOF.
After having had a look around the night before in WMR environment in 6DOF ok, I then fired it up the next day.
I launched the WMR and fired up DCS.
I got 3DOF.
When you don't expect it - its quite off putting and made me feel sick. My theory is that I have launched DCS too quickly before WMR has had a chance to fire up properly.
Steam VR I have no issues what so ever. Launch the app - go play.
I suspect the headset has lost its tracking somehow. I have noticed occasionally that it wants me to look left and right and then down when I fire it up.
But not always does it ask this.
Recommended Fix - ensure that the VR app will only launch once the headset is fully ready to use in 6DOF. If it is not able to give you 6 DOF - perhaps a on screen warning stating that the headset needs to be configured for 6DOF? quite why it would - I don't know. It should always be ready!
maybe restrict launching of apps until the configuration process is happy?
Sorry for the constant Steam VR comparison - but that just works. Fire up and go.
Screen Time Out
This one is the latest of all my woes and one that I couldn't believe.
Ok - so WMR has a safety feature to prevent screen burn in by anyone leaving their headset unattended for more than 15 minutes. (im not sure of any OLED VR headsets for WMR? but maybe there is. I know there are a couple of Steam VR... but not sure these would be used with WMR?)
Good to have though. And nice to see Windows has thought about it.
However. You turn the whole thing off!! so not only does the headset go idle, but you kill the app that was being used!
No offence, really - but clearly somebody wasn't thinking.
What's worse, is that there is no setting to change this!
An Windows Engineer on reddit somewhere recommended a user tweak the windows registry!! not only did they recommend this, but the recommended registry edit wasn't even an edit - more of a manual input, meaning the reg lines had to be added in.
Recommended Fix - Add more advanced setting options within the WMR interface AND the windows settings panel to give users full control over their headset. When implementing the screen time out feature - ensure this ONLY turns the screens off in the headset - leaving the applications running. Have the headset screens "wake" when you move the headset.
Again - just like how steam VR operates.
I left the VR headset to sit through a replay of something (thinking the screens would just turn off). It would have taken about 1hour to go through so i left it and got a drink. I came back (what I now know to be longer than 15mins) to wonder why my App had disappeared!!!
Sound Woes.
This one might not be WMR. But with the experiences I am having, I wouldn't be surprised.
My computer was used to seeing the Mic from the Steam VR headset and I could use that for apps like Voice Attack. - Even with the jack plugs plugged in from my normal headphones. (inc the Mic from the headphones)
With the HP reverb, you cant do this. Voice attack sees the USB 2.0 sound input from the HP reverb G2 (even though it plugs into a USB 3.0 socket!!) But the Jacks HAD to be unplugged in order for Voice Attack to actually hear sound and run the commands.
This is of course, while using WMR. i've gone through the usual motherboard sound settings, windows sound settings, VA and WMR -but are left scratching my head at the moment.
Recommended Fix - Unsure at present. This could be a limitation of my own motherboard or driver issue. So I am looking into this. Just interesting that this occurred right when using WMR.
Again, I've just read through and it seems like I am being harsh - but I think this illustrates issues that don't need to be here at all. They could all be easily addressed. These issues are none existent using Steam VR.
Yes - Steam VR is a different system. Utilising the fail safe sensors are a big plus here. But again, understanding the physical limitations of inside out tracking is understandable -but easily remedied.
Continue reading...
But please Microsoft - Please. I know that you can solve these gripes easily if you just tweak the WMR and offer us an update.
Recently bought a HP Reverb G2. It was my first WMR headset.
(Latest drivers for hardware and software (both windows and nvidia) as of 09 dec 2020)
I have another headset that I have used with Steam VR for 3 years or so and this is my first experience into WMR. I had heard a lot of bad things about WMR but figured them as just anti-VR talk.
Wow does WMR need some work!
Mouse Control while using WMR
My first thought was - why? why tamper with it at all? Steam VR just works. But the "Windows key + Y" combo produces interesting results for the Apps you want to use it for. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.
DCS is my main flight sim - and sometimes you get the mouse and sometimes you don't meaning that sometimes you have to restart all apps to get control of the mouse.
If you move too far forward, sometimes the mouse leaves the VR world so I can't click on anything. I thought at one point that perhaps the Win+Y had to be done while the WMR portal was in focus. This isn't the case still.
Bear in mind, DCS was something I was using with Steam VR for years with no issues with the mouse what so ever. I stress - EVER.
- so my last thought still is why?
Recommended Fix - ensure the mouse is available in any application when using WMR. Regardless of VR or desktop. Seated or free standing. If you must, at least free its use for the app in focus. (ESPECIALLY the VR app). Such an easy one to do this.
3 DOF.
Again, I ask.. why?
I cant think of a single reason why anyone in VR would want 3DOF.
After having had a look around the night before in WMR environment in 6DOF ok, I then fired it up the next day.
I launched the WMR and fired up DCS.
I got 3DOF.
When you don't expect it - its quite off putting and made me feel sick. My theory is that I have launched DCS too quickly before WMR has had a chance to fire up properly.
Steam VR I have no issues what so ever. Launch the app - go play.
I suspect the headset has lost its tracking somehow. I have noticed occasionally that it wants me to look left and right and then down when I fire it up.
But not always does it ask this.
Recommended Fix - ensure that the VR app will only launch once the headset is fully ready to use in 6DOF. If it is not able to give you 6 DOF - perhaps a on screen warning stating that the headset needs to be configured for 6DOF? quite why it would - I don't know. It should always be ready!
maybe restrict launching of apps until the configuration process is happy?
Sorry for the constant Steam VR comparison - but that just works. Fire up and go.
Screen Time Out
This one is the latest of all my woes and one that I couldn't believe.
Ok - so WMR has a safety feature to prevent screen burn in by anyone leaving their headset unattended for more than 15 minutes. (im not sure of any OLED VR headsets for WMR? but maybe there is. I know there are a couple of Steam VR... but not sure these would be used with WMR?)
Good to have though. And nice to see Windows has thought about it.
However. You turn the whole thing off!! so not only does the headset go idle, but you kill the app that was being used!
No offence, really - but clearly somebody wasn't thinking.
What's worse, is that there is no setting to change this!
An Windows Engineer on reddit somewhere recommended a user tweak the windows registry!! not only did they recommend this, but the recommended registry edit wasn't even an edit - more of a manual input, meaning the reg lines had to be added in.
Recommended Fix - Add more advanced setting options within the WMR interface AND the windows settings panel to give users full control over their headset. When implementing the screen time out feature - ensure this ONLY turns the screens off in the headset - leaving the applications running. Have the headset screens "wake" when you move the headset.
Again - just like how steam VR operates.
I left the VR headset to sit through a replay of something (thinking the screens would just turn off). It would have taken about 1hour to go through so i left it and got a drink. I came back (what I now know to be longer than 15mins) to wonder why my App had disappeared!!!
Sound Woes.
This one might not be WMR. But with the experiences I am having, I wouldn't be surprised.
My computer was used to seeing the Mic from the Steam VR headset and I could use that for apps like Voice Attack. - Even with the jack plugs plugged in from my normal headphones. (inc the Mic from the headphones)
With the HP reverb, you cant do this. Voice attack sees the USB 2.0 sound input from the HP reverb G2 (even though it plugs into a USB 3.0 socket!!) But the Jacks HAD to be unplugged in order for Voice Attack to actually hear sound and run the commands.
This is of course, while using WMR. i've gone through the usual motherboard sound settings, windows sound settings, VA and WMR -but are left scratching my head at the moment.
Recommended Fix - Unsure at present. This could be a limitation of my own motherboard or driver issue. So I am looking into this. Just interesting that this occurred right when using WMR.
Again, I've just read through and it seems like I am being harsh - but I think this illustrates issues that don't need to be here at all. They could all be easily addressed. These issues are none existent using Steam VR.
Yes - Steam VR is a different system. Utilising the fail safe sensors are a big plus here. But again, understanding the physical limitations of inside out tracking is understandable -but easily remedied.
Continue reading...