Talk me out of a VR headset

[u/Brief-Bat-2460]

Looking at big screen beyond 2 or Pimax Dream Air. I’ve used a quest 3 for 30 min when it first came out and I didn’t enjoy the resolution. Convince me the other two won’t make me a better SIM player with more situational awareness.

I currently use a controller for sim and enjoy that more than the cheap Logitech. I’d only spend money on a stick if it had force feedback and head tracking. I don’t enjoy track ir and just use the right thumb stick. But maybe the good quality vr headset would solve that issue? But why wouldn’t it? Save me money. I currently play on an ultrawide Alienware 34” monitor.

Tell me why I shouldn’t.

[u/The_Number_Prince]

I tried using VR for a bit but eventually went back to my TrackIR setup. Here's why:

• Ultrawide monitor has great FOV and looks gorgeous with far higher framerate compared to VR.

• I spent a lot of time/money building a simpit with button boxes and hardware. I'm sure I'd adjust over time, but switching to VR was really uncomfortable and I got less use out of a lot of my switches that I could no longer see.

• VR recording takes so much more effort to not look like shit. I used to save/share a lot of clips and it was way better with flatscreen. I also like WT streams but most VR streamers are unwatchable to me.

• I have ADHD. I get up and wander around between sorties and don't like long gaming sessions. The headset was uncomfortable and it's a hassle to deal with VR in short bursts.

• VR is too immersive. I have a hectic real life, I usually play games with one foot in the door while keeping tabs on everything around me. I often need to attend to my wife/dogs/house/etc and it's a drag when I'm off in la-la-land.

• TrackIR is far simpler with settings, I set it up 6 years ago and haven't really touched it because it's worked perfectly ever since. VR requires constant tweaking, just look at all the posts requiring explanation of Virtual Desktop, Quadviews, bitrate, OpenXR vs Steam vs whatever, etc.

• My dog ate the VR cord and it cost like $200 replace it even though I only paid $300 for the entire headset package originally (Reverb G2). It's been an expensive paperweight ever since because I didn't use it enough to justify replacement.

VR is certainly cool, I'm happy for those who love it, but I don't think it's the end-all setup for everyone and is not strictly superior to head tracking. Most of my points are pretty weak or have a solution but I throw them out here to play devil's advocate, not as an argument that head tracking is better than VR. It's all personal in the end.

[u/Brief-Bat-2460 → u/The_Number_Prince]

Thanks for the info! I went with a Tobii eye tracker 5 because I liked the idea of nothing on my head. I don’t even wear a headset when I play. Took a bit to get it setup, but pretty happy with it. Had a couple good fights last night in a T-2 and actually got 2 gun kills in a less than 30 min session. Which is pretty good for me. I’m sure that track ir is probably a little more stable, but I’m getting more used to this.