Making Your Own HMD for VR

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Dash
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Making Your Own HMD for VR

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Post by Dash »

Here we go!

So this might be a pretty long guide, but will come in handy if you want to experience basic VR without all the costs involved in getting the full price gear. This is a cheap alternative if you want to find out if you can handle VR, as many people get motion sickness, or heavy disorientation when they enter a VR game or application.

Step 1: Things you need

- An Android Phone, must have a large screen, Gyroscope and a USB 3.0 connection. Note 3 or bigger is the guide that I normally go by.
- Google Cardboard or VR headset alternative. Mine is pictured below:
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- Xbox 360 controller + Signal Receiver for the Controller / or equivalent
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- A USB 3.0 extension cable. Mine is a 3M extension, works fine.
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- RiftCat PC and Android app.
- Your computer, Hopefully it can handle most modern games at 60fps and above
- Internet Connection to both PC and Phone (Warning: Heavy data usage for setup)
- Patience



Step 2: Getting Your Phone set up with Your headset

First, you want to get your phone fully compatible with the HMD. You can do this by downloading the "Cardboard" app from the Google Play Store, and going through all the required set-up. You should have a small QR code that the Cardboard app scans, and configures your phone to work with it. See images below.

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Step 3: Getting The required apps installed

I don't have the knowledge to make the apps myself, but someone out there has, and released it on a trial basis. This works for me, not for some, as I use this set-up mostly for testing, but someone will have it come in handy at some point.

I use RiftCat and VRidge for SteamVR and Oculus games from SDK 0.6 - 0.8, you can read all about the games RiftCat supports.

RiftCat is available to download here: https://riftcat.com/vridge
This should lead you to both the PC client, and Google Play app.

Once both are installed, go through the required setups here: https://support.riftcat.com/hc/en-us/ca ... 805-Guides

There is specific instructions for the Set-ups of certain games like Minecraft, Elite Dangerous and War Thunder.

Step 5 : Getting the Best quality out of VR

To get the best performance out of VR, make sure that all connections to the Phone are the fastest available. RiftCat through wifi is horrible to say the least. I strongly suggest using the USB 3.0 extension cable, and activating Mobile Tethering (Remember to disable Wifi and Data on your phone, as to not eat up all that precious internet!) as the connection that RiftCat uses to contact VRidge on your phone.

With a Note 3, I am running at 1920 x 1080, 60fps, 30Mbps transfer speed. With more advanced phones, it can run even higher, giving a much better performance. I play SteamVR comfortably with my settings, so don't worry if you can't go any higher.

My settings are pictured below:
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Step 6: Using SteamVR to replace Steam.

First you should notice the VR square in the top corner of Steam, just next to the "Big Picture" button.

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The Xbox 360 controller comes in here, SteamVR treats your Xbox 360 controller as the Steam Controller.
If you press the big Xbox guide button, it acts as the Steam controller button. So, it brings up this menu:
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Then displayed on the phone screen inside the headset...

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This is your SteamVR library, you can launch regular games here aswell, but those games have no VR capabilities.
You use the controller to navigate around through the menus and select the right thingies and places, put simply.
You can even use the VR to display your desktop, and use it remotely. I even typed some of this Tutorial in SteamVR:
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That's about all you need to know, to fully set up a Google CardboardVR, and get it fully working for your VR pleasure.
Science isn't about WHY, it's about WHY NOT!
― Cave Johnson
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