Oculus appears to be listening to recent complaints about tracking stability for its Rift VR headset and Touch controllers, and is offering owners more help today.
The VR specialist posted a new blog in which it details ideal set ups for the Oculus sensors that track the headset and controllers. Every Touch owner will have two sensors that should be ideally positioned to best track the user’s position, but they can also buy a third sensor to enable room-scale tracking. Room-scale is a larger tracking volume that allows people the freedom of a couple steps in either direction while in VR. The HTC Vive can do it with only two lighthouse base stations. With the Rift, some users have been reporting issues with both two and three sensor “experimental” setups, however. VR fans — including us — have wondered if adding more sensors to the equation might help. That’s not something Oculus recommends.
“While your results may vary, using more than three sensors can create more technical and performance issues than it’s worth,” the post reads. “We recommend sticking with three.”
Technical issues could range from complications with tracking software to issues like using up too many USB ports on your PC, which Oculus warns to be weary of at the bottom of the post.
So, what setup should you use? Oculus has multiple suggestions, but one of its “favorites” can be seen below.
Though the diagram is a little confusing, the company explains that it “mounts three sensors directly in the corners of your room, about eight feet high, facing downward at a 45-degree angle toward the center of your play area” to get the best experience. You’ll likely need to do a little DIY to achieve that setup, though.
Crucially, Oculus states at the end of the post that room-scale is very much “optional” on its platform.
If you’re still having tracking issues even after reading the post then there’s still hope; Oculus will be issuing updates to the sensor’s tracking software later this month. The blog post is also the first in a four-part series, so later entries will likely provide more tips.
