Why Build a VR Simulator Instead of a Full Cockpit?

Those of you who are familiar with this website will know that for the better part of two years now, I have been working on designing and building a full scale open cockpit home flight simulator. However, about a year ago, I moved out of my house and into a 2 bedroom apartment. Needless to say, but there was no way I could build a full cockpit. Being that the apartment life was somewhat temporary, I continued to work of the design; looking forward to the day I get another house and could start building it.

It has been during this time of "pause", that I began to rethink the whole idea and concept of my project. I began to play with the thought of going with a VR setup but never truly looked into it. That is until......

I have stayed in touch with a fellow DCS Hog Pilot: Greg. Out of the blue, he suggested that I really consider a VR set up. I figured it was about time I gave the idea some serious consideration. I figured that even if I decided to not take my simulator in that direction, I needed to know why. Even if it was for my own peace of mind in knowing the pro's and con's of both, and knowing I made the right choice for me.

It is no hidden secret by now that following my research, I have now chosen to build a VR sim. I have spent countless hours working on the design for a full cockpit so this was not a decision I took lightly. In fact I was quite skeptical at first. My intent here is not to try and persuade you to make the same decision that I have. Nor is it to imply that  building a full cockpit layout is a bad thing. There are pro's and con's to both systems and I simply want to point a few of those out to help you see why I made the choice I did. That being said, lets take a look at why I chose the path of Virtual Reality.

Project Scope:

Either way, building a home simulator is no small undertaking. This is a hobby/project that requires a real dedication of time and a sizable financial  commitment. I was generally okay with these things but the finished vision has outgrown my intentions. It seems that as I got farther into it, the beast just continued to grow and grow, in both size and projected cost. I do have some degree of a normal life and don't have unlimited financial resources. Something had to give. I tried downsizing the cockpit but have not been able to find that happy medium. I find myself always wanting to seriously upgrade the visual displays, lighting, aesthetics, on and on and on....... I eventually gave in to the fact that I had to build this thing "ALL OUT" or nothing. I resided to this but was having a hard time being comfortable with the new time frame and needed budget.

Cost:

A projects cost is arguably the biggest deciding factor for most people. I realized that the required budget for my full cockpit had ballooned from a few thousand dollars to about $7,000.00! Personally, although that is somewhat "doable" if completed over time, it is just not reasonable. This is not my only hobby, and there are other areas in my life I need to fund. The VR option is an answer to this. However, do not think that I mean it is cheap. The new budget for the VR sim is still about $4,000.00. Not "cheap" at all. So, to get a more true comparison between the two options, you have to ignore the items that will be used in both sim options and only compare those that are different. For example:

Similar items are the custom gaming computer, stick, throttle, rudder peddles, keyboard, mouse, etc....

Different items wound be the VR headset instead of triple monitors or projectors, no cockpit panels are needed, and less building supplies. These three things alone will save me about $5,000.00!

Yes, VR headsets are expensive. But 3 monitors with mounting equipment and cables / or duel projectors, mounting hardware, cables and a curved screen wall and Track IR, cost substantially more. Even with a $400-$500 Oculus Rift, you are still saving about at least $1,500.00 over the traditional display methods for a full size home cockpit.

Time:

If you are anything like me, then you'll agree that half the fun is designing and building this thing. But let's not forget that the other half is actually getting to fly the finished product of our labors. I don't want to get halfway through this project only to have Life spring out from the shadows and smack down my hopes and dreams. I want to Get-R-Done. I will still get the enjoyment of building something cool; but the FAR easier design of the VR sim will allow me to construct the seat and frame in a much more reasonable time frame.

Then there is also the time factor to consider of the Learning Curve. I can turn a wrench and cut wood with the best of them. But when it comes to wiring electrical circuits and editing code, well, -lets just say I'm useless and leave it at that. I am happy to learn these things and being of decent intelligence, I have no doubt that I can learn them..... in due time. I'm simply not wanting to take all the time to learn how to get each panel to function and interface correctly with DCS. Besides, if anything were to ever go wrong, I would eventually have to start all over again to debug the issue. I would rather use the sim then learn the sim.

Immersion:

I think the ultimate goal of us wanting to build a home simulator (of any kind) is to get as close as possible to actually feeling like we are sitting in the cockpit of a real A-10. The DCS has done a remarkable job modeling the cockpit. From the full functionality to the graphics, they have built us a wonderfully realistic point of view. I cant help but feel like building a home cockpit is sort of like reinventing the wheel in this area.

When I comes to looking around in the cockpit and outside the canopy, Track IR is a good solution. But a VR headset is even better. The head movement with Track IR is "accelerated", meaning to turn your head around and look at the engines, you only have to move your head a small amount. This is obviously adjustable, but still not very realistic. With a VR headset, the ergonomics of your head movement in relation to the world around you are much more natural. Maintaining as much of your natural body mechanics as possible why inside the simulator GREATLY enhances the feeling of immersion.

Simplicity:

Let's face it, building a full scale home cockpit for a jet is no simple task. The complexity of design, the wiring, the programming, the projection setup/calibration, the list goes on. This thing is no joke! Where by contrast, a VR system is really quite straight forward. I dont want to go too far, but its more like "Plug-N-Play". All you really need to do to be up and running is connect a bunch of USB cables. With a full cockpit, there are miles of wires, connection, Arduino's, servos, LED's, over 100 switches and buttons, LCD display's, DCS-Bios, code writing, etc...

Now don't get me wrong, there are a few people out there who have done incredible work to make these tasks easier for builders.

DCS-Bios is amazingly well put together. But even with copy and paste, you still have to code each and every switch, button, gauge and display.

P.S. Don't even get me started on building a properly working HUD .....you have no idea!

Ease of Support:

Building a working VR sim is far more within my skill set and abilities. This will allow me to personally be able to help other builders with their projects. So far, I have been able to answer the questions that have been posed to me by you guys. But I find that I am now quickly getting in over my head and will soon be less help to all of you. We are a small community here, and I want to be as much help as possible to those who wish to build a sim. So, I'll stick with what I know and am good at.

Cutting Edge Technology:

VR headsets are at the cutting edge of gaming and simulation technology. While here in its relative infancy it is not without its problems and/or limitations. Yet the potential and future for this growing trend looks nothing short of amazing. More and more companies are producing more and more content relating to VR. It is undeniable that VR has finally arrived and is here to stay. DCS A-10C already looks fantastic in VR and the future of this interface technology is only going to get better.