Somnium VR1 - The GOOD & BAD! 2 Weeks LATER, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
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- Опубліковано 22 кві 2024
- Having now used the Somnium VR1 for over two weeks, it's time to give you my updated thoughts on the things I love and the things I don't. Keep in mind though, I'll have a FULL review out later. Once I get the final unit.
Note: The VR1 featured in this video is NOT final. In fact, it's quite old now (things are moving very fast) so this won't be a review. Not yet anyway... Think of it as a new series, as I learn more about it. I WILL however be giving you my full verdict and opinion once I receive the final unit soon..
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Thanks for watching :)
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Thank you Steve for these kind words and for testing VR1 and giving a lot of valuable feedback. Final units will be much better, but already today we are very comfortable with VR1 in terms of build quality, image quality and performance overall. Only better things are ahead! 🎉❤
can u make a comparison with Crystal, Aero and Big Screen Beyond. Thank you
@artursychov Now that Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta is opening up its Quest store and operating system to other third-party headset makers, any chance that you can offer that as an option on the VR1? I plan to purchase the VR1 and would love the option to keep all the Meta store apps I purchased. It would raise the value of your headset. This would be incredible!
Well, there isn't a standalone chip in the VR1 so putting the Meta OS on here isn't an option. That being said maybe they can open the Meta VR store applications to run on all headsets and not just mobile hardware HMD'S
@@MrImperativeoz the VR1 is a pure PCVR headset (as it should be), no chance!!
@@user-cf5cy8rb5y Great suggestion, thanks
This seems like a great headset but I just don't see how it will survive at this price, especially with the Pimax super coming out and the crystal light being drastically cheaper.
I really hope Somnium does survive though and keeps making headsets, it seems like a really awesome device and would love to see a VR2 using hypervision lenses!
5090 is coming roughly at the same time as the new Crystal Super around the end of this year. :)
A comparison list of the FOVs you measured on various headsets would be helpful, as everyone has a slightly different FOV on the same device. This would make it easier to compare the FOV of the VR1.
Makes sense Michael, I can say for the Crystal it's 102.
@@VRFlightSimGuy How would it compare FOV wise to the Index? The Index had for its age already quite a nice one.
Vertical and horizontal.
Been following this headset very closely so far, specially also due to its eyetracking and "Made by EU"
@@VRFlightSimGuy What about the Varjo Aero and the G2?
Even more so, I'm curious: what are the top 3 widest HFov headset, that are good, out there?
Fantastic review. I've been waiting for this for months and I'm relieved that it seems as good as the hype. I'll be happy to put my order in Soon. I expect that we are a year away from Pimax meeting most of their promises for the Super.
Thankyou I appreciate that. I have lots more to say (and show) with the VR1 soon! :)
Love seeing BVM, I used to fly that actual aircraft out of Bankstown here in Sydney. I think I’ll probably replace my G2 with a VR1, although the Crystal Light is tempting.
I am stoked for this headset. Since my HP Reverb is not going to work in the future I have been looking for a new VR HS. I have signed up to hold my place in line to purchase. Eagerly awaiting release but I hope it doesn't get rushed.
I really enjoy your updates on the VR1. Great stuff.
That's really great. Thankyou for following along on my journey with the VR1 so far. Plenty more to come too :)
I look forward to your evaluations. As this is an another evolutionary piece of kit (as people say in the UK), with an expensive price tag that goes along with this item. Your evaluation provide insights into many aspects of this product that change week to week. As I have used VR units and shall continue to always want a bigger and better unit wether it be Joysticks of headsets. Some of us have and require partime jobs to support our habits.
Good stuff Steve! The pass-through could be useful for writing flight information on a kneeboard. I used to lift up my Samsung slightly, but can't with my Crystal
Cheers Martin. It's funny once you experience high quality pass through, you instantly get used to it and want it in every headset!
you don't need passthrough for that.
Assuming you have a purely virtual cockpit, you can use "OpenKneeboard", a software that lets you write to and manage a virtual kneeboard adjusted to your liking with PDF's etc. all the good stuff. I position it where my IRL 50$ drawing tablet is. That way you can get the same effect for much cheaper, with the added benefit of it being essentially a tablet functionality wise. Works with DCS and MSFS iirc
Great to have! Im getting Crystal Light 😊
Good choice!
Thank you Steve for keeping us up to date on VR1. I am very interested in this headset because I use VR almost exclusively for flight simulations. I actually wanted to get the Varjo XR-4, but it gives me the impression that the VR1 could be better. I would really appreciate it if you could address the following points in one of your next videos.
1. How does it work that your own Simpit (consoles with switches and buttons, as well as MFDs) are imported into the VR view via MR. Can you please show how exactly this works? That is the most important aspect for me.
2. Comparison to Varjo XR4. In my opinion these are the real competitors, in terms of price and the features and the quality that is offered.
Thank you in advance and please keep it up ;-)!
Thankyou for your comments 😊 Unfortunately I haven't tested the XR-4 (yet) so I can't comment. As for mixed reality. I'll have a video about that coming soon. Cheers!
Steve, can you please do a review of the built-in pass-through customization feature.
Thank you for giving us some of the downsides of the VR1. I think the biggest downside will be the cost. We still don't know how much this HMD will be but there are comparable VR HMDs either available or coming out this year at a much lower price. While the VR1 is still not available for us prosumers, I'm excited to have one on my face if the price is right.
Thanks for the video, Bruva.
My pleasure my friend
Thanks for all the great info about the VR1 Steve. Any chance you could talk a little about base stations in a future video? Namely how many we’d need and where we should place them? I’ve heard mixed things about getting by with 1 base station (especially in DCS when you need to look behind). Would be good to get some more concrete advice on this from you
Thankyou for your support :) Yes, I tend to recommend two base stations really, I have tested with one, it's ok, but you can lose tracking when looking behind you. I have mine set high on my wall pointing down at my play area. Works really well. Cheers :)
But wasn’t there a huge fov upgrade in relation to the crystal and therefor a mode to activate and deactivate this for performance reasons rn? Or am I misremembering your visit and initial thoughts? However, with foveated rendering and maybe a 5090 it should be fine I would presume. Even with like 170deg horizontal fov. Thank you for the great content and keeping us informed about the leading edge. ❤
Thanks seems like a good headset. Can you please try 30 mins of dogfighting in IL2 or DCS and give us your opinion on comfort after that please. I found the Crystal really did start to get on your nervs after a while and you had to keep moving it to the centre or wear it so tight your head shrunk. Loved the clarity but the Quest 3 it is a better headset for dogfighting except you can't see anything an enemy is doing in the distance thanks to the low res. There are always compromises so maybe the BSB is the dogfight winner? or the VR1?
Thank you for your video !! I own a 4090 like you with a custom watercooling. It is overclocked and I think that with this king of Heaset , the new 5090 will be helpful, maybe the 6090 in a near future for a real optimized VR !!!!! Next years will be fabulous for us !!!
Hi Steve. Did you get to test the handtracking at all? Was there any sort of OpenXR solution for it to work with MS FlightSim?
What a good looking headset , good video , msfs looks great cant wait for msfs 2024
Interesting to see this progress - and mindful this is still pre-review. Clearly you are impressed with its potential for MSFS, but what about DCS - we know that there will be a variant with eye tracking, but how will it integrate with DCS Dynamic Foveated Rendering. From my limited understanding DCS was coded with OpenXR DFR support, this works great with the Pimax Crystal’s Tobii Eye tracking. Will it work the same on the VR1 or will the Somnium need to be integrated in some way into DCS?
Hi Nick, I have a DCS video on the channel. I'm glad you are enjoying this new series with the VR1 and thankyou for watching.
Thanks. Yes you have - ua-cam.com/video/pA94i4Lxz0s/v-deo.htmlsi=MU_Qws51kJdCJy9B
Looks like both the Crystal and VR1 have different technologies / approaches to eye tracking - I’m sure many of us DCS fans will be looking for close analysis of the DFR performance split between the two headsets.
Can you run 50ppd and get about 35/40 fps with 4090 at full settings? Unfortunately the vr headsets are ahead of any pc hardware.
Please make a vidio were you compare vr1 and vario aero🧐😁
This looks promising. How is head tracking? I'd like to see videos of you looking at things close up. Because no-one complained about the Crystal head tracking but I am finding it jittery with Lighthouses and laggy with inside -out.
Head tracking feels great! I have my base stations pointed down onto my 'play space' from a good distance though. Good placement is important to get the best results.
@@VRFlightSimGuy yes I can't easily get distance because my desk is in the corner. But when I temporarily reconfigured my room I was still getting some jitter.
Now I'm trying to figure out if my inside-out tracking is normal (perfect rotation, first few mm doesn't respond on translation movements, so cockpit has a wobble!) Pimax support responsive but say it's a vibration filter!
Somnium might not help me if Lighthouse jitter is a function of my room/setup not Pimax. Might have to go back to the G2!
It would be extremely useful and helpful for those of us trying to figure out which variant of the headset offers the right balance of compromise from a weight perspective if we could know what the weight of each additional optional extra would be. i.e. What is the barebones base model weight and then what is the additional weight of each of the 3 independent additional upgrade paths (eye-tracking, passthrough and hand tracking).
Difference between barebone and full Bad Boy Edition is noticeable but even the highest variant it quite comfortable to use for several hours straight. It’s very personal though
@@artursychov thank you very much Artur for sharing that bit of info on the minimum to maximum range of weight potential. Very much appreciated for any and all new/additional information you can share at this point. 🙏
Once all the information is made available in full detail, it will still be a bit of a task to figure out what the right compromise will be. I am hoping that I will be able to withstand with ease, 3+ hours of continuous use in sim racing with the maxed out variant missing only the hands tracking (if that would have a noticeable enough weight savings).
@@artursychov Artur, when will you be able to share the details on exact weights of all variant paths?
How are the black levels, bloom, any glare?
I miss a big evaluation point: how does it perform during sim night time? The Varjo Aero is not very enjoyable at night as darkness is not dark. How is this headset performing?
At the moment, the local dimming profile is not final, that's why I haven't mentioned it. But this is an area I'm hoping to evaluate very soon. Thanks for watching.
What base stations/lanterns do you use and how many? I'm asking as a DCS player. I need to turn around, see what's behind and what's above me.
I use two Valve Base stations
Do you have any possibility to test VR1 against Crystal Super? I have Crystals right now, a was planning to buy VR1 but now After Crystal Super announcement and 50+ppd and 130 horizontal FOV and no battery, i think that it could be even better choice
Yes of course, when the time comes I'll be one of the first to receive one. However, there's just no way of knowing how long that will be
Pimax hasn't shown that they have the capacity to design lenses worthy of the resolution of those panels. They announced the Crystal as having a 125 up to 140 FOV and ended up with 102 and 115. Can you believe 130 now for a future product when their wide angle Crystal lenses are only 115 and not very good? This on top of there not being GPU's capable of pushing that resolution or quad view DFR adoption to make it actually viable makes it all a bit of a waste.
It's very possible that the VR1 will have more FOV than the Super and that the VR1 will be sharper and look better with less distortion and other issues. There was a megapixel war with cameras and it absolutely got to the point where the extra pixels were wasted unless you had plenty of $2,000+ lenses that could resolve the detail. Sensor resolution became much cheaper than the lenses to make use of it.
Were you running DLSS and if so, which quality level?
And are you getting any of the CPU spikes that have plagued the sim in recent times, causing stutters?
TAA. I always run TAA, here, with 80% resolution and 25% Nvidia sharpening (which makes a BIG difference). No issues with stutters, although I get the odd one or two which is totally normal.
What do you use for sound? A headset without speakers just seems crazy to me.
I agree. I love integrated audio. I'm just using desktop speakers on this video.
I have been looking at your VR-1 videos so far, always leave me wondering why no mixed reality view, sample, demo, etc. Is the killer feature I'm wanting to see.
It's because this feature is currently being improved, so I'd prefer to talk about it in more detail when I have the final production quality. However, I will have a video soon showing some very clever stuff.
@@VRFlightSimGuy Thanks for the reply, I'll keep monitoring here for that video. Thanks :)
I've noticed in a lot of discussions that many people are ruling out the VR1 because of the requirement for base stations which adds to the cost and is also inconvenient for many setups (I would probably include myself). Is there any hope of it getting inside-out tracking?
I suspect not but I guess you never know. One for Somnium Space to answer.
The biggest value of the Somnium VR1, if true, is stability. Pimax has a well deserved reputation for powerful but unstable products. That has meant that if you want those powerful capabilities, you're going to have to suffer because there's no other company in town that offers what Pimax does. I am absolutely willing to pay for a high end headset that actually works.
Thanks for sharing your comments and for watching :)
are u saying the crystal is dim? how is the crystal compared to the quest 3 brightness
No, but any VR headset is, compared to the VR1
@@VRFlightSimGuy good quality lenses can do miracles 😊
So Steve what do you think Pimax Crystal/Light or the VR1?
Pimax Crystal Light for bang for your buck, it's really an amazing price. But for the serious enthusiast, the VR1 is so far, looking to be the best of the best.
What does it mean it's nowhere near the Quest 3 at all? I can't imagine how big the differences between a Quest 3 and a high-end headset like this are. I mean the image of the Quest 3 is already sharp and clear (depending on the resolution and settings you are using of course, @3000p it's nice), sweetspot is fine. I can imagine that the brightness and FOV is a bit better with the Somnium. But is there really such a big difference between these headsets that justifies 2.5x the price?
Yes, but like anything, you pay more, to have that bit extra when you are dealing with the cutting edge of any technology, whether it's cars or the latest coffee maker (I've no idea why that just came into my head, but yeah, you hopefully get the idea).
@@andyakarudolfhessiansack7936That's OK Andy, I'm not trying to sell it to you 😅
Still happy with the Aero, having spent a small fortune on that, can't justify the cost of a new headset at the moment, hoping fs2024 when it appears will be configured to use system resources more effectively.
Like most things computerised there will always be something on the horizon that is a little bit faster or a bit clearer, its easy to get caught up chasing the latest tec for a small perceived improvement.
Just depends on the depth of one's pockets i suppose. 😂😂😂.
Thanks for your Videos Steve.
Thanks for telling us you’re broke 😂
Do you have the same kind of bloom with dark scenes like the Crystal?
Negative
@@VRFlightSimGuy Hmm...I wonder why? Don't they use the same QLED panels? What magic are they working over there? ;)
@@justaguydoinstuff it is called Optical stack deep engineering 😊 There are lenses, and then there are LENSES.
How much heavier is the fully loaded version than the Aero?
A lot more. This reminds me of the XR-3 in weight.
Steve,how much better is Somnim to Crystal.Is it worth the price of Crystal light.
The Crystal Light makes the most sense for most of us, but if you want that FOV, brightness, better lenses, solid reliability (although fingers crossed the Light will be more stable due to the lack of the battery), plus the fancy mixed reality cameras, the VR1 will do all that. Maybe I'll do a comparison when I receive the new Crystal Light soon 😊
What about heat, does it get hot inside while it is used for a longer time? Does fan work well?
That's a good one, I do mention this in my first video with the VR1 in Prague. On a normal day, it's absolutely fine in the VR1, but I'd imagine it will get a bit clammy on a hot day. So factor in air conditioning ;)
@@VRFlightSimGuy Thank you 👍
It looks really an high-end VR headset. I'm just concerned about the unbalanced (high) weight charged mostly on front of the face... The outstanding visuals become irrelevant if the headset is uncomfortable. I wish to see a finalized version on VR1 with a comfortable head strap with a built-in sound system. Then the competition with the upcoming Crystal Super will be on.
I can’t speak for everyone, but for me personally the biggest/most important thing is comfort. The fact that this was a concern for you regarding the weight, worries me. Especially since you said you are use to heavy headsets. This was the sole reason I returned my Pimax Crystal. It was just way too heavy and uncomfortable on my face. For as expensive as this headset is, I really REALLY hope they can include some kind of “comfort strap” similar to what Pimax sells separately for the Crystal. I was never able to try it since it was out of stock. But I heard that makes a big difference. Having 1 strap that goes from the front of your head to the back isn’t ideal for a heavy headset. It causes the headset to be pulled against your forehead too much, which in turn causes the headset to angle upward affecting the positioning. There needs to be a strap going across your head side to side to help balance the weight.
If anyone from Somnium happen to see this…. Please PLEASE do what you can to make this headset comfortable. This will be the determining factor whether or not I buy this headset.
Comfort straps are only useful when combined with counterweights. Yes adding weight... even doubling it makes it so much more comfortable if it's balanced.
@@laartwork That would be true if you’re only using a comfort strap and nothing else. You’d need a counterweight in the back of the headset since it’s only balanced by the comfort (side to side) strap. I agree there. But I’m talking about adding a side to side strap while also keeping the front to back strap. That way you can have the front to back strap snug to keep the headset centered on your face, while also supporting the majority of the headsets weight on top of your head with the side to side strap. A counter weight wouldn’t be needed as long as you kept the front to back strap snug. Hopefully that makes sense. That’s currently how I use my Quest 3 right now. It’s sort of a cross shaped strap on top of my head. It feels perfect.
What plane are you flying on this video? Thanks.
Just Flight Piper Warrior. Highly recommended 👍
Could you compare it to the Varjo Aero if you got one ?
To be fair that might be an interesting comparison to make thanks.
@@VRFlightSimGuydefinitely!! Would you say the Aeros CA is better or worse (when no corrected via software)?
@@lurchilurch5507 Worse than VR1 with the profile I'm using at the moment.
@@VRFlightSimGuy oh that's great. I wonder whether they are still working on this supposed anti-CA hardware solution then. Sounds like it won't be worth it if it's pricey.
@@lurchilurch5507is there a software CA correction for the Varjo Aero? How would I enable it?
I love this airplane but I can't get the trim wheel to work!
I use my Cessna Saitek trim wheel
I don't have that yoke. I have the Logitech Yoke System.
Have you measured the FOV?
Yes. That's why I said 120-122
Do you think this will release this year?
We talk a matter of weeks not months 😊
You used both pimax crystal and this one . I think pimax crystal light which is basically much affordable should be better than this especially in FOV section which is most important part in VR and also that's 2880 pixel per eyes . Please correct me if I'm wrong . I like the headset which give more immersion feeling with less visible circle bar around lenses
As far as an upgrade goes, my personal sweet spot is 42+ PPD. I think 2025 will be the year for me to upgrade.
Looks good but with Var tech moving quickly & decent cheaper options available the cost of this is to high , I can afford it no probs but anything over a very very high end cost of £900-£1k I’d not consider
Happily using a Quest 3 for cable linked PCVR & occasionally enjoying the other features of that headset (stand alone / wireless pc connection etc ) , will be watching reviews etc of Pimax light but they have a tough job against the Q3 for PCVR
Thanks for vid
Ps PC with a decent to high end gpu 2500x2500 res is sweet spot & even a quest 3 looks razor sharp at that res
( slight texture compression in the quest 3’s case I know is a disavantage )
people who buy Q3 are not clients of VR1 at all
Great news for you: "Big Spenders" out there, he, he! I need to un-retire and get back to work to justify such a sweet piece of hardware. Enjoy; for the ones that do get it though!!!!
👍
Hey Clay 👋
What is the IPD range?
57 - 74
@@artursychov Thanks
Finally a 74mm hmd , I will be finally comfortable❤ thank you Artur❤@@artursychov
What s better Vario aero VR1
VR1 of course, but the price reflects that. You're better off comparing this to say, the XR-3
Seems like a good HMD, just not something I'm interested in buying for my use case.
is it better than the Crystal?
IIRC, he has said it's a very strong yes for himself at least.
Yes, definitely. BUT, it's a lot more expensive.
Now the Crystal Super is coming out... possibly end of year. This may have a very short life.
Great info mate, my problem is when I get near to deciding on my next headset you bring out another review that stops me in my tracks 😂 what is the price going to be for the top spec?
lol thanks Dave. It's been a mental year so far and we are only in April!! We don't know the full price for the 'bad boy' edition yet. Hopefully soon!
Make a video why people should buy VR I’m interested in meta quest 3. I just build my own mega pc specific for games & Microsoft Flight Simulator 👍
Funny you say that. I already have. It will be out soon.
@@VRFlightSimGuy 😀🙇🏽🫡
I really believe this will be dead on arrival for the consumer market. As priced, this will only appeal to a small percentage of a still very small market. And It’s too expensive compared to much cheaper options that have almost as good of visual fidelity. It may be the best but not enough to justify the cost differential. They are also an unproven company so I anticipate many teething issues. Lastly, you really need a, so far non-existent GPU, to take advantage of the incremental visual improvements. And Pimax is launching new products as well. I hope they succeed but the price will have to come down considerably for them to gain any meaningful traction.
Nonsense. The XR4 has a similar price and specs. High end HMDs are selling extremely well and people who can afford it will always buy them.
@@royevans1882So you must believe there is significant room for another start-up to take market share, in a very small consumer market at these price points, from a very well established company that has a proven track record? Not to mention Varjo makes its profits from the professional market. They basically ceded the consumer market to Quest and Pimax when they abandoned the Aero.
have you seen price of XTAL? lol
@@vyacheslav_potapenko what’s your point and what’s with lol?
@@royevans1882 oh sorry, my reply was intended to top comment, not to your reply. Your point is correct
Need those hardware buttons for MR or passthrough to be BINDABLE to a joystick button.
♥♥♥♥♥
Lunch time. ✅
Steve vid. ✅
Life is good.
🍽️
This is way over priced compared to the crystal light now. The base VR1 is almost 3x the price of the crystal light.
Thanks for your thoughts 👍
It should be for the price
I agree
Have the prices been announced? Last I heard it was base model at least $1,900 and the decked out model around $4,000
Mehh... Still waiting for the perfect one.
I think the VR1 is going to be for more the serious vr flight simmers with a serious bank account
After selling my standup jet ski I do have the money to get either a vr1 or a crystal or crystal light tbh my machine having a 5800x3d 64 gb ram and a 4090 it maybe a better bet to up grade the cpu and motherboard and ram and keep my g2 for a little while longer as I’m sure my 4090 is being held back by them
But maybe mfs2024 might be more optimised as tbh DCS knocks the socks off it at the moment for hardware optimisation
It's a big investment mate, there's no rush. Maybe sit on it for a while. I have more to say about the VR1 and there's the Pimax Light around the corner.
the constant mic popping 😭😭😭
This is a problem of this unit
@@artursychov ok cool
is it HDR compatible?
No
@@lurchilurch5507 that's a shame as pimax said the display could do HDR
@@wickfut8917 are you sure? I don't see it listed in the specs on the official page. It would be the first ever HDR VR headset AFAIK
@@lurchilurch5507 I post replies and get errors. I'll try again (if my other reply shows and there's two replies I'm not losing the plot)
I used to have a Crystal and visit the Pimax discord a lot. There was talk a few months back of a future update bringing HDR to the Crystal. I know SteamVR had an update about 8 months ago which allowed HDRVR on PC.
@@wickfut8917 interesting. But does anything actually support it yet?
This is an ad.... Bye.
Steve, his coat !!!
😂
😄😄