The Index thread (please keep to subject)

Valve just made it possible (SteamVR Beta 1.9.7) to change refresh rates on the fly - that is without having to restart SteamVR. This is a rather huge improvement, but it'll require Forceware 441+ and me to leave my trusty 417 driver, which right now works perfectly in all my games and earlier was recommended by Valve as the most stable driver for the Index (but that was some months ago):



https://steamcommunity.com/games/250820/announcements/detail/1714113379461314416

Regarding the non-clicking thumbsticks I'm thinking it may be a lack of QC at the factory in China. Indices are made in China and shipped out, and I don't think Valve can inspect received packages without ruining the packaging - but that's just a theory. It's hard to tell if the issue has been fixed, because when ordering it's impossible to tell exactly which warehouse you got the kit from and if you got a kit from old or new stock - at least I've seen no convincing reports on how to tell new stock from old stock. Again the new controller I got through RMA works perfectly - for now. I'd probably be careful trying to fix an Index controller myself - unless you don't care about the warranty and accept the risk of having to spend $300 for new ones. 

Comrade_Ivan said:

Does anyone know if there are any plans for the development of ASW-like tech for Index? 

I'm aware that ASW is Oculus' baby and as such, FB has the tech patented. But surely Valve could take the idea and create their own solution

Index has Motion Smoothing which (unless they just fixed that) requires Forceware. I've tried it, but it's nowhere near as good as ASW2.0. Using ASW2.0 many movements feel like solid 90 fps - to a degree where I can't tell the difference at all (like strafing next to a wall, fast hand movements still easily show if ASW is on or not, but the latter is no big deal to me, at least not in Lone Echo or Stormland). 
The lack of ASW2.0 does mean that in order to drive to Index, compared to CV1, you need sufficient gpu power for the 80% higher res and you need the gpu power to secure at least 90 fps. Using CV1 in the more demanding games 45 fps and asw work well, but several very demanding games like Obduction simply don't work well using the Index, at least not using the graphics settings I'd like to use.
That said most of my Index games work great using my oc'ed GTX 1080 - and in several more simple games I can even get solid 90 fps using Index res 200%. Demanding games like Asgard's Wrath, Lone Echo and Seeking Dawn are - using my current rig - best played using CV1 where 45 fps really isn't a problem. 

BTW, I've been forcing ss 2.0 with CV1 for years - that means it's probably much easier for me to use the Index, because Index res 100% requires less gpu power than CV1 ss 2.0. This mean that in games where I can't increase Index res (UE4 games like Hellsplit and Adr1ft) I'm getting much better performance with Index res 100% than CV1 ss 2.0. And Index res 100% looks better than CV1 ss 2.0. So the change to Index wasn't that hard for me ;)
For users of GTX 1080 Index works great in 90 fps - but problems may arise if you want 120+ Hz or super sampling above res 100%, because lack of asw introduces severe ghosting or stuttering if the Index doesn't get 1:1 Hz:fps-ratio)

K, here I thought I knew what I was talking about... until I read the word  forceware, that is.
Need 'splaining pls

RuneSR2 said:

My Index Overload Management Gear™ just arrived!  B)

https://youtu.be/N3gwq5jbKLA

Yup - the thumbstick clicks in all directions!  :D

Hmmm, so now it's over using dirty non-Valve controllers with the Index!  o:)

Lol - Tyriel got one too - some of us may spend way too much time checking posts on Index Reddit - but those who don't may not be fast enough to get the cheap stuff :blush: 

https://twitter.com/Tyrielwood/status/1202372585037717504

My second one has also arrived! 

RuneSR2 said:

On Oculus subReddit some dude asked using a strawpoll "on which headset will you play half life Alyx"? The results are quite strange - note this is from the main Oculus subReddit forum:


https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/e1cnff/strawpoll_on_which_headset_will_you_play_half/

The top three hmds are all non-Oculus hmds. In fact more than 75 % is made up of Index + Vive + WMR + Pimax! 

Kinda makes you wonder how many users who don't own an Oculus hmd are active in the Oculus subReddit... Hmmmm, btw, for long I've also been thinking that there's something strange and peculiar about the men in this video... ;)

https://youtu.be/Iv4PFgOmAsI

Now more than 5,000 votes:


Seems to be (close to) the final results - remember these results are from the Oculus subReddit. Rift-S has fewer votes than the old HTC Vive - quite strange. Only 1 out of 3 seems to be using an Oculus hmd - which is close to the number of users who'll use the Index (=30%). Surprisingly WMR users even are more numerous than Rift-S users, who'd have thought that was possible? Reverb domination? 

kojack said:

Comrade_Ivan said:

K, here I thought I knew what I was talking about... until I read the word  forceware, that is.
Need 'splaining pls

Forceware was the old name used for Nvidia drivers.

So I'm guessing the features mentioned above in relation to Forceware don't work on AMD GPUs.

My mistake - I keep referring to Nvidia driver as Forceware, which of course was associated to GeForce - but love that name, kinda reminds me of the force in Star Wars, lol

Welcome to Japan!  B)

Kinda the perfect Saturday. Went to a nice restaurant with the family, then we saw the 4K cartoon version of Dr. Seuss' the Grinch and it was an absolutely awesome Christmas movie. Then 37 min ago I was informed our lastest study has been accepted for publication - not a big study, but still great news, and a great surprise on a Saturday evening:


- then just I saw several great reviews for Boiling Steel - it does look great (and potentially awesome), I'm downloading now for the Index  o:)


Get it here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016860/Boiling_Steel/