Man builds £3K Elite: Dangerous cockpit
Oculus what?
Most PC gamers are happy with a mouse and keyboard and a monitor. Not so Markus Boesen.
German Boesen constructed a triple-screen, ultra high-resolution cockpit so that he can enjoy space game Elite: Dangerous in all of its intergalactic glory. Here's a look at his rig in action.
The core of Markus' epic setup is a cluster of three HD BenQ TH681 projectors, powered by a pair of Radeon R9 290 Tri-X OC graphic cards configured in Crossfire mode. Sound is provided via a Logitech Z-5500 Digital Surround Sound system.
The self-built control panel through which he commands his spacecraft has been stuffed with an assortment of high-tech gaming hardware. A Saitek X52 Pro provides the joystick and throttle controls, while a series of touchscreen panels allow him to adjust assorted ship systems on the fly. You won't see it in the video above, but the set-up also includes a Leap Motion controller which allows you to issue commands with a mere flick of a starship commander's glove.
By making use of software called VoiceAttack, Markus is able to issue simple commands that allow him to switch between the various user interface sections in the game. That thing stuck to his baseball cap is apparently a TrackIR head-tracking device, which allows him to change his view around the cockpit and galaxy at large with a mere glance of his commanding gaze.
While it's not exactly a setup for the casual space-gaming enthusiast, we did a few sums and estimate the cost of Markus' rig to be a shade under £3000 (not including his presumably epic PC). Take out the projectors - and possibly the need for an extra room in your house - and the budget is more or less slashed in half. Now where did I put that credit card?
Elite: Dangerous will be released for PC on the 17th December, with a Mac version to follow shortly afterwards. Other platforms are also being considered for the future, but Markus probably doesn't care about that.