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Rift S - Please read before you buy - Tracking problems with realistic FPS sims & Archery

SkScotchegg
Expert Trustee
EDIT: NEW UPDATE PLEASE READ - Read this first before continuing - Oculus has now released a new beta update called 1.39 which fixes many of these issues - I have eddied my main post of this thread so newcomers to Rift S can read this good news on how to fix their issues before continuing...You have to go into your Oculus software, click settings, click the Beta TAB at the top, click the button next to "Public Test Channel" which will automatically download Oculus software 1.39 and restart Oculus. Once you have installed this software update you will see that tracking has been massively improved for FPS games when holding two handed rifles and aiming down scopes. I have tested this on Onward today and played for over 3 hours and now the game is very playable. Before this update I couldn't play any FPS with two handed weapons, now they all seem to work fine!! Well done Oculus devs and thanks for the software update!  🙂


Original post below:
Hey everyone, I got my Rift S on launch day and was initially really impressed. But since then I have tried a wider verity of games and have since discovered a glaring issue with Rift S which is the tracking.

Before Rift S launched I was worried about the sound, that was my only concern, and yeah the sound isn't great but when I used my own headphones that solved the problem so when I was playing Robo Recall, Beat Saber, and Audica etc it all looked and performed fantastic and I soon forgot about the sound as I was enjoying the games so much.

But last night I bought Contractors on Steam which appears to be a great multiplayer FPS with great graphics but unfortunately is completely unplayable on RIft S! There's simply no other way to say it.

FPS games like Onward, Contractors, Pavlov and Archery games like In Death/Sacralith just aren't going to work with Rift S. You can't aim down the sites, soon as you hold your right hand up to your face in the normal position to look down the sites of a rifle or to look down an arrow the tracking freezes in place and stops working and makes it impossible to aim.

So after playing with Rift CV1 for the past 2.5 years this is completely dreadful. And btw the first year or so with CV1 I only had 2 front sensors which worked perfectly, the only reason I bought a 3rd sensor in the 2nd year was for pavlov so I could pick up weapons from the floor, so since then I used 3 camera setup in my dinning room and the Rift tracking was 100% perfect and never lost tracking for me.

If your planning on only playing Arcade games like Robo Recall, Superhot, Beat Saber and Audica, you will be fine, go ahead and buy Rift S and enjoy the amazing clarity of the optics and increased resolution.

But if you want to play FPS games or Archery games, your basically buying a product that does not work, your wasting your money and would be better buying a 2nd hand Rift CV1 off ebay/amazon.

Of course we heard in the past that Oculus could enable the old CV1 room sensors through software, I desperately hope they do this, otherwise for people like me that enjoy FPS/Archery games as well as the usual Arcade games, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, because I like Rift S, but what am I suppose to do? Use Rift CV1 for half my games library??

I'm quite shocked and hugely disappointed by this, I think maybe what other people were saying about Lenovo was right, I don't think Oculus/Facebook should have partnered with them because if this is the outcome then, well, no thanks.

I feel sorry for everyone who has pre-ordered expecting to play Onward/Contractors/Pavlov/In Death/
Sacralith etc and expecting this to be good. I think we need to all sign a petition to Oculus to enable the old CV1 room sensors for proper tracking otherwise they will have a lot of refunds going in and also this is very bad for people new to VR. In fact I'd go as far as to say that all FPS and Archery games should be taken off Oculus store for Rift S owners until this is resolved because otherwise what's the point? Everyone buying those games will have to refund I suppose.

Sorry for the rant guys, but I felt compelled to inform the community of this. People need to know how bad this tracking really is.

And also before Rift S was released people were saying the future is inside/out tracking. Well I'm sorry guys, but you couldn't of been more wrong. Inside/out tracking only works for Arcade games, sim racing games, elite dangerous and maybe Quest if Quest mainly uses Arcade games too? I'll leave that part for Quest users to comment on.

I own Rift CV 1, Oculus GO and now Rift S, was planning on buying Quest too but I'll hold off on that for a while until I read more reviews. 
UK: England - Leeds - - RTX 2080 - Rift CV1 & Rift S - Make love, not war - See you in the Oasis!
356 REPLIES 356

MowTin
Expert Trustee
Yiykes, this is sounding like a disaster. How long do you have to return? I guess I'll have to test this out in Skyrim VR. 

This is confusing....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAOVKUubM0w
i7 9700k 3090 rtx   CV1, Rift-S, Index, G2

Anonymous
Not applicable

falken76 said:




falken76 said:

ALL reviews are bullshit unless they're user reviews.


Well user reviews can be BS as well. Anyone can make a Reddit or forum account.


I find more credibility in user reviews these days.  If Makerbot can get a best of show and the judges never even saw the printers operating, they're paid shills.  I absolutely believe this is how alot of reviews go these days.  The youtubers just want free swag, a bad review means they won't get it next time around.  I can read a ton of user reviews and look for the most common traits that get mentioned over and over by the end user.  For Rift S, it seems to be tracking for FPS games and specifically when you get the tracking close to the face.  End users report this a lot, the reviewers didn't mention this and it should have been more apparent that this was the case.




I played 2 of my archery games on the rift s today. I will have to totally, I mean totally change up the way I aim. Its a wider type aim off to side too. For me though guys, I prefer the inside out and still think it will be the future. I think more cameras though, should be zero dead zone areas!  I would love to see more cameras on top and bottom. Even with sensors, I always seemed to get too far from sensors or in edge zones that always sucked with both vive and rift 1. My bow would move real slow and stop being responsive. I actually think adjusting the way I aim with inside out will be better overall than my outside in tracking. At least your in control more and not dealing with a sensor that's being sensitive because the sun is in his eyes or something 🙂


RuneSR2
Grand Champion

vannagirl said:

Am guessing there will be external camera support now sooner then expected 



Some weeks (or a month) ago one dude on Reddit explained that it will not be possible to use your old external sensors for Rift-S due technical incompatibilities. The systems are different (like old sensor don't need light to work), but I'd love for all this to be wrong and be able to use my external sensors with a new HMD - but I'm not betting any money on that ever happening 😉

Oculus Rift CV1, Valve Index & PSVR2, Asus Strix OC RTX™ 3090, i9-10900K (5.3Ghz), 32GB 3200MHz, 16TB SSD
"Ask not what VR can do for you, but what you can do for VR"

vannagirl
Consultant
@RuneSR2

i hope so maybe there will be a new camera option if this is a non fixable area, I have no idea for the old system.

I’m no good for tech answers obviously, I’m just here to mostly cheerlead, post memes and make bad jokes 
Look, man. I only need to know one thing: where they are. 

kojack
MVP
MVP

RuneSR2 said:


vannagirl said:

Am guessing there will be external camera support now sooner then expected 



Some weeks (or a month) ago one dude on Reddit explained that it will not be possible to use your old external sensors for Rift-S due technical incompatibilities. The systems are different (like old sensor don't need light to work), but I'd love for all this to be wrong and be able to use my external sensors with a new HMD - but I'm not betting any money on that ever happening 😉


Headset tracking does work different (old is best in a dark environment since it looks for IR LEDs on the headset, new is best in a bright environment since it looks for visible spectrum details in the room).
But touch tracking is the same, both are cameras watching IR LEDs. In fact Insight should track Touch fine in the dark, but since touch are relative to the headset and the headset can't track in the dark, the end result isn't usable.

Since the Rift-S doesn't have IR LEDs, external CV1 sensors can't track it. They should be able to track new Touch, but not the headset. That means you've got two different coordinate systems that need to be synced.
Author: Oculus Monitor,  Auto Oculus Touch,  Forum Dark Mode, Phantom Touch Remover,  X-Plane Fixer
Hardware: Threadripper 1950x, MSI Gaming Trio 2080TI, Asrock X399 Taich
Headsets: Wrap 1200VR, DK1, DK2, CV1, Rift-S, GearVR, Go, Quest, Quest 2, Reverb G2

RuneSR2
Grand Champion

kojack said:


RuneSR2 said:


vannagirl said:

Am guessing there will be external camera support now sooner then expected 



Some weeks (or a month) ago one dude on Reddit explained that it will not be possible to use your old external sensors for Rift-S due technical incompatibilities. The systems are different (like old sensor don't need light to work), but I'd love for all this to be wrong and be able to use my external sensors with a new HMD - but I'm not betting any money on that ever happening 😉


Headset tracking does work different (old is best in a dark environment since it looks for IR LEDs on the headset, new is best in a bright environment since it looks for visible spectrum details in the room).
But touch tracking is the same, both are cameras watching IR LEDs. In fact Insight should track Touch fine in the dark, but since touch are relative to the headset and the headset can't track in the dark, the end result isn't usable.

Since the Rift-S doesn't have IR LEDs, external CV1 sensors can't track it. They should be able to track new Touch, but not the headset. That means you've got two different coordinate systems that need to be synced.


Thanks for the backup - yes, I guess any dream of getting Rift-S to work with the old sensors seems dead, unfortunately. 

Oculus Rift CV1, Valve Index & PSVR2, Asus Strix OC RTX™ 3090, i9-10900K (5.3Ghz), 32GB 3200MHz, 16TB SSD
"Ask not what VR can do for you, but what you can do for VR"

Wildt
Consultant

kojack said:


RuneSR2 said:


vannagirl said:

Am guessing there will be external camera support now sooner then expected 



Some weeks (or a month) ago one dude on Reddit explained that it will not be possible to use your old external sensors for Rift-S due technical incompatibilities. The systems are different (like old sensor don't need light to work), but I'd love for all this to be wrong and be able to use my external sensors with a new HMD - but I'm not betting any money on that ever happening 😉


Headset tracking does work different (old is best in a dark environment since it looks for IR LEDs on the headset, new is best in a bright environment since it looks for visible spectrum details in the room).
But touch tracking is the same, both are cameras watching IR LEDs. In fact Insight should track Touch fine in the dark, but since touch are relative to the headset and the headset can't track in the dark, the end result isn't usable.

Since the Rift-S doesn't have IR LEDs, external CV1 sensors can't track it. They should be able to track new Touch, but not the headset. That means you've got two different coordinate systems that need to be synced.


TLDR: it's possible to make it work in a bright environment 😉
PCVR: CV1 || 4 sensors || TPcast wireless adapter || MamutVR Gun stock V3
PSVR: PS4 Pro || Move Controllers || Aim controller
WMR: HP Reverb

kevinw729
Honored Visionary
We all understand that the Rift-S offers opportunities as well as compromises with the path they have followed with Lenovo - but I just wonder, the lack of IPD, the audio and now tracking issues may seem a compromise too far?

The CV1 has proven a great champion of comfortable high-end PC VR, I just cant see the same being said of the Rift-S - though I am sure that now partnered with Lenovo, they are in a better position to release a updated variant that could address many of those issues... is so inclined? 
https://vrawards.aixr.org/ "The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Home-Immersive-Entertainment-Frontier/dp/1472426959

CrashFu
Consultant

kevinw729 said:

We all understand that the Rift-S offers opportunities as well as compromises with the path they have followed with Lenovo - but I just wonder, the lack of IPD, the audio and now tracking issues may seem a compromise too far?

The CV1 has proven a great champion of comfortable high-end PC VR, I just cant see the same being said of the Rift-S - though I am sure that now partnered with Lenovo, they are in a better position to release a updated variant that could address many of those issues... is so inclined? 


I don't think that's necessary.

The IPD thing has proven to be not nearly as much of a problem as people (who hadn't tried it yet) insisted it would be.  Once they actually try it out, people on the extreme ends of the IPD range have typically said they experienced no problems with it.

The audio  (specifically, lack of bass or isolation)  can easily be fixed by simply plugging in some earbuds or headphones,  and a dedicated clip-on accessory or even complete headband replacement with integrated headphones seems inevitable, first-party or otherwise.

And the tracking issues will be improved as Oculus refines the software,  as users learn how to employ easy fixes and use it under optimal conditions, and as game devs learn to design around the limitations.   When hybrid tracking becomes available, it will offer an even greater level of accuracy and reliability for those who still aren't satisfied.

I can understand casual consumers wanting to hold off on buying  until these solutions happen  (or even returning a system they already bought to the store, although that seems like an awfully extreme, knee-jerk reaction)   but it's waaaaaaaaaaaaay too early to be essentially declaring the system 'doomed' just because it isn't 100% perfect at launch.

Heck, I wonder what kind of complaints we could find about the CV1, a week after it released?  (Or after the preorder delays got cleared up, I should say.)  The whole point to being a tech enthusiast  (or perhaps a "prosumer", as Kevin might say?)  is that you're willing to put up with a rough start when you know there's a diamond in that rough.
It's hard being the voice of reason when you're surrounded by unreasonable people.

cybershrapnel
Protege
I agree with the OP. Inside out tracking is NOT the future!!! But, I do however see a very very good hybrid system developing using both sensors and inside out tracking together!!!!   now that I think will develop from this fiasco... because, i am sorry, but this is a fiasco!!!!!  Returning my Rift S, I like it, but I don't love it, and I am MORE than frustrated with the issues....