You and the great videos are what got me into DCS. I got a refurb business computer from 2012 with a 1050ti graphics card that cost under £200, plus i had an old Sidewinder 2 joystick as well as CH Pro yoke and pedals from flying MSFS from the 90's to the early 2010's. All are correct in that this is a simulator and requires time to master. FC3 is great where you can jump into a F15 and start dog fighting or the Frogfoot and start destroying ground targets. This helps to learn the basics of DCS like waypoints and missile avoidance. This is really fun. I have since upgraded to the X-56 and track ir plus added some modules of favourite planes. It is a challenge to fly the hi fidelity planes and i know i am improving every time i (try to) take off. The plane guides have been invaluable!!! Thank you for them!!!
Just a word on headtracking... You can use Aruco paper markers with opentrack and it costs nothing but the ink it takes to print out a marker. In some ways I actually prefer it to using an IR device because it is aligned centrally above your face instead of off to one side. The only real downside is that it can be tricky to light your room in such a way as to get the best results. Oh and you might feel a bit stupid having a paper square attached to your head. (Wire coat hangers work really well for attaching by the way.)
I love that Matrix was a Tornado pilot...everything he says and does carries more weight, IMO. And I thank him for his service with the RAF (even though I'm in the US).
@@grimreaperssorry I’m spamming you but uh, mind doing a furry themed or furry scenario for one of your next videos? I am a furry myself and I wouldn’t mind. :3
Thanks so much for this. I am planning my upgrades to my 5 year old 1070 GPU set up and this has really helped. Like Cap, I am a massive aircraft geek (got hooked at Warbirds of Wanaka in NZ in 1988) and this sim is my nirvana. Thank you to all for sharing the stories at the end to encourage new pilots like myself, it can be very dicouraging getting shot down so much, crashing, not being able to get a radar fix on my first go, but it is a journey and all start in the same place. Watch out Grimreapers, the CrashingKiwi is coming for you! :)
Yesss!!! This was excellent, thank you Super Cap for thinking of this, and thank you to all the Grim Reapers who gave input. My current system I think would do it based off what I'm seeing from you guys here, but my problem is not money, but TIME!!! Haha!! I have two kids under five, and they are my sole focus at the moment. Seriously, the hour to two hours of free time I can carve out for myself right now for personal time is usually spent HERE watching the Grim Reapers!! I also try to spend some of that time keeping up with current affairs in this crazy ass world we're living in. As my littles start to get bigger, I'm going to carve out some more time to learn how to fly in DCS though; I am determined. This was a great video for anybody like me for the input on the accessories, and for the pros and cons of different options. I pretty much just need a tracker and a HOTAS and I've got what I need. I also appreciate Fly mentioning not to start in Steam. I haven't had much time for any PC gaming in the recent past, but when I did it was usually some variation of the Total War series via Steam, and I had downloaded DCS on there a little while back to put a pin in it but hadn't even opened it. I will make a note of all the knowledge passed on here, and when I feel like I'm ready, I'll be there on the Stoneburner server!! Until then, you can count on me being a valued viewington who contributes via Patreon every month because I freaking love the work that you do here, and I feel you need to be compensated for that, just like you guys said regarding some of the free mods that you pay for because you value the content that those folks put out!! Semper Fi Grim Reapers, you are motivating this old Jarhead to get off his ass and learn how to fly!!
Just to say i started watching in covid, i was a full on ps guy. I watched looked and decided to leave my trusty ps4 and save for the parts. Ive had my rig for just over a year, i have sat quietly learning my craft playing single player. I have supported GR in the little way i could. Ive just joined the discord and and the avenues this brings, they have training servers where you will see hear and fly with these guys. The wider GR DCS group are welcoming happy to help and i joined in my 1st donators mission last week. As they all said this is a journey definitely get FCS and pick a bird to fly learn it. Its like riding a bike you fall off, get back on it. If you want instant maverick rewards DCS is not for you. If you dont mind making mistakes and learning from them DCS will reward you. Its also worth saying being a stick jockey is not the only avenue to travel in DCS i have had many an evening pass only making a mission and watching AI fly it. Sorry for the ramble but i hope this helps from someone still very new to this.
After being thrilled by GR vids I upgraded my basic PC to download the recommended specs for DCS for around £1,200 2 years ago. I bought a simple gaming joystick from a junk shop for £2 with 3 buttons and a USB connector and started flying around-I already knew the basics-in that P51 that came with the download. As much as I loved tootling around in the mountains before spending any money I was determined to take the thing off and navigate to another airfield and land it. Properly, without undue fire, breakages and death. It took a few weeks but once I mastered it to a passable extent I invested in a used Saitek X52 HOTAS with lots of buttons, twisters and hats. I also bought FC3 in a sale for a snip. With Cap's IR tracker set up the HOTAS and F15/A10 were a delight, apart from occassional aforementioned fire, breakages and death on landing/TO or as the result of enemy action. I have bought several terrains and the F5 and Spitfire. My proudest moment being taking the Spit off, achieving altitude and correct trim without blowing the engine up (lesson hard learned) and sending a JU88 severely damaged, later confirmed destroyed, back over the Channel. And landing the thing, albeit with a few holes in it, on one of those hard to see WW2 grass airfields. The only bad bit was I wanted a wee and put the brakes on a bit too sharply whilst the Spit was still moving and dug a new potato field with the prop. I classify that as one of my better landings. DCS is as fun or as serious as you want it to be-likewise the cost. My seemingly massive 50 tb SSD is now too full to take the latest upgrade. Do I now invest even more in a 2tb+SSD just to get a free upgrade as a casual solo fun user? And explain it to the wife for me please!
Thank you so much guys....I've been hesitant to get into DCS because of being unsure what computer specs I needed as well as being wary of the costs. This podcast is gold.
Dark here. Just started in May. I watched Cap for years, It was always my problem. I was so glad that I jumped in when I did. This is data that I wished for when I got started.
@@yoho212 depends on what you want to do. if you are going track IR you should be fine. I know a few twitch streamers that using a gaming laptop. I actually started DCS with a partitioned 2018 MacBook Pro. VR is very GPU intensive since the game is not optimized for VR. but Track IR and flat panel gaming you can get a lot of performance still on lower spec computers.
I have a gaming laptop with i9, RTX3060 I run DCS Pancake all settings maxed... but if you intend on VR make sure your GPU has at least 10 to 12gb memory on gpu. If I knew what I know now I would have started with a desktop of the same specs and would have been able to upgrade the GPU to a RTX 3090 or 4080 or something that suited the budget.
I run an AMD 3600 with Nvidia 4600 and 16 gig to a 32 inch 1080p screen with a Thrustmaster stick and pedals, this works well, I shall check out some of the headtracking kit
the timing of this video is impeccable cap. i just spent the entire weekend looking at getting into DCS and what sort of software and modules to get. This is very helpful.
Great video guys! As a note, there are A LOT of other games the setups you've recommended would play very well. Some examples (note that VR / head tracking support will vary): - Mechwarrior series (though it should be noted MW5 can be a BEAR to make work with a HOTAS, and MWO is a bit of a different beast in the same regard, but it's also free to play) - MS Flight Sim, IL-2, and all the other flight sims - Flight in other types of games (I used my X-52 all the time in Battlefield - helicopters, jets, and since I go all the way back to BF2042, mechs and VTOL's as well) - Space sims (Elite Dangerous, Star Wars Squadrons and of course the older Star Wars flight sims, the list goes on and on) - Other vehicle simulators like Farming Simulator (don't knock it till you try it!) - though it depends on the implement / vehicle in question - If you opt to go for VR, VTOL VR is a blast Also a question and a note on the X-52 & X-56: - Does the X-56 suffer from the inevitable stick drift the X-52 had? As a former Saitek X52 owner (it's the same HOTAS - Saitek got bought by MadCatz who got bought by Logitech) I LOVED that setup but age kicked in after a year or so. It developed nasty stick drift which got worse and worse until you couldn't tune it out with dead zone adjustment anymore (I cleaned and revamped the X & Y pots multiple times - it'd last a week at most) - The note is about the drivers and how much of a pain they can be. I really hope this has been fixed but I don't know if it has. The X-52 drivers (still around today, and from what I understand the X-56 is internally very similar) will fight you if they don't install properly. This was the #1 problem mentioned in the negative reviews (why I mention it and why I didn't replace my X-52 with the X-56) The recommended suggestion is to remove ALL USB devices except your mouse & keyboard (hubs, headsets, web cams, controllers, etc. - EVERYTHING) and for initial setup, connect the stick directly to the PC (it can be moved to a hub after the drivers have been installed)
The what if or could X stop Y videos are what got me into DCS! Luckily I had everything needed except a head tracker yet somehow I've since then upgraded storage (1 TB SSD just for DCS) and to a VKB stecs and gladiator anyway! Next are rudder pedals and more RAM.
love your channel. and the boys. been watching,. yall got me into dcs. i have a 3060ti with ryzen 5800. and i run the game great. on very large serv4ers with lots of assets it does slow down a bit to about 40 fps. but i get average 100-130 fps on high settings with dlss
I have a 4080 fe, 5800x, 32 gigs ddr4, the t16000 hotas/throttle, and hp reverb g2. In my opinion this was the best preforming entry level system for vr flight sim.
This video was a huge help! I should have watched this first before I bought the Thrust master suite, but it turns out fine from what the boys are saying. Plenty of PC horsepower with some to spare. Can't wait to get started! Video Valued by Valued Viewer... Fly Army! 🚁
That was a great video thanks GR. I got into dcs a couple years ago and went the custom pc route after watching a ton of Cap’s vids. The only thing I’d add is after my TM hotas broke I decided to use the Xbox elite controller for a while, it’s actually really nice as I’m searching for my next joystick.
I strongly recommend NOT getting the T.16000M FCS. The throttle is a fine entry-level piece of kit, but the FCS has a well-known problem with the internal wires pulling on the yaw sensor, causing your aircraft to suddenly yaw to the left. It happened to me and many others. It might not happen to you, but why take the chance? *If* you can afford the upgrade, my recommendation is to get the VKB Gladiator NXT stick. A combo of the NXT stick & T.16000M throttle will cost ~$100-130 USD more than the T.16000M HOTAS package, but you'll have a combo that will last for years.
I got into it with nothing more than the minimum. Just a store bought stock H&P PC and a cheap assed stick/throttle with the twist stick rudder. I didn't even buy a module. I used the Frogfoot that came for free for months. But as you grow and get better, you have to make a decision. Bail out, or jump in with both feet. I was actually heavily into MSFS 2020 and that was when I made the choice to go DCS all the way. Flying a 747 from NY to London was not getting it done for me. If it's your thing, then stick with MSFS 2020 or X-Plane. But if you want that AND combat to get your blood flowing, there's no other choice. I won't bore you with all the upgrades I made. But with the gaming PC I had built just for DCS, all the modules I own and all the flight controllers bought, I have about $13k invested. That is NOT needed. It's just what I chose. Like the GR's, I have made this my main entertainment and it's no different than a golfer spending hundreds a week to play golf, or any other hobby that requires cash. And it's like everything else in this world: You get out of it what you put into it. The most resources DCS requires is time. Learning all the systems of real aircraft, learning the editor, mission creations...you will come to not only rely on the Grim Reapers, you will come to admire them. All of them. Cap being the front man and leader, but all have their contributions and together they are greater than the sum of their parts.
On thing I heard that you may be able to expand on is Wi-Fi vs Ethernet. My computer is not easy to get close enough to connect via Ethernet if Wi-Fi is no bueno that may be a deal breaker for me. Thanks
I started to play DCS on an IMac using bootcamp! It was super playable and very fun. That experience propelled me to buy my first PC. 5 years later - I have over 500 hrs in DCS.
I actually have been following Skils build from the video that cap did a while ago with the GR members. It has served me well and I feel like the money I have spent was worth it for the experience that I have in game.
For those just looking to start, don't forget about the 2 week trials, and the first purchase 50% discount on the DCS world site. You don't even need to wait for the seasonal sales.
My build,Ryzen 5600g rx6600,32gb ram .thrust master t 1600 ,no rudder pedals(Don't use twist function for rudder pedals) Use rocker on throttle.27inch 144mhz 1080 p.monitor.1tb mvne you need the storage .Head tracking .I went a unike route I bought a Dylan clip.attached to head set Use a twenty dollar amazon 1080p camera Face track Noir .I set exposure of camera to eight .It works great. The rx 6600 and Ryzen 5600g will run dcs with Multithreading at near max settings. At a frozen 60 fps with drops to 57. If you want to do vr Go bigger on PC build.
Brilliant concept and video. Well thought out and hugely appreciated! I'd (mostly for fun) like to see your "wishlist/money no object" version of this. I'd REALLY like to see a "how to learn to fly and/or combat-fly" version too. I'd thirdly like to beat any of you in a dogfight some day, but we can't have everything we wish for! 😇
VKB makes quality joysticks without breaking the bank. Delan clip works great. Flaming Cliffs 3 is a good intro package for newbies that will teach you the basics and give you some options.
I played with an xbox controller very well for over a year. Best modules to get are F18, F16, and Apache. Even with a lower end pc you can still have a great time with this. Once your hooked you slowly build your experience over time, generally dale by sale 😂
Thank you - all of you. All the ideas combined gave me encouragement and a formulating plan to fly as I always wanted to. It'll be while 'til my call sign is out there in the Sims. I tried VR flight once with full flight controls (in very likely DCS or a very similar combat sim) and felt as Cap might say, 'Oh, very sexy - so sexy.' Later days... check your six cone 'til then. 😎🤙 - B.Swift
I'm very very much looking forward to watching this. Cost is the main reason that I haven't attempted to get into this. Because it's not a game that can be played with a keyboard and a mouse. You would have so many different functions. It would be impossible to remember and map. And then to get components that would actually be quality enough to be worthwhile and tactile enough to be enjoyable. A cost just grows exponentially as you build the cockpit
And what is your definition of entry level? Like is it a computer that's going to take a minute and a half to load every module that I want to run and then run at a frame rate of 20 FPS or something silly? I'm not trying to be at dank. I legitimately and wondering what that baseline is. Because you never define it. You just say what you would make
@@michaelfrench3396 nah, any of these would be ludacris builds. It's like they're trying to scare people off or something. You can build a PC for a fraction of the price and have it be more than playable in DCS. I have a fraction of the specs and the game plays fine. I don't really check or concern myself with the exact FPS figures because it's not a factor. If it looks fine, which it does it is fine. 20FPS is basically "a little jittery but playable" Your eye can't really detect anything beyond 24FPS and anything past 60 is a total waste. Here's a more realistic setup. I can confirm this works fine with DCS because it's what I use. -Ryzen 5800x around $250 new, used around 150. -X570 Mobo, You could get a decent one for 75 bucks on eBay used. -EVGA RTX 2080 ti. Used on eBay, $175 -RAM, say 32gb, (I have 64) DDR4, around $50-70 and up depending on clock speed. That's brand new. $20-40 used. -PSU, 600-800W, 80-120. EVGA 800 Gold is like 80 bucks. (get new) -Storage, 1TB HDD (cheapest option) $50 brand new. (get new) -Case.. You can get a serviceable case for 50 bucks, or free if you find one on the side of the road. I can play any game with this GTA, DCS, I do Blender animations and rendering. GR is grossly overestimating what you need.
I would expect the system I showed to run 60fps at 1080p on single player assuming you the map wasn't too complex. I'm certainly not a hardware pro, but that's my guess.
@@grimreapersI got a Nivida 2090 with 32gb and last night on multi player I was running 90-100 fps at 1080hd I was impressed with it. It's my second day off training and the Su frogfoot is hell to fly on keyboard and mouse. I may not have a cellphone come next payday. But I will be flying. I have always wanted to be a pilot but the distance for pilot training is a long distance drive. So DCS it is.
Hello and again thank you for another great video, no boom boom but a different and informative type indeed. I'm a JAFO and have had limited PC gaming experience but have really enjoyed all of your videos. Please keep up the great work.
To be honestI am shocked the costs of entry are as low they are. I would have expected matrix level spending to be minimum, given the complexity of the game, the demanding processing, and the incredible labour involved in making the various vehicle modules. It's still out of my reach, but I never bothered looking into this before because I had assumed it was MUCH worse.
Exactly what I thought, but over time (2yrs) I realised that I could do it. Its the same as a car you can get one for £1000 or 50k but they basically do the same thing
Great video as always Cap. There is loads of DCS content on the 'Tube and IMHO, it's you and the boys, even Fly (and occasionally women) that take it to the next level. Watched hundreds of these (yes, even the tutorials), never skipped straight to boom boom Anyway, enough blowing smoke up your proverbial 😂. I live a few miles from RAF Leuchars so i get to see some awesome aircraft - p8s, C130s, Apaches, FGR4s, F15s and Ospreys have all flown over my house. When the QRF was moved here for Lossie runway upkeep, i had the terrifyingly awesome experience of the QRF taking off after Ivan...which got me thinking, how much damage mitigation could the RAF actually do should Ivan coduct a North Sea sortie and target Gareloch, Grangemouth, Rostyh etc...? I suspect RAF would not do very well but wonder if this is something you could Sim....
Cap. No bullshit, I'm learning as fast as I can. I'm being conservative, buying new gear when I see a need for it. I'm up to 3 27" curved screens, and a warthog TM hotas with F18 stick. Next will be head tracking... Thank you for all the advice and inspiration!
I fly a 50 dollar stick with one throttle wheel (Titanwulture), plus keyboard. Sure, there is no fidelity in this, and air refueling is impossible (but I bet even that's debateable), but everything else works just fine. Point is, it's normal to explore a hobby in small steps
1:43 I Disagree with the choice of a 5500 as a 5500 performs much worse for it's price due to the lower amount of L3 Cache compared to 5600 (which is about 20 dollars more) The 5500 performs more like a 3600 then a 5600. But for DCS i would of gotten something more like a 7600 or a 13600k. I would go instead for someone like a IBP or a Starforge Systems 8:35 SImba's System is good, but i question why opt for the 12700f system when the 13th gen one is cheaper and faster? Also that Case has little to no airflow which might restrict future upgrades or even thermal throttle? Also i Question the need for a 240hz monitor in a game like DCS. I would go instead for someone like a IBP or a Starforge Systems 13:50 Same as Simba 18:30 Oh thank you Bird for making a custom build. First of all I disagree with the choice of a 13600k i would of gone for a 7800x3d which is faster, or a 7600 to save money. Second of all i don't like that you have a 240mm AIO in there especially from NZXT. You can get Really high quality 360mm AIO's for 20-50 dollars less. Or you could save some money and opt for a something like a PA120 or a AK620. As they perform about the same and cost about 40-50 bucks. I also don't like the Choice of a 3060 as a the 6700xt is much faster and costs about the same amount. I would not go for a 27" 1080p as the PPI is a lot lower compared to 24" 1080p. I would opt for a Keychron C2/K2 Pro instead of that K60 but it doesn't really matter. Also i would really recommend spending more on a good headset 24:15 Fine for a prebulit but just saying... You could build something similar for 2k. You could also save about 500 bucks if you got from someone like a starforge systems or a IBP. 29:34 Probably the best you could reasonably do for a prebulit at that price range (But that just means prebulits at that price range suck.) Edit: I just realized i spent the most time on critquing birds build but i still like it the best.
Yea you make some pretty solid points about all of it , Just surprise you didn't mention caps 4060 choice and comparing his 3080 to it lol it made me chuckle
Very detailed report, and I agree with some of your points on my system but as we are trying to keep some costs down, I went with the i5 option over the 7800xd, but yes the 7600X is also a good option. Both either the i5 or 7600x offer the same “upgradeable” options that I stated I tried with my build but as we were told to make a “budget” build I went with what I knew and what PCPartpicker told me was cheapest at time of the task. Same with my rtx3060 choice as it was a “cheaper” card that offered great price to performance from my opinion. DLSS being added to DCS also helped me choose Nvidia over the AMD cards for now. Now wait for us to do a “no money budget” builds ;)
@@albird87Yes but with AM5 you can pick basically the cheapest board and it will be fine. There is 2 or 3 Motherboards that can't handle the 7950x (The CPU that draws the most power). The 7600 currently with a board combo is about 100 bucks less then the 13600k and board. The 7800x3d is around 50 dollars more but it is a faster chip. Also AM5 has a upgrade path with new cpus coming down the line which is something LGA1700 doesn't have. DLSS is a good point, i actually didn't know that DCS has DLSS Support, but you only have a 1080p monitor in your list and DLSS is kinda effy below 1440p.
Great video Cap no I have acute temptation to move away from being just a VV and take the leap into the game 🤔. What maybe a good idea is to give people an intro into how to access servers for complete noobs. Still think Matrix should do the shipping forecast though 😂.
the story changes when running DCS in VR. The Quest3 puts my 4090 to it's knees when cranking up the settings, but damn the image quality is insane. A message to Matrix: you can look/ask for usb-C add-on cards (or motherboards) that have 60W Power Delivery so the quest stays charged (usually)
Can't thank the GR crew enough for this vid! I'm curious though, since these are the starting points, what are the guys currently using now? And for a beginner who prefers not to slowly upgrade their sticks/HOTAS (used market here not much cheaper than new) but just wants to get a good medium-range one and use it for the whole DCS/flight sim journey, what would the guys recommend? Been finding out more about VKB Gladiator stick and their new STECS throttle systems, as well as the Winwing Orion 2 HOTAS MAX. Both brands don't have an agent in my country so if I want, I'll have to buy them online and pay import taxes myself. The VKB would cost me around USD560 (w/taxes) while the Winwing direct from them would be around USD640 (w/taxes). Would you guys advice I jump straight to either of these? Too complex for a beginner? By the way, is force feedback a thing for flight sims? I'm coming from a racing sim background so FFB does help with the driving.
RE the monitors: Do IPS monitors give better fine resolution for DCS-type sims? (I use them in my dental practice, as I see fine differentiations better, *especially B&W* ... I don't know if this carries over to seeing tiny/distant objects. RE CPUs Is there any benefit in investing in 8+multithread CPUs? RE I got no Q's about the 3D and/or VR content... don't know enough to ask questions (I haven't dabbled in display/UI/GUI stuff since about 87/88 when I spec'd/built a ASL-UI (using the JPL DataGlove ) for the IC Layout software design group I was attached to at Mentor Graphics.) Is there going to be a Win 11 requirement soon for DCS? I have a Win10 near-server I will be 'retiring' from my clinic, and it has a ton of horsepower and memory, but it doesn't have the Win 11 hardware.
ohh man I wanted this video and I didn't even know it... Thank you! This might just be the nudge I needed to start up, I already have all the hardware, just need to unbox and setup.. Not gonna lie, daunting task starting up, been puting it off for a year at least. Been content watching GR videos, but I feel like an armchair QB now, I've watched Cap and SImba fly hundreds, nay thousands of DCS hours, I should be a great pilot if I just do what they do.. Easy peasy lemon squeasy!
If you have all the parts, you've watched all the various how too videos.....4-5hrs with Windows installed. That's what mine took on my 1st build. Good luck just remember one component at a time
The Thrustmaster 16000M is for me not very comfortable to use in DCS, as a rudder (twist-stick). I don’t know why but it is not so accurate for to control the rudder (it is jumping and it will not keep the position). Does anyone knows why this is happening? It is a brand new flight stick😕
its not a deal breaker if your WIFI is strong. but it can tend to introduce lag and latency issues on Multi player servers but it is not necessarily a deal breaker.
@@grimreapers thanks for the reply and honesty. I probably wouldn’t look to join a serious team until I was half way decent practicing on my own. At that point I could figure out a workable solution. For now probably doing a lot of getting a feel for the game.
Yea i mean its not super mandatory to have but it can really depend on your wifi and internet setup. Newer wifi protocols can get you some pretty good speeds if your router and PC can utilize them but it can get a bit complicated because a lot of it can depend on your own specific situation. Compared to having to troubleshoot wifi issues or dealing with wifi traffic since everything even your damn spatula has wifi these days, Just plugging into ethernet really can make things much easier and work better. But most use cases it shouldn't matter that much at all .
I bought a Quest 3 and upgraded my old 2016 gaming pc built with a rtx4070ti, 65GB of DDR4 ram and also had to buy a new router to use wireless PCVR, I also went on the the 7kg full metal thrustmaster warthog Hostas, that last was a bit overkill, but after feeling the immersion coming from sim racing in VR adding another dimension and getting airborne by getting back into flight sims was the logical evolution, VR gaming especially sims is so good thats my priority now, if cant play in VR then meh, for WWii go play IL2, dont bother with DCS, unless, they have more wwii content it catn compete, as far as I know it doesnt even have Stukas yet c'mon man, that's like having no Messerschmitt's
Odd video idea: noob in good plane vs good pilot in older/worse plane. Time spent training is a big difference between western and Russian pilots and a big part of airforces' budgets, and it would be interesting to see how valuable an investment in training is vs an investment in better equipment. You might be able to recruit from your training server you've mentioned.
So , one question: if you have a head tracker and one monitor , once you turn your head , you're not pointing at the monitor anymore..how do you " see the monitor , when you are " looking behind you"?
And why does everybody keep saying you know you don't need this to start DCS but if you actually want a dog fight or play the game I would probably get it. Will that means you probably needed? If you want to play DCS then right? Because most people want to play DCS to fight in the air with other aircraft aka dog fighting.
Been watching the channel for a while. Good stuff. Wanted to try this the other month and downloaded the game. But the cockpit interior didn't look great in the two free aircraft. Is that normal? Do the paid aircraft simply look better? I could hardly read the text on the dials etc, even with the graphics turned up.
I paid £1.50 for a PS3 cam and £10 for an iR clip which is the same as the Delan clip, also the 5500 is a bit of a dog and an overclocked 5600 would do wonders. I have a GTX1080 which runs the game at 1440p almost maxed out without any sort of scaling so here's more budget options.
Id almost prefer twist stick to rudders, especially the t16000 rudders, but my twist stick has a horrid dead zone so I must use the rudders. 3060. 1080 High settings, no issues, i most often play single player missions i put together myself. My processor could be older than some players. i-6700. Still no major issues running DCS.
um that gets dicy. the thumb sticks might make it doable if you bind those but then you could just use an xbox controller. the problem with VR hand tracking is you don't get feed back like you do witth a physical stick and throttle. im sure there is someone out there that does it with the vr hands on the stick but that is a skill I do not have and I can see that being a frustrating way to learn lol.
Tried it for 2 minutes. Nowhere near enough finesse for flight control or activating virtual 3D controls in the cockpit. A good HOTAS is the way to go.
My biggest problem I'm running into, and I'm constantly fighting with it and still haven't got it how I want it is setting up my flight controls😢 I'm a donator and I've commented before, on the Discord server, about this but I really never gotten an answer, on I guess help if there's a system that can be downloaded that assigns all the keys and buttons and everything. But yeah that's been my limiting factor in being able to play DCS at a playable level where I can join in on donator missions and such😢 Hopefully I can get it figured out. I'm basically retired, and have plenty of time so that's my goal is to have that figured out so I can actually start really playing to win by Summer. Oh yeah and I've got to figure out the voice headset system and how to talk and it may be my headset I may need to get a new one I don't know
Love you guys! I'd love to see a reference for how to get started with VR! I have a good PC and a Headset (and a shitty joystick), but the biggest barrier to me is figuring out keybindings and how to balance the heavy keyboard reliance for a game like this. Do your guys use passthrough software? Just learn the keys? Is looking+clicking legit? Might just be me, but that's my biggest barrier right now.
Voice attack is a low cost voice command software, you bind commands to keys, you say landing gear down and your landing gear goes down etc. The voice attack software is totally generic, you need to script the required commands yourself or better is search online for others who have posted their scripts for you to use. I am yet to pull the trigger on starting DCS but have used it for Elite Dangerous and it was good with VR.
i really want to get into DCS the only issue is that i only have a laptop and me and my family dont really have a lot of money at all so im going to begin my journey of saving up for all of this money by painting miniatures for a friend thank you for all the inspiration
I keep meaning to download it and try it. Got the computer and middle child has a oculus VR headset. Would need the controls but bike(s) take up my spare cash :(
VR will really stretch the budget but worth it if you can. Discord groups are an invaluable source of free knowledge, you dont need to talk some have chat groups set up for things like VR etc.
Try being in Australia, it's $130 AUD just for the Tomcat, F18 or F16. Getting into WWII would cost... Just over $630 AUD for all Fighter planes at $90 each, Channel map is $65, WWII assets pack is $45 and Normandy 2.0 is $70 plus all the campaigns being over $20-$30 each.
I've not built a pc yet, but was wondering if there's a pro/con to running a larger (tv) screen with 120hz considering the ir tracker etc, would this be more beneficial or a negative idea? Thinking of running the modern amd stuff with a 16gb 4060ti to be able to run 2k comfortably.
i am no expert but you may run into response time issues, gaming monitor have fast times but TVs? The issue may be that the TV picture is lagging behind the game so where you see on TV is slightly behind in time the actual game so that perfect shoot line up on screen happened a few milliseconds ago. Or I could be totally wrong and TVs are fast enough- internet should tell you now you know what to look for.
not sure if they still do it but you could trial most of the aircraft for a week for free and then 6 months later try it again for a week for free and this was a week for each aircraft so fly one aircraft for a week, then fly another aircraft for a week and so on. then maybe if you found an aircraft you really like you can go out and buy it. is this still a thing?
In my opinion, the biggest waste is your HOTOS. The so-called mid range is so much worse than something like an Orion 2 it completely changes the experience. I was about 3 months in and ready to give it up. Then I got the opportunity to try the Winwing F16 controls and instantly realized just how bad my X56 was.
I did consider adding the Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS to my spec as a good HOTAS makes a huge difference to DCS, particularly in VR. However, the X-56 is a decent entry level, though I suspect an upgrade would not be long coming.
I have a nice rig and really liked flight games in the past so based on watching your video's I thought it would be fun to "Jump" back in to flight games, so I bought an Oculus, TM1600 and a several DCS planes and quickly realized I was woefully out of my depth and after several months of fighting the VR and trying to locate buttons in the various planes I have boxed up the Oculus and TM1600 and am thinking about selling them. I think I had set my exception a little high, so the question now is should I just go and get a "TrackIr 5 Optical Head USB Tracking System Bundle + Track Clip PRO" set or just move on? Thoughts and suggestions?
Hahha yea his comparison against the price of his 3080 and insinuating the 4060 is better made me chuckle, not sure he's as super tech savvy component wise. Not sure if he realizes his 3080 is still like 50% or so faster or more powerful, not quite sure how any hardware stuff in 4060 would matter but yea. But I'm sure it would be more than functional enough just not sure on the value proposition of 4060 at least at this time
Gotta call you out on this one, gentlemen. This isn't good and You're scaring people off with these prices unduly, as a poor myself, I had to get creative to play DCS. Here's a more realistic setup. I can confirm this works fine with DCS because it's what I use. -Ryzen 5800x around $250 new, used around 150. -X570 Mobo, You could get a decent one for 75 bucks on eBay used. -EVGA RTX 2080 ti. Used on eBay, $175 -RAM, say 32gb, (I have 64) DDR4, around $50-70 and up depending on clock speed. That's brand new. $20-40 used. -PSU, 600-800W, 80-120. EVGA 800 Gold is like 80 bucks. (get new) -Storage, 1TB HDD (cheapest option) $50 brand new. (get new) -Case.. You can get a serviceable case for 50 bucks, or free if you find one on the side of the road. Assuming ALL new parts, (which is dumb. Used parts are often the way to go) we're still WELL under a grand. I bought an entire PC with these specs (sort of) on eBay recently for 380 dollars shipped. It had a 1080 Founders Edition and less RAM, but I already had the upgrade GPU and RAM laying around so I installed them and basically built a DCS-capable PC for around 300 dollars. (it's a render node for my animation work, but it COULD play DCS) I sold the parts I swapped back on eBay and recouped about 120 bucks as well. You can start for WAY less and have a great time doing it. The game is very much playable with these specs. Even on Syria it runs fine.. Mostly. It does seem to have to "warm up" a bit. First mission loads slow, second is fast. That might just be normal though. If you're an FPS snob, you might get irritated but if the raw stats don't bother you, you wont notice care. I use an old Rift CV1 VR headset instead of head tracking. Got it used on eBay, about 90 bucks + 20 for a replacement face cushion off Amazon (It was probably clean enough.. Just.. ehhhh..) Also found a few other games I like playing on that after the fact, and it turned out to be a useful tool in 3D modeling and animation so win-win. Thrustmaster "Full kit" is what you should have recommended for noobs. It's not great, but it has stick, throttle, and pedals and is fine for starting out and can be found fairly cheap, used on eBay as well. Hell, I still use the pedals. They're drywall screwed to my floor, lol. Now, if you're a TH-camr recording.. Yeah, go a little more. If not, which is the vast majority of us. These specs are overkill.
Bro no way are you getting a 2080 ti for 175$ that's like the non working for parts price range 300$ is much more realistic for the price of a used card Tell me would you sell your 2080 ti to me right now for 175$? Cause if so then hit me up lol and no way your getting a decent x570 Mobo for 75$ thats like the parts price for boards maybe like 100$ but your stretching the definition of decent And why would you buy a hard drive these days when 1tb Nvmes are 40-60 bucks Any modern computer these days should be at minimum running the system off an NVME SSD or your starting off knecapping yourself while wont argue about your other points cause i agree you can get into things for cheap quoting a like 500-600 dollar system as 300 is kinda misleading and your price range is a tad off especially already having one of the most expensive parts the GPU.
As someone who has been in DCS for a few months, I followed your advise via GR videos and have been flying FC3 :). Im wanting to get into multiplayer and on GR discord but would like so help stops, info if possible??
As long as the multiplayer server is just using core game and no mods, you don’t need them. Just as long as the server is a map and aircraft that you own, have fun!
Interesting no one mentioned smooth track. If you have a smart phone and 10 bucks you are pretty much set aside from downloading open track. That’s where I started with DCS.
You and the great videos are what got me into DCS. I got a refurb business computer from 2012 with a 1050ti graphics card that cost under £200, plus i had an old Sidewinder 2 joystick as well as CH Pro yoke and pedals from flying MSFS from the 90's to the early 2010's.
All are correct in that this is a simulator and requires time to master. FC3 is great where you can jump into a F15 and start dog fighting or the Frogfoot and start destroying ground targets. This helps to learn the basics of DCS like waypoints and missile avoidance. This is really fun.
I have since upgraded to the X-56 and track ir plus added some modules of favourite planes. It is a challenge to fly the hi fidelity planes and i know i am improving every time i (try to) take off. The plane guides have been invaluable!!! Thank you for them!!!
Thank you for this .I have really wanted to try this sometime soon....
This is very addicting to watch..great content my friend..
Just a word on headtracking... You can use Aruco paper markers with opentrack and it costs nothing but the ink it takes to print out a marker.
In some ways I actually prefer it to using an IR device because it is aligned centrally above your face instead of off to one side. The only real downside is that it can be tricky to light your room in such a way as to get the best results. Oh and you might feel a bit stupid having a paper square attached to your head. (Wire coat hangers work really well for attaching by the way.)
Thank you guys. This was EXTREMELY helpful. Looking at your builds, as a computer engineer (ret. USAF), all suggestions were spot-on.
I love that Matrix was a Tornado pilot...everything he says and does carries more weight, IMO. And I thank him for his service with the RAF (even though I'm in the US).
He was a Jaguar pilot. Ali and Chris were Tornado F.3 and GR1 pilots.
Yes but matrix saying "Oh bollox" is somewhat regal
@@grimreapers ah, very cool.
@@grimreaperssorry I’m spamming you but uh, mind doing a furry themed or furry scenario for one of your next videos? I am a furry myself and I wouldn’t mind. :3
@@iamarizonaball2642absolutely not.
Thanks so much for this. I am planning my upgrades to my 5 year old 1070 GPU set up and this has really helped. Like Cap, I am a massive aircraft geek (got hooked at Warbirds of Wanaka in NZ in 1988) and this sim is my nirvana. Thank you to all for sharing the stories at the end to encourage new pilots like myself, it can be very dicouraging getting shot down so much, crashing, not being able to get a radar fix on my first go, but it is a journey and all start in the same place. Watch out Grimreapers, the CrashingKiwi is coming for you! :)
Yesss!!! This was excellent, thank you Super Cap for thinking of this, and thank you to all the Grim Reapers who gave input. My current system I think would do it based off what I'm seeing from you guys here, but my problem is not money, but TIME!!! Haha!! I have two kids under five, and they are my sole focus at the moment. Seriously, the hour to two hours of free time I can carve out for myself right now for personal time is usually spent HERE watching the Grim Reapers!! I also try to spend some of that time keeping up with current affairs in this crazy ass world we're living in. As my littles start to get bigger, I'm going to carve out some more time to learn how to fly in DCS though; I am determined. This was a great video for anybody like me for the input on the accessories, and for the pros and cons of different options. I pretty much just need a tracker and a HOTAS and I've got what I need. I also appreciate Fly mentioning not to start in Steam. I haven't had much time for any PC gaming in the recent past, but when I did it was usually some variation of the Total War series via Steam, and I had downloaded DCS on there a little while back to put a pin in it but hadn't even opened it. I will make a note of all the knowledge passed on here, and when I feel like I'm ready, I'll be there on the Stoneburner server!! Until then, you can count on me being a valued viewington who contributes via Patreon every month because I freaking love the work that you do here, and I feel you need to be compensated for that, just like you guys said regarding some of the free mods that you pay for because you value the content that those folks put out!! Semper Fi Grim Reapers, you are motivating this old Jarhead to get off his ass and learn how to fly!!
Just to say i started watching in covid, i was a full on ps guy. I watched looked and decided to leave my trusty ps4 and save for the parts. Ive had my rig for just over a year, i have sat quietly learning my craft playing single player. I have supported GR in the little way i could. Ive just joined the discord and and the avenues this brings, they have training servers where you will see hear and fly with these guys. The wider GR DCS group are welcoming happy to help and i joined in my 1st donators mission last week. As they all said this is a journey definitely get FCS and pick a bird to fly learn it. Its like riding a bike you fall off, get back on it. If you want instant maverick rewards DCS is not for you. If you dont mind making mistakes and learning from them DCS will reward you. Its also worth saying being a stick jockey is not the only avenue to travel in DCS i have had many an evening pass only making a mission and watching AI fly it. Sorry for the ramble but i hope this helps from someone still very new to this.
pc master race
I have been thinking about getting into dcs and you guys have given me good info on how I can do it. I appreciate it.
After being thrilled by GR vids I upgraded my basic PC to download the recommended specs for DCS for around £1,200 2 years ago. I bought a simple gaming joystick from a junk shop for £2 with 3 buttons and a USB connector and started flying around-I already knew the basics-in that P51 that came with the download. As much as I loved tootling around in the mountains before spending any money I was determined to take the thing off and navigate to another airfield and land it. Properly, without undue fire, breakages and death. It took a few weeks but once I mastered it to a passable extent I invested in a used Saitek X52 HOTAS with lots of buttons, twisters and hats. I also bought FC3 in a sale for a snip. With Cap's IR tracker set up the HOTAS and F15/A10 were a delight, apart from occassional aforementioned fire, breakages and death on landing/TO or as the result of enemy action. I have bought several terrains and the F5 and Spitfire. My proudest moment being taking the Spit off, achieving altitude and correct trim without blowing the engine up (lesson hard learned) and sending a JU88 severely damaged, later confirmed destroyed, back over the Channel. And landing the thing, albeit with a few holes in it, on one of those hard to see WW2 grass airfields. The only bad bit was I wanted a wee and put the brakes on a bit too sharply whilst the Spit was still moving and dug a new potato field with the prop. I classify that as one of my better landings. DCS is as fun or as serious as you want it to be-likewise the cost. My seemingly massive 50 tb SSD is now too full to take the latest upgrade. Do I now invest even more in a 2tb+SSD just to get a free upgrade as a casual solo fun user? And explain it to the wife for me please!
Thank you so much guys....I've been hesitant to get into DCS because of being unsure what computer specs I needed as well as being wary of the costs. This podcast is gold.
Dark here. Just started in May. I watched Cap for years, It was always my problem. I was so glad that I jumped in when I did. This is data that I wished for when I got started.
Agreed. How would you feel about a gaming laptop instead of a desktop? There seems to be some real good 17" gaming laptops out there.
@@yoho212 depends on what you want to do. if you are going track IR you should be fine. I know a few twitch streamers that using a gaming laptop. I actually started DCS with a partitioned 2018 MacBook Pro. VR is very GPU intensive since the game is not optimized for VR. but Track IR and flat panel gaming you can get a lot of performance still on lower spec computers.
I have a gaming laptop with i9, RTX3060
I run DCS Pancake all settings maxed... but if you intend on VR make sure your GPU has at least 10 to 12gb memory on gpu. If I knew what I know now I would have started with a desktop of the same specs and would have been able to upgrade the GPU to a RTX 3090 or 4080 or something that suited the budget.
thanks for the info!
This is very helpful, DCS is an expensive game, and I am on a pension, so funds are not limitless, buying modules in sales helps a lot.
I run an AMD 3600 with Nvidia 4600 and 16 gig to a 32 inch 1080p screen with a Thrustmaster stick and pedals, this works well, I shall check out some of the headtracking kit
Ps3 eye cam (a few quid 2nd hand) open track and ai track both free that will get you going.
no it's not. you are just ignorant.
DCS is free and comes with two modules
@@Wilko601st Or even a Logitech C270 HD Webcam
the timing of this video is impeccable cap. i just spent the entire weekend looking at getting into DCS and what sort of software and modules to get. This is very helpful.
Great video guys! As a note, there are A LOT of other games the setups you've recommended would play very well. Some examples (note that VR / head tracking support will vary):
- Mechwarrior series (though it should be noted MW5 can be a BEAR to make work with a HOTAS, and MWO is a bit of a different beast in the same regard, but it's also free to play)
- MS Flight Sim, IL-2, and all the other flight sims
- Flight in other types of games (I used my X-52 all the time in Battlefield - helicopters, jets, and since I go all the way back to BF2042, mechs and VTOL's as well)
- Space sims (Elite Dangerous, Star Wars Squadrons and of course the older Star Wars flight sims, the list goes on and on)
- Other vehicle simulators like Farming Simulator (don't knock it till you try it!) - though it depends on the implement / vehicle in question
- If you opt to go for VR, VTOL VR is a blast
Also a question and a note on the X-52 & X-56:
- Does the X-56 suffer from the inevitable stick drift the X-52 had? As a former Saitek X52 owner (it's the same HOTAS - Saitek got bought by MadCatz who got bought by Logitech) I LOVED that setup but age kicked in after a year or so. It developed nasty stick drift which got worse and worse until you couldn't tune it out with dead zone adjustment anymore (I cleaned and revamped the X & Y pots multiple times - it'd last a week at most)
- The note is about the drivers and how much of a pain they can be. I really hope this has been fixed but I don't know if it has. The X-52 drivers (still around today, and from what I understand the X-56 is internally very similar) will fight you if they don't install properly. This was the #1 problem mentioned in the negative reviews (why I mention it and why I didn't replace my X-52 with the X-56) The recommended suggestion is to remove ALL USB devices except your mouse & keyboard (hubs, headsets, web cams, controllers, etc. - EVERYTHING) and for initial setup, connect the stick directly to the PC (it can be moved to a hub after the drivers have been installed)
Well done folks! Thank you
Very useful. Thanks for putting this together Cap and the entire GR Team.
Thank you gentlemen, I will be watching this video again when I get a new PC! 😊
@Cap thank you for these videos, it help those of us who are on a very limited income.
The what if or could X stop Y videos are what got me into DCS! Luckily I had everything needed except a head tracker yet somehow I've since then upgraded storage (1 TB SSD just for DCS) and to a VKB stecs and gladiator anyway! Next are rudder pedals and more RAM.
love your channel. and the boys. been watching,. yall got me into dcs. i have a 3060ti with ryzen 5800. and i run the game great. on very large serv4ers with lots of assets it does slow down a bit to about 40 fps. but i get average 100-130 fps on high settings with dlss
I have a 4080 fe, 5800x, 32 gigs ddr4, the t16000 hotas/throttle, and hp reverb g2. In my opinion this was the best preforming entry level system for vr flight sim.
Very helpful and right on time.
I was looking/spying to all the settings where the DCS you tube video's makers were playing on :)
There are a few GR rig videos and 100's of other users on YT
What do you mean with GR rig video?@@Wilko601st
This video was a huge help! I should have watched this first before I bought the Thrust master suite, but it turns out fine from what the boys are saying. Plenty of PC horsepower with some to spare. Can't wait to get started! Video Valued by Valued Viewer... Fly Army! 🚁
That was a great video thanks GR. I got into dcs a couple years ago and went the custom pc route after watching a ton of Cap’s vids. The only thing I’d add is after my TM hotas broke I decided to use the Xbox elite controller for a while, it’s actually really nice as I’m searching for my next joystick.
I strongly recommend NOT getting the T.16000M FCS. The throttle is a fine entry-level piece of kit, but the FCS has a well-known problem with the internal wires pulling on the yaw sensor, causing your aircraft to suddenly yaw to the left. It happened to me and many others. It might not happen to you, but why take the chance? *If* you can afford the upgrade, my recommendation is to get the VKB Gladiator NXT stick. A combo of the NXT stick & T.16000M throttle will cost ~$100-130 USD more than the T.16000M HOTAS package, but you'll have a combo that will last for years.
Thanks, noted.
Plus everything VKB is modular so you can connect them to other modules to customize your setup later on. Also their stecs throttle is amazing.
@@TheLoneLlama In Australia, the premium Gladiator is $325, stecs is $420-$530...
I got into it with nothing more than the minimum. Just a store bought stock H&P PC and a cheap assed stick/throttle with the twist stick rudder. I didn't even buy a module. I used the Frogfoot that came for free for months. But as you grow and get better, you have to make a decision. Bail out, or jump in with both feet. I was actually heavily into MSFS 2020 and that was when I made the choice to go DCS all the way. Flying a 747 from NY to London was not getting it done for me. If it's your thing, then stick with MSFS 2020 or X-Plane. But if you want that AND combat to get your blood flowing, there's no other choice. I won't bore you with all the upgrades I made. But with the gaming PC I had built just for DCS, all the modules I own and all the flight controllers bought, I have about $13k invested. That is NOT needed. It's just what I chose. Like the GR's, I have made this my main entertainment and it's no different than a golfer spending hundreds a week to play golf, or any other hobby that requires cash. And it's like everything else in this world: You get out of it what you put into it. The most resources DCS requires is time. Learning all the systems of real aircraft, learning the editor, mission creations...you will come to not only rely on the Grim Reapers, you will come to admire them. All of them. Cap being the front man and leader, but all have their contributions and together they are greater than the sum of their parts.
Great breakdowns of the cost and effort; thanks, guys!
Thanks! Simple question no one brought up. Is it important to have a dedicated computer or can we use this capable machine for general purposes too?
Excellent video. I have always wanted to dive into this but was a bit intimidated by everything involved this made me reconsider it. Thanks
On thing I heard that you may be able to expand on is Wi-Fi vs Ethernet. My computer is not easy to get close enough to connect via Ethernet if Wi-Fi is no bueno that may be a deal breaker for me. Thanks
I started to play DCS on an IMac using bootcamp! It was super playable and very fun. That experience propelled me to buy my first PC. 5 years later - I have over 500 hrs in DCS.
I do enjoy these meta video ! Building a rig right now.
I actually have been following Skils build from the video that cap did a while ago with the GR members. It has served me well and I feel like the money I have spent was worth it for the experience that I have in game.
Thanks for this guys. Much appreciated. maybe this Spring will see me take the plunge.
For those just looking to start, don't forget about the 2 week trials, and the first purchase 50% discount on the DCS world site. You don't even need to wait for the seasonal sales.
My build,Ryzen 5600g rx6600,32gb ram .thrust master t 1600 ,no rudder pedals(Don't use twist function for rudder pedals) Use rocker on throttle.27inch 144mhz 1080 p.monitor.1tb mvne you need the storage .Head tracking .I went a unike route I bought a Dylan clip.attached to head set Use a twenty dollar amazon 1080p camera Face track Noir .I set exposure of camera to eight .It works great. The rx 6600 and Ryzen 5600g will run dcs with Multithreading at near max settings. At a frozen 60 fps with drops to 57. If you want to do vr Go bigger on PC build.
I'm right up there with Cannonballs setup without the controllers. Except I'm running a 2090.
Great video thanks everyone, I'm just getting started in this world and mid build of a system very like Bird's recommendation. Great content.
Brilliant concept and video. Well thought out and hugely appreciated! I'd (mostly for fun) like to see your "wishlist/money no object" version of this. I'd REALLY like to see a "how to learn to fly and/or combat-fly" version too. I'd thirdly like to beat any of you in a dogfight some day, but we can't have everything we wish for! 😇
VKB makes quality joysticks without breaking the bank. Delan clip works great. Flaming Cliffs 3 is a good intro package for newbies that will teach you the basics and give you some options.
VKB is incredibly solid
Yes but luckily or unluckily every time the bank of dcs could say yes....there out of stock 😂
really great info,it helps a bunch to know what you might need to get started.
I played with an xbox controller very well for over a year. Best modules to get are F18, F16, and Apache. Even with a lower end pc you can still have a great time with this. Once your hooked you slowly build your experience over time, generally dale by sale 😂
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this guide!
18:55 I would go for AM5 with a R5 7600, for the better upgrade path. You don't need to buy a cooler at all there
Thank you - all of you. All the ideas combined gave me encouragement and a formulating plan to fly as I always wanted to. It'll be while 'til my call sign is out there in the Sims. I tried VR flight once with full flight controls (in very likely DCS or a very similar combat sim) and felt as Cap might say, 'Oh, very sexy - so sexy.'
Later days... check your six cone 'til then.
😎🤙 - B.Swift
I'm very very much looking forward to watching this. Cost is the main reason that I haven't attempted to get into this. Because it's not a game that can be played with a keyboard and a mouse. You would have so many different functions. It would be impossible to remember and map. And then to get components that would actually be quality enough to be worthwhile and tactile enough to be enjoyable. A cost just grows exponentially as you build the cockpit
And what is your definition of entry level? Like is it a computer that's going to take a minute and a half to load every module that I want to run and then run at a frame rate of 20 FPS or something silly? I'm not trying to be at dank. I legitimately and wondering what that baseline is. Because you never define it. You just say what you would make
@@michaelfrench3396 nah, any of these would be ludacris builds. It's like they're trying to scare people off or something.
You can build a PC for a fraction of the price and have it be more than playable in DCS. I have a fraction of the specs and the game plays fine. I don't really check or concern myself with the exact FPS figures because it's not a factor. If it looks fine, which it does it is fine.
20FPS is basically "a little jittery but playable"
Your eye can't really detect anything beyond 24FPS and anything past 60 is a total waste.
Here's a more realistic setup. I can confirm this works fine with DCS because it's what I use.
-Ryzen 5800x around $250 new, used around 150.
-X570 Mobo, You could get a decent one for 75 bucks on eBay used.
-EVGA RTX 2080 ti. Used on eBay, $175
-RAM, say 32gb, (I have 64) DDR4, around $50-70 and up depending on clock speed. That's brand new. $20-40 used.
-PSU, 600-800W, 80-120. EVGA 800 Gold is like 80 bucks. (get new)
-Storage, 1TB HDD (cheapest option) $50 brand new. (get new)
-Case.. You can get a serviceable case for 50 bucks, or free if you find one on the side of the road.
I can play any game with this GTA, DCS, I do Blender animations and rendering. GR is grossly overestimating what you need.
I would expect the system I showed to run 60fps at 1080p on single player assuming you the map wasn't too complex. I'm certainly not a hardware pro, but that's my guess.
@@grimreapersI got a Nivida 2090 with 32gb and last night on multi player I was running 90-100 fps at 1080hd I was impressed with it. It's my second day off training and the Su frogfoot is hell to fly on keyboard and mouse. I may not have a cellphone come next payday. But I will be flying. I have always wanted to be a pilot but the distance for pilot training is a long distance drive. So DCS it is.
Hello and again thank you for another great video, no boom boom but a different and informative type indeed. I'm a JAFO and have had limited PC gaming experience but have really enjoyed all of your videos. Please keep up the great work.
To be honestI am shocked the costs of entry are as low they are. I would have expected matrix level spending to be minimum, given the complexity of the game, the demanding processing, and the incredible labour involved in making the various vehicle modules.
It's still out of my reach, but I never bothered looking into this before because I had assumed it was MUCH worse.
Exactly what I thought, but over time (2yrs) I realised that I could do it. Its the same as a car you can get one for £1000 or 50k but they basically do the same thing
Great video as always Cap. There is loads of DCS content on the 'Tube and IMHO, it's you and the boys, even Fly (and occasionally women) that take it to the next level. Watched hundreds of these (yes, even the tutorials), never skipped straight to boom boom
Anyway, enough blowing smoke up your proverbial 😂.
I live a few miles from RAF Leuchars so i get to see some awesome aircraft - p8s, C130s, Apaches, FGR4s, F15s and Ospreys have all flown over my house.
When the QRF was moved here for Lossie runway upkeep, i had the terrifyingly awesome experience of the QRF taking off after Ivan...which got me thinking, how much damage mitigation could the RAF actually do should Ivan coduct a North Sea sortie and target Gareloch, Grangemouth, Rostyh etc...?
I suspect RAF would not do very well but wonder if this is something you could Sim....
Cap. No bullshit, I'm learning as fast as I can. I'm being conservative, buying new gear when I see a need for it. I'm up to 3 27" curved screens, and a warthog TM hotas with F18 stick. Next will be head tracking...
Thank you for all the advice and inspiration!
I fly a 50 dollar stick with one throttle wheel (Titanwulture), plus keyboard. Sure, there is no fidelity in this, and air refueling is impossible (but I bet even that's debateable), but everything else works just fine. Point is, it's normal to explore a hobby in small steps
1:43 I Disagree with the choice of a 5500 as a 5500 performs much worse for it's price due to the lower amount of L3 Cache compared to 5600 (which is about 20 dollars more) The 5500 performs more like a 3600 then a 5600. But for DCS i would of gotten something more like a 7600 or a 13600k. I would go instead for someone like a IBP or a Starforge Systems
8:35 SImba's System is good, but i question why opt for the 12700f system when the 13th gen one is cheaper and faster? Also that Case has little to no airflow which might restrict future upgrades or even thermal throttle? Also i Question the need for a 240hz monitor in a game like DCS. I would go instead for someone like a IBP or a Starforge Systems
13:50 Same as Simba
18:30 Oh thank you Bird for making a custom build. First of all I disagree with the choice of a 13600k i would of gone for a 7800x3d which is faster, or a 7600 to save money. Second of all i don't like that you have a 240mm AIO in there especially from NZXT. You can get Really high quality 360mm AIO's for 20-50 dollars less. Or you could save some money and opt for a something like a PA120 or a AK620. As they perform about the same and cost about 40-50 bucks. I also don't like the Choice of a 3060 as a the 6700xt is much faster and costs about the same amount. I would not go for a 27" 1080p as the PPI is a lot lower compared to 24" 1080p. I would opt for a Keychron C2/K2 Pro instead of that K60 but it doesn't really matter. Also i would really recommend spending more on a good headset
24:15 Fine for a prebulit but just saying... You could build something similar for 2k. You could also save about 500 bucks if you got from someone like a starforge systems or a IBP.
29:34 Probably the best you could reasonably do for a prebulit at that price range (But that just means prebulits at that price range suck.)
Edit: I just realized i spent the most time on critquing birds build but i still like it the best.
Tried to send a altivative list but I think TH-cam flagged it.
Yea you make some pretty solid points about all of it , Just surprise you didn't mention caps 4060 choice and comparing his 3080 to it lol it made me chuckle
@@connorjohnson4402 Thats because... *cough* I did the same thing *cough*
Very detailed report, and I agree with some of your points on my system but as we are trying to keep some costs down, I went with the i5 option over the 7800xd, but yes the 7600X is also a good option. Both either the i5 or 7600x offer the same “upgradeable” options that I stated I tried with my build but as we were told to make a “budget” build I went with what I knew and what PCPartpicker told me was cheapest at time of the task. Same with my rtx3060 choice as it was a “cheaper” card that offered great price to performance from my opinion. DLSS being added to DCS also helped me choose Nvidia over the AMD cards for now. Now wait for us to do a “no money budget” builds ;)
@@albird87Yes but with AM5 you can pick basically the cheapest board and it will be fine. There is 2 or 3 Motherboards that can't handle the 7950x (The CPU that draws the most power). The 7600 currently with a board combo is about 100 bucks less then the 13600k and board. The 7800x3d is around 50 dollars more but it is a faster chip. Also AM5 has a upgrade path with new cpus coming down the line which is something LGA1700 doesn't have.
DLSS is a good point, i actually didn't know that DCS has DLSS Support, but you only have a 1080p monitor in your list and DLSS is kinda effy below 1440p.
Excellent Discussion. Very Helpful. Now all I need is $$ :)
Yes, saving $$ is a real bitch.
Great video Cap no I have acute temptation to move away from being just a VV and take the leap into the game 🤔.
What maybe a good idea is to give people an intro into how to access servers for complete noobs.
Still think Matrix should do the shipping forecast though 😂.
Er no. I'd put myself to sleep, let alone anyone else!
THANK YOU! This was a huge help.
the story changes when running DCS in VR. The Quest3 puts my 4090 to it's knees when cranking up the settings, but damn the image quality is insane.
A message to Matrix: you can look/ask for usb-C add-on cards (or motherboards) that have 60W Power Delivery so the quest stays charged (usually)
The Startech card I use does that, but I've moved onto the HP Reverb G2.
In these modern times the refresh rate on the monitor is more important than the resolution. 1080p is fine if you're at 120+Hz.
Can't thank the GR crew enough for this vid!
I'm curious though, since these are the starting points, what are the guys currently using now? And for a beginner who prefers not to slowly upgrade their sticks/HOTAS (used market here not much cheaper than new) but just wants to get a good medium-range one and use it for the whole DCS/flight sim journey, what would the guys recommend? Been finding out more about VKB Gladiator stick and their new STECS throttle systems, as well as the Winwing Orion 2 HOTAS MAX. Both brands don't have an agent in my country so if I want, I'll have to buy them online and pay import taxes myself. The VKB would cost me around USD560 (w/taxes) while the Winwing direct from them would be around USD640 (w/taxes). Would you guys advice I jump straight to either of these? Too complex for a beginner?
By the way, is force feedback a thing for flight sims? I'm coming from a racing sim background so FFB does help with the driving.
there is a miscalculation 79,99+49,99+49,99+59,99+59,99=299,95 at 24:17 DCS Modules
Thanks
RE the monitors:
Do IPS monitors give better fine resolution for DCS-type sims?
(I use them in my dental practice, as I see fine differentiations better, *especially B&W* ... I don't know if this carries over to seeing tiny/distant objects.
RE CPUs
Is there any benefit in investing in 8+multithread CPUs?
RE
I got no Q's about the 3D and/or VR content... don't know enough to ask questions
(I haven't dabbled in display/UI/GUI stuff since about 87/88 when I spec'd/built a ASL-UI (using the JPL DataGlove ) for the IC Layout software design group I was attached to at Mentor Graphics.)
Is there going to be a Win 11 requirement soon for DCS?
I have a Win10 near-server I will be 'retiring' from my clinic, and it has a ton of horsepower and memory, but it doesn't have the Win 11 hardware.
ohh man I wanted this video and I didn't even know it... Thank you! This might just be the nudge I needed to start up, I already have all the hardware, just need to unbox and setup.. Not gonna lie, daunting task starting up, been puting it off for a year at least. Been content watching GR videos, but I feel like an armchair QB now, I've watched Cap and SImba fly hundreds, nay thousands of DCS hours, I should be a great pilot if I just do what they do.. Easy peasy lemon squeasy!
If you have all the parts, you've watched all the various how too videos.....4-5hrs with Windows installed. That's what mine took on my 1st build. Good luck just remember one component at a time
Nice video, great insight. Thank you.
The Thrustmaster 16000M is for me not very comfortable to use in DCS, as a rudder (twist-stick).
I don’t know why but it is not so accurate for to control the rudder (it is jumping and it will not keep the position). Does anyone knows why this is happening? It is a brand new flight stick😕
Please clarify is Wi-Fi an no go truly is Ethernet a must. This is a tough on for me logistically to manage? Thanks
I refuse to let people join the GR team as full members unless they have ethernet. Wifi causes too many problems in DCS.
You can stil play with it, you just won't get into serious teams unless it's seriously good.
its not a deal breaker if your WIFI is strong. but it can tend to introduce lag and latency issues on Multi player servers but it is not necessarily a deal breaker.
@@grimreapers thanks for the reply and honesty. I probably wouldn’t look to join a serious team until I was half way decent practicing on my own. At that point I could figure out a workable solution. For now probably doing a lot of getting a feel for the game.
Yea i mean its not super mandatory to have but it can really depend on your wifi and internet setup. Newer wifi protocols can get you some pretty good speeds if your router and PC can utilize them but it can get a bit complicated because a lot of it can depend on your own specific situation. Compared to having to troubleshoot wifi issues or dealing with wifi traffic since everything even your damn spatula has wifi these days, Just plugging into ethernet really can make things much easier and work better. But most use cases it shouldn't matter that much at all .
I bought a Quest 3 and upgraded my old 2016 gaming pc built with a rtx4070ti, 65GB of DDR4 ram and also had to buy a new router to use wireless PCVR, I also went on the the 7kg full metal thrustmaster warthog Hostas, that last was a bit overkill, but after feeling the immersion coming from sim racing in VR adding another dimension and getting airborne by getting back into flight sims was the logical evolution, VR gaming especially sims is so good thats my priority now, if cant play in VR then meh, for WWii go play IL2, dont bother with DCS, unless, they have more wwii content it catn compete, as far as I know it doesnt even have Stukas yet c'mon man, that's like having no Messerschmitt's
Just curious how these setups perform in ARMA 3 when you guys played that. Thx
Odd video idea: noob in good plane vs good pilot in older/worse plane. Time spent training is a big difference between western and Russian pilots and a big part of airforces' budgets, and it would be interesting to see how valuable an investment in training is vs an investment in better equipment. You might be able to recruit from your training server you've mentioned.
90% good pilot in a worse plane wins. I know from experience 😊. I'm the 10% just 😂
if you started playing flight sims with Hellcats Over the Pacific, you can probably go ahead and stick with keyboard and mouse.
So , one question: if you have a head tracker and one monitor , once you turn your head , you're not pointing at the monitor anymore..how do you " see the monitor , when you are " looking behind you"?
its not a one to one conversion. I only have to turn my head 15 degrees to get 180deg of motion.
@@Firedad376Thanks Fire, i'll probably w/ a 3 monitor setup , but was just curious about that.
And why does everybody keep saying you know you don't need this to start DCS but if you actually want a dog fight or play the game I would probably get it. Will that means you probably needed? If you want to play DCS then right? Because most people want to play DCS to fight in the air with other aircraft aka dog fighting.
Because you don't NEED all this stuff. It's fun to have it but not a necessity. Just start somewhere and work your way up till you feel content.
Cap im thinking I should change my underwear. Any suggestions?
My favourite pair is cyan with pink flamingos on it. My son laughs at me.
@@grimreapers oh stop it you
It’s an investment built over time.
Yes, start small and build on it.
Been watching the channel for a while. Good stuff.
Wanted to try this the other month and downloaded the game. But the cockpit interior didn't look great in the two free aircraft. Is that normal? Do the paid aircraft simply look better? I could hardly read the text on the dials etc, even with the graphics turned up.
I paid £1.50 for a PS3 cam and £10 for an iR clip which is the same as the Delan clip, also the 5500 is a bit of a dog and an overclocked 5600 would do wonders. I have a GTX1080 which runs the game at 1440p almost maxed out without any sort of scaling so here's more budget options.
For you US based folks, Grass Monkey Simulations is essential a Dalan Clip but US based, for cheaper shipping.
I get that for some lower level entry is the only way of getting into it. however if you have the ability, buy once cry once.
How does that Delan Tracker compare to TrackIR? TrackIR 5 is like $160-190 now which is pretty damn insane for some infrared lights and a receiver
Is head tracking better than using 3 screens? Ive never used a head tracker?
Id almost prefer twist stick to rudders, especially the t16000 rudders, but my twist stick has a horrid dead zone so I must use the rudders. 3060. 1080 High settings, no issues, i most often play single player missions i put together myself. My processor could be older than some players. i-6700. Still no major issues running DCS.
What about using VR instead flight controls since cheaper and already have it
um that gets dicy. the thumb sticks might make it doable if you bind those but then you could just use an xbox controller. the problem with VR hand tracking is you don't get feed back like you do witth a physical stick and throttle. im sure there is someone out there that does it with the vr hands on the stick but that is a skill I do not have and I can see that being a frustrating way to learn lol.
Tried it for 2 minutes. Nowhere near enough finesse for flight control or activating virtual 3D controls in the cockpit. A good HOTAS is the way to go.
My biggest problem I'm running into, and I'm constantly fighting with it and still haven't got it how I want it is setting up my flight controls😢
I'm a donator and I've commented before, on the Discord server, about this but I really never gotten an answer, on I guess help if there's a system that can be downloaded that assigns all the keys and buttons and everything. But yeah that's been my limiting factor in being able to play DCS at a playable level where I can join in on donator missions and such😢
Hopefully I can get it figured out. I'm basically retired, and have plenty of time so that's my goal is to have that figured out so I can actually start really playing to win by Summer.
Oh yeah and I've got to figure out the voice headset system and how to talk and it may be my headset I may need to get a new one I don't know
Love you guys!
I'd love to see a reference for how to get started with VR!
I have a good PC and a Headset (and a shitty joystick), but the biggest barrier to me is figuring out keybindings and how to balance the heavy keyboard reliance for a game like this.
Do your guys use passthrough software? Just learn the keys? Is looking+clicking legit?
Might just be me, but that's my biggest barrier right now.
Voice attack is a low cost voice command software, you bind commands to keys, you say landing gear down and your landing gear goes down etc. The voice attack software is totally generic, you need to script the required commands yourself or better is search online for others who have posted their scripts for you to use.
I am yet to pull the trigger on starting DCS but have used it for Elite Dangerous and it was good with VR.
Thank you, very informative. Can you fly with AI looking after some of the controls?
i really want to get into DCS the only issue is that i only have a laptop and me and my family dont really have a lot of money at all so im going to begin my journey of saving up for all of this money by painting miniatures for a friend thank you for all the inspiration
I keep meaning to download it and try it. Got the computer and middle child has a oculus VR headset. Would need the controls but bike(s) take up my spare cash :(
VR will really stretch the budget but worth it if you can. Discord groups are an invaluable source of free knowledge, you dont need to talk some have chat groups set up for things like VR etc.
I still have a 7700 and a 1080. I play dcs on a controller 😂
Try being in Australia, it's $130 AUD just for the Tomcat, F18 or F16. Getting into WWII would cost... Just over $630 AUD for all Fighter planes at $90 each, Channel map is $65, WWII assets pack is $45 and Normandy 2.0 is $70 plus all the campaigns being over $20-$30 each.
I've not built a pc yet, but was wondering if there's a pro/con to running a larger (tv) screen with 120hz considering the ir tracker etc, would this be more beneficial or a negative idea? Thinking of running the modern amd stuff with a 16gb 4060ti to be able to run 2k comfortably.
i am no expert but you may run into response time issues, gaming monitor have fast times but TVs? The issue may be that the TV picture is lagging behind the game so where you see on TV is slightly behind in time the actual game so that perfect shoot line up on screen happened a few milliseconds ago.
Or I could be totally wrong and TVs are fast enough- internet should tell you now you know what to look for.
not sure if they still do it but you could trial most of the aircraft for a week for free and then 6 months later try it again for a week for free and this was a week for each aircraft so fly one aircraft for a week, then fly another aircraft for a week and so on. then maybe if you found an aircraft you really like you can go out and buy it. is this still a thing?
In my opinion, the biggest waste is your HOTOS. The so-called mid range is so much worse than something like an Orion 2 it completely changes the experience. I was about 3 months in and ready to give it up. Then I got the opportunity to try the Winwing F16 controls and instantly realized just how bad my X56 was.
Agreed but that really puts you in the price range that scares people.
I did consider adding the Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS to my spec as a good HOTAS makes a huge difference to DCS, particularly in VR. However, the X-56 is a decent entry level, though I suspect an upgrade would not be long coming.
I definitely recommend a top end HOTAS with rudder, but for the Thrustmaster Warthog, Stick and TPR it's nearly £1,000. Scary!
I have a nice rig and really liked flight games in the past so based on watching your video's I thought it would be fun to "Jump" back in to flight games, so I bought an Oculus, TM1600 and a several DCS planes and quickly realized I was woefully out of my depth and after several months of fighting the VR and trying to locate buttons in the various planes I have boxed up the Oculus and TM1600 and am thinking about selling them. I think I had set my exception a little high, so the question now is should I just go and get a "TrackIr 5 Optical Head USB Tracking System Bundle + Track Clip PRO" set or just move on? Thoughts and suggestions?
Try a ps3 eye cam a few quid in CEX open track and AI track. Try with that for a week.
This video should help your ad revenue. lol Love you, Cap!
I just got a asus rog g14 as a VR laptop and its got its bugs but for the same price point its a decent portable vr machine so far
Putting a 4060 is a war crime
Hahha yea his comparison against the price of his 3080 and insinuating the 4060 is better made me chuckle, not sure he's as super tech savvy component wise. Not sure if he realizes his 3080 is still like 50% or so faster or more powerful, not quite sure how any hardware stuff in 4060 would matter but yea. But I'm sure it would be more than functional enough just not sure on the value proposition of 4060 at least at this time
Wonderfully well!
Gotta call you out on this one, gentlemen. This isn't good and You're scaring people off with these prices unduly, as a poor myself, I had to get creative to play DCS.
Here's a more realistic setup. I can confirm this works fine with DCS because it's what I use.
-Ryzen 5800x around $250 new, used around 150.
-X570 Mobo, You could get a decent one for 75 bucks on eBay used.
-EVGA RTX 2080 ti. Used on eBay, $175
-RAM, say 32gb, (I have 64) DDR4, around $50-70 and up depending on clock speed. That's brand new. $20-40 used.
-PSU, 600-800W, 80-120. EVGA 800 Gold is like 80 bucks. (get new)
-Storage, 1TB HDD (cheapest option) $50 brand new. (get new)
-Case.. You can get a serviceable case for 50 bucks, or free if you find one on the side of the road.
Assuming ALL new parts, (which is dumb. Used parts are often the way to go) we're still WELL under a grand.
I bought an entire PC with these specs (sort of) on eBay recently for 380 dollars shipped. It had a 1080 Founders Edition and less RAM, but I already had the upgrade GPU and RAM laying around so I installed them and basically built a DCS-capable PC for around 300 dollars. (it's a render node for my animation work, but it COULD play DCS) I sold the parts I swapped back on eBay and recouped about 120 bucks as well.
You can start for WAY less and have a great time doing it. The game is very much playable with these specs. Even on Syria it runs fine.. Mostly. It does seem to have to "warm up" a bit. First mission loads slow, second is fast. That might just be normal though. If you're an FPS snob, you might get irritated but if the raw stats don't bother you, you wont notice care.
I use an old Rift CV1 VR headset instead of head tracking. Got it used on eBay, about 90 bucks + 20 for a replacement face cushion off Amazon (It was probably clean enough.. Just.. ehhhh..) Also found a few other games I like playing on that after the fact, and it turned out to be a useful tool in 3D modeling and animation so win-win.
Thrustmaster "Full kit" is what you should have recommended for noobs. It's not great, but it has stick, throttle, and pedals and is fine for starting out and can be found fairly cheap, used on eBay as well. Hell, I still use the pedals. They're drywall screwed to my floor, lol.
Now, if you're a TH-camr recording.. Yeah, go a little more. If not, which is the vast majority of us. These specs are overkill.
You probably know more about the hardware than me so I'll love this comment and hope people read it. Will pin it if I can.
@@grimreapers Thanks man! Yeah, I basically live on my computers. I probably build 5 a month just as a hobby. :)
Bro no way are you getting a 2080 ti for 175$ that's like the non working for parts price range
300$ is much more realistic for the price of a used card Tell me would you sell your 2080 ti to me right now for 175$? Cause if so then hit me up lol
and no way your getting a decent x570 Mobo for 75$ thats like the parts price for boards maybe like 100$ but your stretching the definition of decent
And why would you buy a hard drive these days when 1tb Nvmes are 40-60 bucks
Any modern computer these days should be at minimum running the system off an NVME SSD or your starting off knecapping yourself
while wont argue about your other points cause i agree you can get into things for cheap quoting a like 500-600 dollar system as 300 is kinda misleading and your price range is a tad off especially already having one of the most expensive parts the GPU.
As someone who has been in DCS for a few months, I followed your advise via GR videos and have been flying FC3 :). Im wanting to get into multiplayer and on GR discord but would like so help stops, info if possible??
Can I play with the following build +HOTAS-
CPU- AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU- AMD Radeon 5700XT 8GB
RAM- 32GB DDR4
Motherboard- ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming 4
Monitors- 1x 4k 60Hz 2x 1080p 60Hz
Storage- 1x 1 TB NvME 3x 1TB SSD
Yes, just don't try VR.
@@grmatrix6358 I wouldn't dream of it lol 🤣 I understand the limitation
SU-25
Caucuses
old Xbox controller
👍😎👍
I assume that if you're playing multiplayer all clients must have the same aircraft and map mods?
As long as the multiplayer server is just using core game and no mods, you don’t need them. Just as long as the server is a map and aircraft that you own, have fun!
Interesting no one mentioned smooth track. If you have a smart phone and 10 bucks you are pretty much set aside from downloading open track. That’s where I started with DCS.