I decided I would try War Thunder VR since I have a headset in the closet. Fired it up yesterday and found myself completely blown away by the experience. Then I noticed something hilarious. I would not go above 3,000 feet not for anything. It was like I was frozen and couldn’t. I got into one dogfight where I splashed a 109 using an F4F Wildcat but the whole time I was white knuckles and when the fight was over I had to wipe my palms off and dry off my HOTAS.
That VR experience is so real I might not be able to play it. Its almost too much! Maybe I’ll just keep flying in test flights until I can get comfortable. For whatever reason my mind can’t differentiate a video game from my real life huge fear of heights. I can’t climb a ladder in real life without freezing up. So this should be a hilarious experience. Anyone feel overwhelmed at first in their VR experience?
I have a fear of heights but strangely it doesn’t happen in airplanes, even small ones, just ladders and cliffsides (and sometimes tall building balconies).
The weirdest part in VR is when the plane comes to a stop you feel (or rather don’t feel but expect to feel) the little jerk at the end and the first few times my body moved as you do in a car when the transmission unexpectedly switches gears.
This is so true! I did a test run in the mountains map and was banking through the mountains and I found myself leaning into the turns like I was actually flying. Then when I landed when the plane came to a stop I actually lurched forward like what the heck was that. Its truly strange what your brain does when things seem so real
My eyes were as wide as flying saucers when I was in my F4F and suddenly a 109 comes screeching by me. It was that moment where the two pilots are looking each other dead in the eye as they pass by. I was like “Holy crap!” I could see the rivets on his wings! and when I tore into him with my 50 cals I could see right where id shot his engine and centerline all up. My ability to aim and trigger discipline oddly imroved in VR as well. I was waiting more patiently for shots, and when I did fire I was hitting good hits.
I envy you guys. I had one of the first VR sets back in the day (Oculus Rift DK2 - 2014), and never used it for anything but a few indie games. I did uh… consume a few VR adult movies… though. Need to get a headset again.
I have fear of heights too, but I think my PC performance isn’t good enough that I can kinda see that it’s not real and therefore I don’t get the sensation that I’m really up very high. Or maybe I just trust that the plane will keep me safe.
Try the D.371 H.S.9 in VR in Air RB, it’s lots of fun! Or another cannon tier 1 plane.
I have a fear of height too, but i used to fly gliders and after that paragliders. When i used to do that i felt one with the machine :)
I still do fear the heights and I shiver and have goosebumps even at first floor balcony.
tips: try not to look directly down to earth, or at least don’t stare down. but that is hard to do when fighting other planes :)
What I find worst is not even myself, but if I see other people around me. I can more or less handle myself ok-ish in such situations, but if my son or so is with me, it’s really Hell for me (with very capital H).
And silly me last year moved from first floor to third floor…
Also, in aircraft I have little issue, but buildings, mountains,…