The Golf Club VR, a virtual reality golf simulator introduced in 2016, was designed for the first generation of VR headsets. Fast forward almost 8 years later, VR technology has significantly advanced, now providing higher resolution headsets with superior graphics and more powerful PC hardware. In this article, I will show you the differences between then and now, and explain why, despite advancements, the graphics on my stream still look as bad as they did in 2016, rather than as good as they should be today.
First Generation VR - VS - Second Gen VR
Let's see how TGC VR looked in 2016 for most people who couldn't afford top-of-the-line PC hardware. VR Golf was playable but fell short of a fully immersive experience.
The second image is from a Valve Index, a common 2nd Gen VR headset. Headsets like the Index or Vive Pro series already had better lenses and higher-resolution screens. Paired with improved graphics cards and other PC hardware, they deliver a pretty immersive visual experience.
You can compare the images with the slider in the middle.
The New Generation of VR Headsets
The latest VR headsets offer superior hardware, including OLED screens, enhanced pixel density, and AI image enhancing features. Some, like the Pimax 12k with 6K resolution per eye, boast incredibly high resolutions. However, games like TGC VR, not optimized for these headsets, may demand top-notch PCs to run smoothly at 90 FPS. Despite this, the image quality and immersion is breathtaking.
You can compare the images with the slider in the middle.
Why streaming TGC VR is so difficult.
To stream TGC VR, I project myself in front of a greenscreen using mixed reality. I need to run custom software and TGC VR simultaneously multiple times, which strains my current hardware - a 2070 RTX with a 9700K CPU - causing overheating and performance throttling. I plan to upgrade soon to better hardware, enabling me to showcase more content, different courses, and better quality. Hopefully, this upgrade will also improve my frame rates and provide smoother tracking with fewer glitches.
You can compare the images with the slider in the middle.
Without the streaming setup, when I'm just playing with friends or practicing, not only is the tracking better, but I can also play on any course with perfect frame rates and improve the resolution to make it look quite nice. Being a long-time veteran in TGC, I prioritize consistent tracking over visuals.
I'm hopeful that in the coming years, a new VR golf simulator will be released with even more accurate tracking and stunning visuals. I believe we're not far from seeing the majority of golfers worldwide playing in simulators at home or in other virtual environments.
With that said, I wish you all a great year and hope to see you on the courses soon. Much love, Rob.
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