Samsung Odyssey VR headset (Microsoft Mixed Reality)

I was looking at the Vive Pro but after extensive research I found that the Samsung is the better choice as it offers a lot more bang for the buck (lower price, better audio, better fresnel lenses).
I currently own a standard Vive with no problems in RR whatsoever. As I have to buy an import for the Odyssey I am a still a bit reluctant as I have not read anything about its functionality or performance regarding raceroom.
I have read some reviews that it works without problems with AC and PC2, but my main sim is clearly RR at the time.
Does any of you have any experience with Mixed Reality headsets in general and the Odyssey in particular in RR?

 

I bought an Odyssey a few weeks ago.
I've been enjoying it as a second headset because I wanted to leave my Oculus Rift hooked up to my race rig.
To be honest I struggled to get a decent performance from RR when I first tried. I haven't tried again since but I will try again on Thursday (my next day off). Tracking was absolutely fine and the increase in resolution is noticeable and very welcome.
I will come back and let you know if I have more success this week

 

That would be great as we have comparable setups. I have an i7-8700k and a GTX 1080. I found that with the Vive the CPU is the limiting factor, not the GPU. Especially with some AI cars.

 

I think this holds true for all VR atm. Certainly true for the Rift as well. ( Also hi5 i7-8700k/1080 buds )

Personally, seeing as you already have a Vive, I'd hold off and see what's coming next. Neither the Vive Pro or the Oddysey seem like a major leap in tech.

 

Well anyway I took the plunge today as I finally found a company that sells it in Europe at a reasonable price. I have read a lot of reviews and also found a review with raceroom specifically. The Vive is rented so I can give it back at any time. I agree that it is no major leap but I rented the Vive instead of buying it with exactly the fact in mind that there will be better stuff out there after only a few months. So this approach worked out perfectly.

 

Looking forward to your observations, I am interested in Odyssey as well, but worried about lack of ASW.

 

From what I read it has some kind of ASW. Only that it is not an option you can control, but instead the SW is doing it by itself according to your performance. But I was not able to find anything comprehensive.

 

Correction there is beta feature:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/719950/announcements/detail/1652133167137673234

 

And already an update:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/719950/announcements/detail/3229520292644260853

 

What I would like to know next is if Odyssey Headphones are detachable. From what I read they aren't, but the info online is confusing. Some say you can remove cups and leave cables hanging. I prefer using full size headphones when in headset.
In any case, very much looking forward to your experiences with Odyssey. Sounds like hardware is the best, but question is how is the software support.

 

I expect the SW support not to be as refined as in the Oculus or Rift case. I think that it is obvious. But what makes me optimistic is that there are very frequent updates and the maturity of the SW seems ok at this stage and already now the results seem very acceptable leaving some headroom for improvements. The headset should arrive next week and I will let you guys know my experience. I have not sent my Vive back yet and won't before I have it all running and see stuff first hand.

 

They really seem to take the reprojection thing serious. They have the third update in three days here:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/719950/announcements/detail/3229520292654229103
Can't wait to get my hands on the Odyssey.

 

I got round to spend more time on RR with the Odyssey and it's got much better since my first attempt. The addition of their reprojection mode has made the world of difference. The only real issue I was seeing when in reprojection mode was a glitch effect all round the windscreen which was really off putting. The upside was I can now use the same settings as I use for the Rift and have just about the same result. Tomorrow I'll try the new auto mode.

 

I noticed the same thing with my CV1 Oculus. Plus a shimmering water effect in the speedometer area once in a while. Lowering SS didn't seem to help at all.
Also, I had tried the HP version of Mixed Reality and had a hard time getting it to work with Steam, but that was when it first came out before the Samsung version was released, so maybe it's working more smoothly now?
Thanks for the updates guys!!

 

I believe you can get rid of that shimmering by turning ASW off, it is corruption caused by ASW, if I am not mistaken There's no free lunch, ASW makes experience more smooth, but adds some corruption that is sometimes very visible, like with those rev lights.

 

https://www.slant.co/topics/1668/~vr-headsets

Also, Pixma is preparing to get out of he starting blocks, offering a 8K headset that needs a 1080TI to operate, and a 5K with full 200° FOV (!!) that operates with a 970or 1070 as minimum (I forgot which card it was), I read some days ago, somewhere. Especially the very wide field of view makes a very big difference, test subjects all say. Its almost en par with the natural FOV of the human eye, horizontally there are no black limits blocking the sight left and right anymore.

The industry also announces demand, and gets delivered stuff that is great, but exceeds what gamers probably are willing to invest/can afford:

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42963408

If you have a headset currently, I would wait 1 or 2 years now, maybe even longer.

 

I might go out on a limb here but I do not believe the Pimax story for one moment. It just seems unreasonable that a startup with a couple of million dollars can put out a mass market product like this. HTC is a huge company and the Oculus would not exist without Facebook. Too many things are to overcome here: Hardware, Software, Production....It is one thing to produce a couple of prototypes for a show and another to provide a finished product for the end consumer at a marketable price. I'd rather have fun now. If the Pimax story holds water I will swallow my words and buy one anyway.

 

The release of protoype No.5 by Pimax has been withheld because they wait for new lenses from their subcontractor, due in early May. If these get delivered as planned, then the so-called M1 protoype should be released to a few preordering customers from later May on. All other items needed for production they say are finished and/or readied in the factory. Source: their own forum, two or three days ago.

I was sceptical as you are, Alexander, when I first heard of Pimax. But over four months now the story about their two devices hold together and solidifies. And mind you, its a Chinese company, not an expensive Americvan or Korean one. There are several examples, for exmaples LED torchlights and smartphones, where Chinese companies jumped onto the market and equalled technical quality of Western and Japanese and Korean companies - for a fraction of their prices. My smartphone is Huawei, my torchlights all are Fenix. And my choices were all very good while I saved lots of money.

The M1 prototype is the last protoype for testing before general production, says Pimax. During the various protoypes, the lenses have been changed three times. Pimax also claims they now produce on the most modern production line for optical devices in China.

If the 8K kit fo theirs delivers on their promises - and testers say it does - then it will probably shock the current competition in and out of the starting blocks. Compared to that, the new Oculus and HTC kits are childrens' play. Its all nice and well to have no cables anymore, but the biggest deficit of current kits and strongest argument against VR is the low resolution, FOV and visual quality, I see this as the top priority, before anything else. Oculus and HTC seem to not have understood this. Pixma apparently has.

 

Even though I am skeptical about Pimax, I really, really want it to succeed. It is understandable that companies are pushing for lightweight, easy to use, fun devices so that they hit broad market. But in simulated autosport, I personally first of all need high FOV. From what I've read, Pimax will be heavy and bulky, but I suspect despite risks of owning not a mainstream HMD I might give it a shot, because of big FOV.

One thing I wasn't clear, will there be tracking option for people who are not coming from Vive? They will rely on Vive lighthouses, but those are very expensive bought separately. Anyone heard what the plan around tracking is?

 

This is the first I have heard of this, and I see 0 chance of this happening.

4k isnt even a thing for VR right now. Who in their right mind would expect that you can make the jump from the current ~3 million pixels (roughly 1440p) that is an average for VR headsets right now to ~33 million pixels ("8k") on current hardware?