delete
(Topic ID: 291960)
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider PanzerFreak.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
1 week later
I've been on the fence about buying one of these or another NIB pin. It sounds and looks amazing but the final actual shipped pricing is a bit crazy, we are talking nearly $9500...In 3-5 years the thing will be worth half the price (if that) and there will be far better technology out. Speaking of technology I heard that the Ultra VP cabinets use a lower quality 4K screen at 60hz versus a higher quality 4K screen at 120hz? In a lot of videos the colors looked washed out, especially on the sides. I suppose you can't look at that way and need to realize you are buying one of these knowing that they will depreciate heavily yet still offer a ton of entertainment.
I think I'm going to give my VR Pinball cabinet another shot before pulling the trigger. Playing pinball in VR is pretty damn good as there's a full sense of depth that even the best virtual pinball machines lack. When I first got into VR pinball there wasn't a lot of table options out there but I see there's more options now.
https://vpuniverse.com/category/107-vr-virtual-reality-pinball/
Quoted from Viggin900:I hope you enjoy the WOZ you got instead. $9300 for a VP is cheap when you think of the 1000 games it does, jukebox, and flipperless games. What more you want? I don't see what technology they will have in 3-5 years that would improve things and not have developers redo all the games for it? Just don't get hung up on this 60hz vs 120hz. Do the research. Its not that big of a deal, especially if you never seen the 120hz side by side. Hope you get a VP someday, they are going up in price and wait time just like pinball.
Good points. Yeah, I'm sure I'll buy one at some point. For classic Bally Williams titles, EM's, and games built just for digital pinball an Ultra VP seems amazing. There's a ton of games in those three categories alone that make an Ultra VP sound worth it to me. For today's LCD games though no way. I've seen what a digital version of WOZ looks like and other modern LCD games and they appear to look and play terrible. Unlike pre LCD games where ROM's could be used to build a digital game there's nothing like that for today's modern LCD games, everything including the rulesets has to be built from scratch.
1 month later
The 6.0 units appear to be a huge upgrade over the 5.0 ones in terms of hardware, it's exactly the type of full size virtual pin I've been waiting for. The 49" 4K 120hz display, plywood cabinet, GTX 3060 graphics card, and the Williams Style plunger are things in my mind that make the Ultra VP 6.0 future proof for years to come. The 5.0 units are amazing but I always felt like I wasn't getting what I wanted in a virtual pinball machine. There's VR support too.
Now the only issue is the price...nearly $10k shipped for a virtual pinball machine. That seems insane and within 5 years it will likely be worth $5k. I suppose you can't look at that way, if you get a lot of enjoyment and use out of it who cares.
I'm trying to setup Visual Pinball X with VR to give that a try first before going ahead with an Ultra VP purchase. I've been reading a lot of good things about Visual Pinball + VR, some users say they are not even going back to their full size virtual cabinets. However VR pinball will always lack the social aspect of pinball, it sucks wearing a headset after a while, you can't easily drink a beer or grab a snack, and there's not the weight of a full size cabinet with mechs.
278291405_4927329754046642_5429028857605609841_n (resized).jpg
I'm done messing around with Visual Pinball VR, what a pain to even get it to work. Oh it doesn't work with this graphics driver on my PC, you need this version not that one of the launcher but this other version of these files, then there's bugs with that version but some are fixed in this one, oh and some of the lights are popping out of a few tables. Lol what a pain! You pretty much need to be running an "older" version of Windows with specific graphics card drivers and then hope you have all of the correct software versions and settings straightened out. I'm not building a separate PC for such a setup, forget it, my current high end PC is intended for modern gaming.
There's something to be said about a pretty much plug and play virtual pinball machine like the Ultra VP. Playing out of the box is part of the cost I suppose. I much rather just play then mess around with settings and table configurations for 100+ hours.
Quoted from Viggin900:Creature from Black Lagoon BW version like munsters. And a classic video from the jukebox.
[quoted image][quoted image]
That Create table looks awesome on the Ultra VP, damn. Do most of the tables on the Ultra VP take advantage of the mechanical devices (solenoids, contactors, gear motors)? I was wondering if any of those devices work with the Pinball FX tables on the Ultra VP.
Quoted from MulderItsMe:Rec Room World announced they upgraded to version 6.0 of their Ultra VP.
Plywood instead of MDF
120hz 4K, this is key
Better graphics card
Williams style shooter rod
VR support supposedly
I pretty much ran out of “well if they just changed this one little thing…”
So I ordered one! Now I just have to be patient until June.
Nice! I felt the same way with the previous units, they are amazing but I was on the fence due to wanting a 120hz display, and a 3000 series card. Ok so they did that plus made a switch to 3/4" plywood cabinets and added a Williams style plunger. Ok done lol, just preordered one today.
Quoted from Royale-W-Cheese:Nice!!!!!!
I cant think of anything else on my wishlist.
Same! I’m interested in seeing what type of LG 120hz display will be used in the 6.0 units. I assume it’s native 120hz, not the fake 120hz true motion that really runs at 60hz which would be pointless. The 6.0 model details states “our 49” LG 4K industrial playfield monitor now features 120hz driver boards by default”.
Also heard that new updated software is coming with the 6.0 cabinets, version 2.0.
Quoted from Royale-W-Cheese:I am sure Roland would tell us....
I emailed Roland to ask. He said the new screen is 120hz native and will be connected using a display port 1.4 cable. Display port 1.4 does support 4K@120hz.
Quoted from FlippyD:Sounds like a reasonable time line. We're super close to perfection but not quite there.
I want to see 1/4 length cabinets that are just basically a box for the computer and solenoid effects, no giant LCD screen. Instead a screen on the wall can mirror the action to everyone else in the room, and then a VR headset to play the games.
Now imagine putting your headset on and you're at the original Museum of Pinball in Banning. You can walk around in a totally immersive 3D space and see the entire collection. Walk up to any game and start playing it in perfect 3D with the finger feel of real solenoids in the cabinet. All this in 8k 120hz VR with 3D sound. The hardware for this experience is so close but making a really good VR world experience like that will take some serious development work.
The VR pinball experiences I've had so far are fun and novel but without the cabinet and solenoid effects it's super video-gamey. Also you need really high-res headsets and powerful GPU's which make it cost nearly as much as a NIB just for the computer hardware.
In the mean time I'm keeping floor space reserved for real games. I've seen the 1/4 length VR cabs from an Aussie distro but there were no solenoid effects. Wonder if someone will eventually market one like that in the US.
There’s a few issues with VR pinball and why I would still take a full size dedicated virtual pinball cabinet over it. I built a PinSim, basically the first quarter of a pinball machine, for VR pinball. The concept is cool but it feels like a novelty, something you want to do for a few minutes and then be over with (like a carnival ride).
It’s cool seeing a TZ up close in VR as if it’s right in front of you. However, after a minute you realize that the text of all the inserts is blurry unless you look at them very close, wearing a headset after a few minutes isn’t fun, and there’s 0 social aspect with wearing a VR headset.
A Pinsim also lacks the weight of a real pin and doesn’t have the space / length of a proper SSF + DOF setup as seen on the Ultra VP or cabinets from Xtreme Gaming Cabinets. Hell if you want to have a beer and glance over at the TV for the sports game that’s on forget it with VR pinball lol. Finally I’m not a fan of the field of view in VR headsets, it’s far too low and makes you feel like you are looking through an old viewfinder or binoculars. Sure there’s something like the Pimax out there with a large field of view but reviews are generally not great, it seems buggy, and it weighs far more then typical VR headsets. Finally finally lol, VR headsets have a rather small sweet spot, an area in the middle of your field of vision that is in focus, the area around it looks out of focus.
The Ultra VP 6.0 is supposed to support VR pinball. It’s going to be interesting to see how that works with something like the Ultra VP. With the size and weight of a full sized cabinet it may be neat to try from time to time.
With all of this being said I think one of the reasons why real pinball is so popular is that it exists in the real world with real physics / mechs. Wearing a headset, even the best of them, takes you out of the real world. Something like the Ultra VP while digital is trying to keep you in the real world as much as possible with all of the mechanical mechs, features, and weight of a real pinball machine.
Quoted from MulderItsMe:Hi can you say your source/experience for this?
Some quick googling came back with “DisplayPort 1.4 is more than capable of 4K 120Hz”
I was just doing some research online regarding display port 1.4 and what it can output. Below is an article from PC Mag about HDMI vs display port. DP 1.3 can apparently do 120hz@4K, 1.4 has the same capability but can also output 60hz@8K. It seems that display port is also preferred for connections to monitors / PC’s for a few reasons listed in the article. DP cables have a more secure connector (press down to release) versus HDMI and using them in multi monitor setups, as with the Ultra VP, seems preferred over HDMI as well.
The good news is that RRW seems to be all over properly setting up a 120hz@4K virtual pin. I originally had concerns that the newest display was 60hz and then using some fake true motion 120hz but that thankfully isn’t the case.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/hdmi-vs-displayport-which-should-i-use-for-my-pc-monitor
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I played a few Virtual cabinets at TPF - they were interesting, but I didn't catch the refresh rate or resolution of the display - I had a really hard time tracking the ball; Is it safe to assume that the 120Hz refresh rates helps to deal with this? I thought the force feedback and other features were really solid
Yes, more fluid motion with 120hz versus 60hz. 60hz seems fine but with how fast a digital pinball is moving on screen there appears to be a bit of a tearing / blurring affect on the ball while in motion, a 120hz display helps significantly reduce that affect.
What did you think of the gameplay of the virtual pins you played at TPF? I know Rec Room World was there but not sure who else. Personally I'm buying an Ultra VP as a way to play pins from the pre LCD era as I'll never have the space, or funds, to get 50+ games from that time period.
Quoted from Royale-W-Cheese:I want to play the 70's and 80's ones/// Grew up in those times....great memories.
I dont think any other main company was there....researched all 4 and just rec room was there.. maybe a one off...didnt see it .
Oh yeah, some great games from that time period. What artwork are you thinking of going with? I'm debating on going with something like what the OP originally posted as it represents a lot of different games or something based on a real pin (perhaps Medieval).
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I thought they were “ok” - I played TAF (both the commercial cab and the Homebrew virtual. The Homebrew one was better, but I still struggled to time my shots even to do basic stuff. It might just be an adjustment like when switching from a Stern to a Bally game, but I couldnt quite get it down.
The commercial version (the older one i guess) felt unplayable to me - to be fair, I didn’t spend too much time on it, and I don’t know which model I played - but everything felt sluggish and laggy to me.
I do quite like the idea of getting one to play older games I would never have the chance to - especially 80s SS games I am finding it super hard to find. I think I’d max out at $4k for these though - or DIY it. The video cards are crazy expensive though
Thanks for the feedback. Yeah I'm not sure if that was the Ultra VP that was played, have never heard of lag and or unplayable gameplay before from owner feedback I've read. Maybe it was a different virtual cabinet.
1 week later
Quoted from Viggin900:I've heard of folks who have a VP cab complain of lag but never played one? I will say a few games feel "spongey" on the flippers but I adapt just like every game is different.
I have the artwork on the first post in this thread. They offered a discount on this one and some others coming off a truck or something. Not sure if they still do it but it saved me $100 or so.
Cool. I like the artwork on your Ultra VP, that's currently the one I have selected for my preorder. As much as I would like game specific artwork there's something about the collage type of artwork representing dozens of games over the years that feels right for something like the Ultra VP.
I'm pumped to get an Ultra VP in my home. Personally I'm going to be using it for all pre LCD era games, will likely never buy another one again, and then stick to only the LCD era for physical pins. On the Ultra VP Facebook group I see people asking about when various LCD games will be released for it...I think the answer is never as there are no traditional roms to base the tables off of unlike pre LCD era games. Tribute tables using custom community created code are the closest people will get for LCD era games but they will never play as well as virtual tables based off of roms. If there are still roms on newer LCD games they are locked behind various security measures which will make accessing them impossible.
All in on an Ultra VP 6.0 now, sent my payment, hoping for a late June or early July delivery. Sold my last DMD era game to make room for the Ultra VP, going to stick with LCD era games for physical pins moving forward.
1 week later
Quoted from Viggin900:I don't know about security measures for roms but there are many lcd games that are nearly exact like batman 66 and TNA to name a few. Scott Danessi seems willing to share his games with the community. Legends of Valhalla apparently was developed as a VP originally so I can see many of these designers releasing developed games to the community.
That's a good point! I was watching some videos of Batman 66 on the Ultra VP, wow does it look great. I can't believe that table was developed completely from scratch, must have been a ton of work.
Quoted from Viggin900:There is a game for every occasion.
"Gonna take you riden to the danger zone."
The premier!
[quoted image]
That table looks great! Can’t wait to get my Ultra VP, hopefully early July.
Is that a table you added? Just curious about the process to add and update tables on your own if you don’t want to wait for an update drive from RRW. For example there’s a new mod out for STTNG that looks incredible. I’m curious how something like below could be added.
https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/10332-star-trek-the-next-generation-mod-nfozzy-fleep-sounds-lut/
Quoted from Viggin900:Hopefully we will eventually have answers to these questions. I'm sure I can figure it out after a little research but I'm too busy learning cgi and 3d printing. Too many stakes in the fire. I have had a look at the sd drive and nothing made much sense to me. I created a backup just in case.
Good idea. I have a backup SSD and clone device ready to go for when my Ultra VP arrives.
1 week later
Quoted from brannonrad:PanzerFreak I have an Ultra VP 5.0 - I've had it since October 2021. I ordered it in April 2021 but there was a long delay due to "supply chain issues" - it really was painful waiting so long. These do come from China, but Roland told me he works directly with his supplier there to create the Ultra VP to his specifications. I read you're going to get the 6.0 which will be even better than mine.
I gotta say, the 5.0 I received is simply amazing. It is a wonderful machine for playing virtual pinball, what with all of the force feedback... surround sound (exciters/transducers strategically placed on the inside of the cabinet to make the ball sound like it is traveling where you see it), virtual plunger, several real solenoids that fire when you would expect (for pop bumpers, slingshots), gear motor (enhances the realism, for example Indiana Jones spinning idol or The Addams Family bookcase), shaker motor, RGB lighting, etc. Like you, I always wanted a virtual pinball machine but couldn't imagine building one for myself. The build for these Ultra VPs is top notch - there are switches to turn features off (such as the tilt bob, a switch on the bottom front left of the cabinet lets me turn it off) and it is easy to turn down the intensity of the shaker or gear motors with dials dedicated for such purposes.
As far as updating the Ultra VP with new tables as they are released, it isn't too difficult at all. I've only done it for Visual Pinball mind you, but since those are the best emulations that's all I really play anyways. I scan the vpuniverse and vpforum sites regularly, looking for updated tables that interest me. You mentioned the STTNG update. That one involved downloading the update, which is really a .vpx table script "diff" file. The instructions point you to a URL for the "original" table (without the nfozzy fleep sounds lut updates). You simply download that original table and the "vppatch" tool (also linked in the instructions), run the "vppatch" tool and load the original table plus the diff file for this update. Click the button to basically merge the two and you have a new table. The guy that released that STTNG update has made several updates this way (BoP, Funhouse) but he is the only one I've found that is using this method. Most tables, especially the VPW tables, are complete tables which don't require the "vppatch" tool at all. Oh I should mention my favorite new table is the VPW Lord of the Rings table, with all new amazing art for the playfield and the backglass. It is simply stunning! I've owned the real LOTR table for years in the past and it was always a favorite of mine. This VPW emulation comes mighty close to the real thing!
Visual Pinball table files have a .vpx extension and backglass files have a .directb2s extension. The filenames (up to the .extension) need to match for the emulator to display both the table and the backglass (note, you CAN play a Visual Pinball .vpx table without a .directb2s backglass).
That clone device you bought (recommended by Roland) is really cool. In addition to cloning your drive (which you should do right away), you can connect that device to your home PC or laptop via a USB cable (which it comes with). Plug it in, turn it on with the original (or cloned) drive and you have access to the drive's files from your pc, where you can explore the directory structure. You will find there is a "vPinball" directory at the root level of the drive. This directory contains all of the tables and associated media for all of the emulators used by the Ultra VP. If you're updating a Visual Pinball table, you'll want to go into the subdirectory "VisualPinball". From there, you'll see a "Tables" subdirectory. This is the place you copy any new .vpx (table) and .directb2s (backglass) files.
This directory structure is obviously the same as the one on the Ultra VP. What I do is copy any updated .vpx and .directb2s files to an external hard drive mounted on my home PC - which I use to do all my web surfing and downloading. BTW, I also have Visual Pinball installed on my home PC so I can try out tables quickly there and make any code updates I may want from there, where it is more comfortable (don't worry, you don't have to do a lot of code updates unless you want to!) Then I disconnect the drive and plug it into the Ultra VP. There are USB ports on the bottom of the machine around the soft shutdown button, but I plug a 6' USB 3.0 extension cable into the back of the Ultra VP - there are air vents in the access door that allow the cable to poke through. I just keep that cable connected all the time, and plug my external hard drive into that.
Turn on the Ultra VP and when it boots up into the Pinup Popper menu, just press x. You are then in windows, with a HUGE 49" screen to work from. You have to stand on the left side of the machine with your little wireless keyboard on top. Open windows explorer (I use <windows key>+E to do that) twice. In one explorer window, navigate to your external hard drive. In the other, navigate to the Ultra VP's C:\vPinball\VisualPinball\Tables directory. You can copy your new files right there for brand new tables, because there won't be name conflicts. (If you just want to update an existing table, there is a much easier way by simply using the application "Pinup Popper Config" - ask if you want more details for that.) You can just double-click on your new .vpx table to load and run the table in Visual Pinball to try it out. There may be some things to change in the script that is part of the .vpx file. The Visual Pinball editor will allow for that - you just have to press q twice to quit the table and go back to the editor. Click the "Toggle Script Editor" button in Visual Pinball (upper left side) and the script will appear. Things you may have to change are variables to set the table into "cabinet" mode (vs. desktop mode), etc. The newer tables have a "user config" section at the top to change all kinds of things, like side art vs. black walls. If you change anything, just File/Save the table to keep the changes. You can also use the editor to change the lighting for the whole table (day/night cycle) or even individual bulb brightness. For Twilight Zone, I found the lights around the slingshots were just too bright, so I turned them down and it is so much better. Oh, also for Twilight Zone, the Ultra VP uses "alt sounds" by default. These alternate sounds are done by the original sound engineer Chris Granner but I wanted the original sounds after owning TZ for so long. That change isn't in Visual Pinball itself but is part of VPinMAME. When playing TZ, press the F1 key and a little window will open. Change Alternate Sounds to 0 (from 1 or 2 typically) and it will use native ROM sounds. Also, in that F1 menu, you can't use the mouse, so navigate using arrows or tab and be sure to save your changes. Sorry for the rabbit trail!
If it is a new table you are adding, the next big question is how to get the table in the Pinup Popper menu, which is what starts when you first turn on the machine.
I've written a lot for now and will stop here. If you want more details on these other things, just let me know and I'll explain more. BTW, I'm not an expert or anything, this is just what I've picked up along the way since owning the Ultra VP.
Oh another tip that will help you - when you first turn on your new Ultra VP, hit x after the Pinup Popper menu loads to go to windows. Open a windows explorer. Make a new folder called "backup" on your C:\ drive. Copy the entire "C:\vPinball" directory into this "backup" folder. That way, if you're working on some new update and it goes south, you can just copy the files you modified from that "backup" directory without having to mess with your clone drive.
Wow! Thank you so much for all of the information, this is extremely helpful, much appreciated! I feel less intimidated now to update tables once my Ultra VP arrives. Still hoping for an early July delivery so hopefully not too much longer. Can't wait to get it up and running.
From what I've read and heard from Roland a new software release is coming with the launch of the 6.0 units. There's been a lot of new tables added to the updated tables tab on the spreadsheet below.
Quoted from MulderItsMe:See that’s what I was afraid of.
Thanks for the good info brannonrad! I too am patiently/eagerly awaiting my Ultra VP V6.0…
Got the drive cloning dock. Got the spare drives. Got the wherewithal to make a backup before playing the thing for the first time.
I’ve often wondered if these things could survive all-day play or even being put on route. I was afraid that a heavy mixture of switching emulation types would screw something up. Anyone with ideas to bulletproof smooth switching between arbitrary games?
(Probably the fix for putting these on route is paring down from 1000+ tables to 50 popular ones)
Seems like if something goes crazy the best thing to do is reboot lol. Hopefully the new 2.0 update set to launch with 6.0 games has some stability improvements.
Have you been given an ETA for shipping with your 6.0 unit? I'm still hearing early July for mine.
Quoted from MulderItsMe:No update or ETA yet. Hopefully soon; supposedly I am in the first wave of v6.0 units.
Cool! I'm in the second wave and have been told early July, hopefully we both get our games within the next 2 months. In the meantime I've noticed that the software devs having been adding and updating a lot of tables.
Someone on here was messaging me the other day about these games being a rip off which I completely disagree with. I priced out building a high end virtual pin and it came out to $6.5k - $7.5k. I've read similar stories including one where the guy spent $7k + 200 hours building one...I'll happily pay another $2.5k - $3k for something that works out of the box while still being high end. Wish I had the time and skills to build my own but I don't. Can't wait to get the Ultra VP!
Quoted from pinmister:Is anyone selling their 5.0 to buy 6.0?
If so I may be interested
There are a couple lightly used and demo 5.0 games for sale on RRW’s site for a decent discount.
1 week later
Just read on the Ultra VP fan Facebook group that Roland was expecting the first 6.0 units to arrive by late last week. Sounds like RRW is on schedule for 6.0 deliveries.
2 weeks later
Still waiting as well, seems like the 2.0 software update is still be worked on before games shipped. Looks like the team has a 2.0 to do list posted here that is being worked on.
Quoted from MulderItsMe:Thank you for the good list.
Originally the thought was that these Rec Room World Ultra VP 6.0 units would go out in May/June.
Now June has come and gone, and we are past a week into July.
There have been no new videos in five months.
We haven't heard of anyone getting theirs yet or being contacted.
Yes there have been some photos posted (a blank/folded/off machine and the outsides of crates).
I am assuming they are still sitting on all units.
I am assuming that version 6.0 of the hardware and version 2.0 of the software have to go out together.
I have no idea how the merger of Rec Room world and VP Cabs impacts any of this.
I have been checking these spots daily:
facebook/recroomworld
youtube/recroomworld
youtube/rolandbuck
instagram/recroomworld
facebook/virtualpinballmachines
If you are like me, then you appreciate good quality. Good quality does take time.
I am giving myself a pat on the back for being patient.
Yup, rather any bugs and issues worked out first. It will be well worth the wait from what I'm reading.
Quoted from pinmister:Joined the club and made a deal for the last two new 5.0 Ultra VP's. I already am starting a favorite list and there are some great tables with unique layouts. I am getting all sorts of ideas in my head for possible future builds based on some of the virtual tables features. One game in particular has a steel ramp pitched sideways-I thought to myself-that would be a cool feature for a real table.
Very happy with the Ultra VP and the service and support has been fantastic!
-What tables are your favorites?
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
[quoted image]
Awesome! Congrats on the purchase. As an owner of real pins how do you feel that the tables play with the DOF and SSF features?
Did Roland ship your game with the 2.0 software? If so, it may be on the other as well, check out the Lord of the Rings Valinor edition. Any of the VPW based tables should play great as well.
Quoted from pinmister:Yes and it is an extra charge
Many would be happy with the ones that come stock as well, but wanted it as real as possible. Only problem is the solenoids are more susceptible to burn out with heavy use and may need replacement eventually(although Roland said unlikely).
Yeah I think that's one reason why those Siemens Contactors are used for the flippers as opposed to solenoids. I can see the solenoids being much louder and more realistic sounding like you said, definitely something to consider.
Quoted from pinmister:Hey buddy-it was all thanks to you. I knew I needed to find a machine with a properly integrated platform and Ultra is the machine. The amount of time spent on perfecting the platform is what sold me. I wanted a plug and play machine that runs as smooth as butter and that is exactly what I got. The DOF and SSF features are amazing and I would not purchase a virtual machine without them. I also had Roland add actual solenoids for flippers to get a louder more realistic feel and sound. I then tested next to one of my actual machines and the difference was marginal. Very happy camper and am glad I have been lurking in the virtual threads-educating myself.
Haha thanks! That is great to hear, sounds awesome! Oh, I heard a couple people say that you don't really feel the ball hitting the flipper, does that seem just like a minor annoyance with everything else still going on with the DOF + SSF devices?
Quoted from pinmister:Yes, fully loaded and amazing
Awesome! There's a lot of updates with the 2.0 update from what I heard. I think there's now even a VPW category?
Quoted from Oneangrymo:I just sent him an email I would rather have real solenoids hopefully its not too late to get them instead.
I would think he would be able to, not sure if any 6.0 units have gone out yet. I'm going to stick with contactors for now as I'm often holding a flipper in the up position during games.
I'm hearing about some 6.0 games shipping, they are starting to go out.
I've debated this entire time about cancelling my order and getting another real pin instead but have decided to move forward with getting an Ultra VP 6.0. It's the whole value thing that has been my hold up, realistically I know this thing will be worth half the value in 5-10 years. I finally realized I can't look at it that way, this purchase is an investment in fun. We buy phones, TV's, speakers, vehicles, golf club memberships, boats, and more items that don't maintain their value but there is value in the enjoyment we get out of those things. This isn't any different and I've happily accepted it. As much as I would like another physical pin I really want to play dozens of pins that I know I'll never get a chance to own.
In anyone is also wondering about value regarding vpins check out the video below of someone building a very nice virtual pin. The video goes into detail about the cost of the build. This builder had some of the parts, got some used / discounted, and still spent $4K. The Ultra VP has more features, DOF solenoids / contactors, higher end hardware, and cost a bit more then double which I don't think is that bad considering everything works out of the box. Just as the author of the video said this is an investment in fun.
RRW has put out a 6.0 overview video. Looks like the video was just uploaded as its only 480p currently.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Looks good to me !
Yup! I like the other subtle improvements made to the new 6.0 models, very nice. The all plywood design is a welcomed change, it was nice seeing that even any wood pieced mounted inside the cabinet are also plywood. From what I've read plywood should also provide better SSF feedback versus MDF. Either model is still great of course, just nice to see the 6.0 upgrades.
The new software update looks really nice. It's awesome that a dedicated VPW category is in the game!
1080p version of the 6.0 video is now available, looks much better versus the original 480p upload. Game looks great!
Quoted from bdp5:Ah so close to pulling the trigger. Would love to hear your thoughts once you start getting your 6.0s in!
Will do. Also will send ya a PM with some thoughts I read of another person who recently tried a 6.0 unit at Rec Room World's facility.
Quoted from pinmister:The 2.0 software is really loaded and navigating through the different menus and genres is great. Finding some great tables and the whole family is enjoying it. My wife has been playing it everyday and has been turning on the machine herself(unheard of). She has really been enjoying the re-themed Beatles table featuring ABBA(fun table). We crank it up and the room becomes an instant disco. She also likes Grease, Taylor Swift, etc. I have been digging multiple custom tables including Harry Potter, Tom and Jerry, and some tables that remind me of TNA with excellent sounds and music.
So many tables to explore, and I am enjoying the journey. Glad I got into the virtual pinball scene
Awesome! That's great to hear. The variety is a big reason why I'm getting into the vpin scene as well, just so much to play. Hopefully my order will be going out within the next few weeks. I'm still debating on going with the solenoid upgrade option for the flippers, it sounds tempting.
Oh, definitely check out the new VPW category that is with the 2.0 update, those are some of the best recreations out there.
Quoted from MulderItsMe:Great news: my Ultra VP 6.0 arrived today!![quoted image]
Awesome! Congrats. Please definitely let us know what ya think. Did you stick with the default 24v contactors or swap out with solenoids for the flippers?
New video from RRW is up, contactors vs solenoids for flippers.
I'm pretty sure these are the Red solenoid version used in the video above and posted from Scantron5k on YouTube. What I like about these versus the black solenoids is that they sound slightly different compared to the others and the higher pitch sound of them actually comes across as more like a flipper IMO. Still trying to decide what to do. Either way it's a fairly easy / cheap swap out using the components below, around $40.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GQY92H3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1
Voltage reducer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N1758FT/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2
In the video below the Ultra VP owner has installed the SW3 red solenoids above. Personally I think those sound great. I ended up ordering 4 (2 as a backup) and 2 of the Voltage reducers so I can try them out versus the contactors.
Quoted from pinmister:Looks like that was my machine being tested. I was going to go with the red ones but with a bad batch being sent from Amazon-decided to stick with the black one's that have been proven to perform and are used for other locations in the machine.
For those receiving their machines-be careful attaching your legs. The cabinet decals are susceptible for wrinkling and I had to find a good way to avoid the decals getting wrinkled. I found when I dropped the machine back to the floor from the pinball cart-the force would wrinkle the decals. I ended up using protectors and lowering very carefully. If they do wrinkle-easy to get out with a credit card or plastic scraper. I would almost recommend cutting the decals out around the legs first before attaching them.
Good to know, thank you for the heads up! Yeah it looks like RRW just covers the whole cabinet at the corners. What I'll be doing is similar to what you said. I ordered a set of metal cabinet protectors that will be screwed into the cabinet, a set of felt protectors will go over that, this is just how JJP does it as below (GNR). I'll line up the metal protector and cut the decal part around it with a hobby knife.
Here's everything I ordered for my Ultra VP.
Cabinet protectors: https://www.pinballlife.com/metal-cabinet-protectors-set-of-4.html
Felt cabinet protectors: https://www.pinballlife.com/felt-cabinet-protectors-set-of-4.html
1TB SSD (same model that RRW uses, used as backup): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6W1WP3
SSD cloner (same model RRW uses): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K7GXMTC
Quoted from Brtlkat:FWIW that's not a color DMD.
Yeah, I think he means the Color DMD effect in a good number of games as that display is a Stern Spike 2 era size LCD. Looks like that game is the Munsters tribute table, definitely need to try that one.
Quoted from pinmister:Let's talk about Blood Machines
Ok- I am seriously cracking out on this game. It is flippin amazing!
The geometry of the ramp flipped sideways has me thinking this should be implemented on a real table(trying to hit it-is super fun).
Super cool table...
Looking forward to trying this one, been hearing a lot about it. The VPIN Workshop team seems to be knocking it out of the park with every release.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Mine coming August, cant wait, need to make room now.
Nice! Ours may be arriving around the same time. I was told that artwork is going to be applied to mine this week so maybe late this week or likely next week for shipping.
Also, heads up to anyone that needs to remove the backbox, there's a new video up from RRW on how to remove the backbox on 6.0 units. The head of the Ultra VP is wider then regular pins, I'll need to remove mine as it's too wide to get down my basement door opening. Doesn't look too difficult.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:The feedback so far on 6.0 owners is amazing, cant wait to actually see one in person!
Yeah! I just noticed on the Facebook group that someone posted screenshots of an FPS counter running on the Ultra VP 6.0. The monitor is outputting at 120fps (or very close to it, within 1 or 2 frames) which is good to see confirmed.
Just got an email and text from Roland about my game shipping, it’s arriving this Wednesday or Thursday. I’ll post of bunch of details and thoughts about the game when it gets here.
Update: Looks like my Ultra VP 6.0 is going on a bit of a detour...noticed it was heading south away from Michigan on the tracking site. Called customer service and they said it looks like it was misloaded or something and now won't be here until the weekend before then being scheduled for delivery likely early next week.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Can someone post more videos ?
I'll try to post one, just recently ordered a tripod mount for my phone so can get some use out of it. Somehow almost every gameplay video of the Ultra VP on YouTube is either shot in the dark, filmed in wide angle mode (distortion), or by hand where someone can then only play one handed lol.
My Ultra VP 6.0 is now arriving this coming Monday. The freight company somehow incorrectly loaded the game on a truck that went from Ohio, to Tennessee, to Georgia instead of going directly here in Michigan...Now it's making the journey back. I'm just hoping the game is not damaged. Do you think if the shipping crate is undamaged that it's good to just sign or would you recommend actually opening it even with no visible damage?
Quoted from pinmister:Wait until you see how it is packed. The chances of it getting damaged is slim. They use wood-not cardboard and it is industrial-you must watch the video on how to unpack-then try and disassemble panels to dispose of for your trash service.
I am excited for you-post some pics!
That's good to hear, thanks! My fingers are crossed that everything arrives safely, it's being delivered today. Will definitely post some pictures and hopefully some video later this week.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Im shocked that none of the people who have received a VP 6.0 have posted any useful videos!
I will not do the same sir! I will post as much as I can when I get it.. in 2 weeks
Yeah there's not a lot out there, not even really a lot of great gameplay videos of the Ultra VP 5.0. The author of the video below provides some nice direct pans of the Ultra VP 5.0 screen and wow does it look nice. The part where he's looking close at the inserts in the middle of Indy looks really good.
I think the key to recording the Ultra VP is filming with the lights on as otherwise there's often a strong glow from the screen in the dark, filming head on, and not using an wide angle / ultra wide angle modes which can create a distorted look.
My Ultra VP 6.0 has landed! Thankfully the shipping box had no damage, as a result I didn’t open it prior to the delivery driver leaving. There’s a bunch of metal tabs that need to be lifted to remove the shipping box panels. A pry bar helps with lifting the tabs up.
Just starting the process to take the back box off but so far I’m very impressed with the cabinet build quality and how everything is put together. I would say the quality matches or exceeds Stern and JJP cabinet quality and overall tidiness. The new plywood cabinet construction is very nice. Also, many screws that I’ve seen are actually bolts fitted into fasteners which is great to see. For example the 3 screws that hold each of the cabinet hinges to the head are actually bolts threaded into fasteners. It’s details like this that so far are making me realize that RRW has put a lot of thought and detail into the design of the Ultra VP.
Will share more details as I get everything setup.
D6919CC9-AE4B-4E3A-AE91-F2316373325A (resized).jpeg
FC01EDFD-6ACB-447E-B112-5B10FE562B6F (resized).jpeg
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Man awesome! Please post more when you get it going!
I wish you were closer I would just come over after work
A good day to take Monday off!
Nice decals!
Quoted from rogerdodger:Looks great!
I ordered mine a few days ago and can't wait to get it!
I ordered the same art decals as you!
Roger
Thanks! This game is damn heavy, even without the head on it seems almost as heavy as a full Stern. I had to take the back box off to get it into my basement which I could barely myself to position it on the Escalera.
The Ultra VP is downstairs now, thank goodness. Had my traditional celebratory beer after getting it and myself downstairs in one piece lol. Overall cabinet construction continues to look good. There’s some nice finishing details on the cabinet such as rubber stop on the bottom and a couple longer ones on the back. Will post another update once I get it up and running (may not be until tomorrow).
0D77E225-5578-419A-9441-68E4D2F7AEB1 (resized).jpeg
2CF46CFB-62B8-4B69-BC70-37DB964DA56B (resized).jpeg
3A76B897-4420-4CD9-9395-DF80AE71F862 (resized).jpeg
4CE72171-6171-4B57-88DE-E2302FB1AD33 (resized).jpeg
63B6A35B-B846-4CD9-991E-C851D97951B9 (resized).jpeg
B0438DAB-CDE5-469F-A355-7D995E5D49A3 (resized).jpeg
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Just curious is it slightly movable on the pallet with that foam? Did you get it off the pallet yourself? Im trying to figure out how to get it off,either follow rolands instructions on the video, or slide it off so the rear end touches the ground, then lift it up. Also did yours come with a strap around the body and the head to keep it together folded?
Thanks man
Yes, it can be moved around a bit on the big piece of foam the the cabinet is sitting on. However, there's no strap that wraps around the game as on a new Stern, JJP, etc. You would have to put a strap around the cabinet and head yourself or remove the head entirely (not too difficult). The head of the game is pretty damn heavy, as is the cabinet, I couldn't have imagined moving the Ultra VP all together into my basement. After I removed the head I did get the game off the pallet by myself, I put a piece of cardboard on the ground to protect the bottom of the cabinet as I titled the Ultra VP up.
So I got everything finally up and running with the Ultra VP 6.0. It is pretty damn cool and I'll be sharing more thoughts soon. However, I currently have a hardware issue with that being the new 120hz display flickering every second or two (even after the Ultra VP does the soft shutdown with no signal) and also several stuck / dead pixels. I called Roland who immediately answered. He said I'm one of two people with this issue and the other was an Ultra VP 5.0 owner which uses a 60hz panel. Roland believes the issue is driver board related, while new driver boards may fix the flickering it won't fix stuck / dead pixels. I'm now asking to have a new 120hz replacement display shipped. Roland mentioned he's hesitant to ship these as FedEx has damaged some, I suggested to use UPS instead which likely won't be much more as I'm just a few hours north in Michigan. Worse case he said I can drive down and pickup a replacement panel, rather avoid but will do it. I'm bummed but stuff happens so trying to look at that way and just play it in the meantime.
Quoted from Brtlkat:For the money you just spent and he says you can come pick it up . He should be bringing this to you or ship it to you. They get shipped to him just fine.
Yeah I agree but I seem stuck. Roland said today he’s had issues with both FedEx and UPS shipping the displays. I don’t understand as have had TV’s shipped before without issue. Then again the displays he’s shipping are in wood crates versus large padded boxes. It sucks but I’m going to head down there this weekend or Monday to get it. He would ship out the replacement driver boards for free but with a few stuck / dead pixels I would prefer a new display, especially with how much this thing costs.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:So you have to go all the way there and get it? Thats not fair. Man I hope I dont have that issue, I dont have time to drive 8 hours to pick up a display that is defective.
I’m with ya, it’s BS and I shouldn’t have to make the drive. Anything you think I can propose? Maybe ask for a refund of the original shipping cost for the hassle or something.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:I dont know man, thats kind of crap. I hope this new and updated 120hz display which is supposedly industrial strength doesn't come back and nip us on the butt (like it did you). Sounds like we are all screwed if something happens to it and needs to be replaced.
Yeah. Hopefully it's just a one off, I'm thinking it is as otherwise there would be a lot of reports of issues on the Ultra VP Facegroup and their thankfully isn't any. I'm going to head down there Monday and pick the display up, will put a few podcasts on, bring a giant coffee and make the best of it.
I'll say this though, despite the display issue I have the Ultra VP is pretty damn cool. It's not the same as real pinball and will never replace your favorite physical games IMO. However, as others have said it does satisfy the desire to play games you once owned (but may never want to buy again), play games you've always wanted try (but may not want to buy) and overall simply play a ton of pins that you will never have the space and or cash to purchase. Being able to swap between Medieval Madness, Attack from Mars, ACDC, etc is just awesome. I'm regularly having the want to just fire the thing up and play a bunch of games.
The DOF and SSF devices really help bring the real physical element to virtual pinball. It's something you have to experience in person to notice but it's impressive. I do notice that the solenoids are going off when hitting standup targets on some tables, that could be just a programming thing and resolved with updates. The display itself looks very nice (minus the flickering on mine...lol), haven't noticed any lag. While there's a 3D look to a number of tables there's still a bit of a flat look on some tables which is ok, just set your expectations. The flat look is reduced on older tables as there's simply less devices / mechs stacked up. Bumping up the back leg levelers and lowering the front really legs reduces the flat look on many tables. Overall I still much rather play virtual pinball on something like the Ultra VP versus in virtual reality as I personally can't stand wearing a VR headset and two it's simply more like real pinball playing on a full size cabinet with all of the DOF + SSF devices with no headset.
Quoted from rogerdodger:Sorry to hear about the monitor issue.....
Apart from that, is the pin 100% 'plug and play' or did you have to make any adjustments, out of the box?
None, everything else has worked out of the box. Still need to test the beacon lights as the rocker switch for them is turned to the off position by default.
Quoted from japespin:How's the filpper lag compared to your Sterns and JJPs?
0 flipper lag that I've noticed, very smooth gameplay.
Picture of the inside of the cabinet with the 120hz display removed. Removing the display was very easy, just 4 screws on each side. While I didn’t want to remove the display lol it did give me a chance to look full on at the cabinet. Everything is very well put together, the new plywood construction really stands out.
Will have the replacement monitor in hand Monday evening. Even with the display flickering issue the Ultra VP has been a blast to play. I did go with the default contactors on my game. I think the contactors provide a decent of feedback but they could be a bit more. I did purchase a couple of those red solenoids that I'm going to try and swap in at some point.
Found the reason why that the display is flickering on my Ultra VP 6.0. I noticed a capacitor rolling around in the cabinet, didn't look blown or anything and possibly just an extra part. I took off the middle back metal cover on the TV once more and sure enough there was a spot where the capacitor would have been on one of the boards. Who knows maybe just by shipping it came loose. I could attempt to resolder it but with a few dead pixels on the screen (who knows if the capacitor not being there caused those and or other damage) I'm still going to drive down to RRW tomorrow and get the replacement display.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:how did it go?
After a roughly 8 hour round trip I have a properly working 120hz display on my Ultra VP 6.0. Got it home late last night, installed it, and everything is good!
Will try to post some gameplay videos when I can. Roland is out on vacation this week so I met one of his coworkers to get the display. I’ll likely be emailing Roland today and requesting at least a partial refund of the original shipping cost for having to make the trip.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:I mean this picture looks like a real playfield, man I cant wait to see one in person! I cant sleep anymore wondering when I may actually play one!
But.. i dont see a cliffy on the fester shot or the swamp kick out
Lol, yeah I need to order my virtual Cliffy's. The Addams Family table on there is great and has a nice 3D affect. Some tables have that 3D affect better then others and the tilt / height of the table can definitely impact that as well.
A couple things I did do to my Ultra VP 6.0 cabinet.
1. Cut back cabinet decals at corners Stern / JJP style. I installed metal cabinet leg protectors and then felt protectors between those and the legs. Maybe overkill but some owners did report cabinet wrinkling around the legs after so many months of ownership.
2. Mylar around the inside corners of the lockdown bar and top edges of front cabinet corners. This will help protect the edges of decals which I noticed have the potential to be scratched by the lockdown bar.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:do you think cutting the decal is necessary? I have metal leg protectors ready to go and some felt protectors, can I just put the metal protector on top of the decal?
You can definitely try it that way, worst case the decal should then only wrinkle around the metal leg protector which can then always be cut. It was a bit of a pain and time consuming to cut the decals at the corners. The cabinet decals seem thicker then what I've seen Stern and JJP use.
Here’s how I did the corners I mine.
Quoted from RGAires:Make some videos man
Lol tomorrow for sure! Cloning the factory SSD tonight to have a backup. 3BAB8F9E-13F7-4D74-86D5-B18A9FA29299 (resized).jpeg
Here’s a couple 6.0 gameplay videos. All monitor and any display settings are stock. There’s a 1080P version now available, hopefully the 4K one is available soon.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Wow that looks like really really good.
So whats your opinion so far?
Overall I say the Ultra VP has been a great purchase. It's not a replacement for your favorite physical pins but as others have said it definitely scratches that itch of playing tables you once owned (but don't want to buy again), tables you want to play (but don't want to buy), and the ability to play original tables created just for virtual pinball. Take Austin Powers for example, it's definitely not a game I want to buy lol but it's been fun being able to load it up in 10 seconds and play a game or two every once in a while. Getaway's another example for me, I owned the game, would like to own one again but don't have the space for it. Having the ability to load that table up quickly for a few games is very cool. Then take of both of those examples x50 other tables and you will start thinking "ok, this is pretty damn cool".
All of the DOF + SSF devices on the Ultra VP do a great job of simulating real world sounds, the Ultra VP is loaded with them. After a week of ownership I've realized that not all virtual pinball tables are created the same. Pretty much all take advantage of the DOF devices in terms of solenoids / contactors activating for pop bumpers, slings, and flippers. However, not all fully leverage the SSF devices (the transducers facing the cabinet for example) and some of the DOF devices (gear and shaker motor). Some tables take advantage of SSF better then others, just depends on how the table was written / configured. There's a fairly large number of tables that pull off SSF and DOF well, it's just definitely not all but that's ok as new / updates tables are coming out all the time.
Build quality of the cabinet and how everything is put together is done very well. I couldn't pull off making something that looks this good, no way. The new plywood construction is top notch IMO. As I mentioned before a vast majority of screws I've found are actually bolts that tighten into metal fasteners. Take the side rails on a Stern cabinet, they are simply held in my threaded screws. On the Ultra VP the side rails are held in by small bolts into metal fasteners so you never have to worry about the wood losing it's grip. The only downside to the cabinet is that's it's damn heavy. Removing the head of the cabinet was a must in my case, even if my basement stairway was wide enough I would probably still remove it just to lighten things.
The one thing that was bothering me is how dark some of the VPW tables are, probably half of them. VPW tables are considered among the best designed tables in the virtual pinball community so I really wanted to play those often (there's a VPW category now with version 2.0 of the software). From what I've read this is just the way VPW tables are configured by default. Last night I docked my cloned drive to my PC (using the dock / cloner device) and started adjusting the brightness on several VPW tables. It's very easy to do, simple as adjusting for brightness, and now the tables look great! If you do this I recommend first making copies (save them off to another drive / folder on your PC) of the tables you want to alter incase something get's messed up.
Installed two different types of solenoids tonight for the flippers on my Ultra VP 6.0. One is the red SW3 solenoid below. I'll admit just like Roland said I thought these had a rather high pitch clicky sound to them and one died within 5 minutes...I installed two of the black solenoids that were included with my Ultra VP 6.0, these sounded and felt better versus the red ones. Compared to the contactors they are definitely louder and feel a bit more substantial. I still like that I got the contactors incase I ever want to swap them back in. Performing the swap was fairly easy, took about an hour taking my time.
Red
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GQY92H3
Black (these may be the ones RRW uses, maybe not as the lettering on the metal is different, need to confirm)
https://www.amazon.com/JDMSPEED-Starter-Solenoid-Lincoln-1958-1991/dp/B07GR4G5XC/ref=sr_1_3
1 week later
So I've started updating and or replacing certain tables. For example there's been some updated versions of tables, the VPW Lord of the Rings table, that are not in the Ultra VP's 2.0 update (some were released after 2.0). I believe the version in the 2.0 software is either 1.0 or 1.1, there's a 1.3 version out. Here's how I applied the update.
1. Before making any changes I made a cloned copy of the original SSD, I put that in storage and use the duplicate drive as the one to mess around with.
2. I bought a SATA power extension cable, this lets me access the SSD a bit easier from the back of the Ultra VP as I just let it rest over the back of the PC (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711M91D4). You could probably use this and a longer SATA cable to access the drive from the coin door.
3. Using the same SSD cloner (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K7GXMTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01) I dock the SSD to my PC where I can access the file structure as as well open Visual Pinball to make any table changes.
4. Find the Visual Pinball directory, and go to the "tables" folder
5. Copy the table you want to update / replace and store it to another drive on your PC (I do this incase I ever want the original table back and or if I make a mistake, there's always the original SSD too).
6. After making the copy delete the original table file (just the one ending in .vpx, leave the file ending in ".directb2s").
7. Paste the new updated .vpx file into the "tables" directory (https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/8828-lord-of-the-rings-valinor-edition-stern-2003-vpw/?tab=details)
8. Rename the table file you pasted to the "tables" directory exactly as the original (can grab from the original file you copied). For example the LOTR version on the Ultra VP 2.0 software is named "Lord of the Rings Valinor Edition (Stern 2003) VPW v1.0", the new 1.3 VPW LOTR .VPX file is named "Lord of the Rings (Stern 2003)_VPW_v1.3_10.6". Copy the "Lord of the Rings (Stern 2003)_VPW_v1.3_10.6" file to the "tables" folder and rename it to the original file name "Lord of the Rings Valinor Edition (Stern 2003) VPW v1.0". Done
The steps above can be used to update / replace any table. When you load the updated table you will notice that the original preview video is still there, from what I read you can update the preview video but I personally haven't done it yet. Adding new tables where there's not an existing file is a slightly different process which I haven't done yet.
After I added the new LOTR 1.3 VPW table I noticed it now has a pup pack with videos and text that play for specific modes, pretty darn cool. There's also a new Guardian's of the Galaxy table that was just released, the steps above can be used to add it. https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/6127-guardians-of-the-galaxy/.
I did the process above for nearly all of the "Gedankekojote97" tables below which are well regarded by the virtual pinball community. A few of these may already be in the Ultra VP 2.0 software but it's hard to tell (can always compare file sizes). Overall these versions of tables often play and look better IMO then the ones in the Ultra VP 2.0 update. Another plus to these tables is the addition of "LUT" support which is nice for adjusting how the table looks in the game (brightness, contrast) versus manually having to change settings in Visual Pinball. To activate the LUT options for these tables hold the left secondary flipper button in and then press the right secondary flipper button.
https://vpuniverse.com/profile/42203-gedankekojote97/?tab=node_filestabprofile_filesTab
Another item regarding updating tables. A number of tables, especially most of the VPW tables, are too dark IMO. This can be changed.
1. Similar to above I make a backup copy of the original table file.
2. Next I open Visual Pinball (I open it from the Ultra VP SSD while it's docked to my PC) and open the .vpx table I want to edit
3. If any pop ups come up close them using the "X" close button for that window, this will likely cause the table not to load which is fine, if the table loads up on your PC just press the escape key on your keyboard
4. Reopen the .vpx file from the file menu, those same pop up's should no longer appear
5. Now you can adjust the dark - light slider for the table, by default the VPW tables are set to be very dim. You may need to play around with the brightness slider, somewhere in the middle works fairly well.
6. Save the table, close Visual Pinball, done. If something is messed up you will always have the original .vpx table file from step 1
1 week later
Quoted from pinmister:Been playing a ton of the Ultra VP lately and some other games are getting lonely
I took a bad wipeout on my One Wheel skate board and really jacked myself up. I fell hard on my palms and messed up the ligaments in my arms and elbow. Trying to nudge my machines recently has been painful and I have realized I am not 18 years old anymore. Been enjoying tables without having to nudge a ton and I also decided to use a retro 1970's lounge chair with back for sitting down while playing the virtual. I usually do not use a stool while playing, but I find it nice for the Ultra.
Lol I know what ya mean, haven't really turned my physical pins on since. Really enjoying playing a lot of classic tables and tables I once owned.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Well I got my vp and setup it last night . Tightened the legs too hard so got significant leg wrinkling. Will work on it today to smooth it out , don’t over tighten!
So far , not sure , it’s just completely different then a real machine . I have 30 plus mechanical machines ... Physics of vp are completely different . I want the ball to go here , it goes there …
Some games are better then others. I don’t see myself selling any of my real games to minimize my collection because of the vp . I can use it as an adjunct but not a replacement
Congrats on getting the game! It definitely takes some time to get used to the virtual pin. Like you said some tables are better then others. There are some versions of tables that have better physics that are not on the Ultra VP 2.0 software. This may just be personal preference of RRW as there's multiple versions out there for many tables. I'm sure it's really personal preference for everyone, some people will like one version of a table over another.
Take Fun House for example, the version here IMO offers much better physics (and looks better) then the one that comes with the 2.0 software https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/10057-funhouse-mod-nfozzy-fleep-sounds-lut/. You can follow the steps I listed above to install it, I did this for just about all of the Gedankekojote97 tables. Many of those tables also offer LUT support where you can press the left secondary flipper button in and then press the right secondary flipper button to change how the table looks. The Gedankekojote97 Family Guy version is another table that I think looks and plays better then the one that comes with the 2.0 software.
3 weeks later
Quoted from Selig:Got mine the other day! Tons of fun so far. Doesn’t replace the real thing, but helps scratch the itch for tables I will not be able to fit in the space.
[quoted image]
Congrats! Looks great, also what an awesome collection of games.
Quoted from mikepmcs:Looks great! Do you know off hand how tall with beacons and topper? Low basement ceiling. My GNR topper works and my F-14 Beacons but not my other 2.
I'd really like to get those options but not a necessity. (i don't think, anyway?)
Also, huge shout out to PanzerFreak for wading through the muck over the past year on this. I followed everything you wrote from the other thread and you kept going until you answered every last one of my questions that I never physically asked! THANK YOU!!!
Also, Viggin900 and Oneangrymo probably a couple of others in there.
With the new game prices coming out especially after today's Stern increase, I'm literally priced out of real games from here on out and certainly don't have the room for more machines. I have space for one game and it was gonna be a Godzilla Prem, but nope. Market dictated that choice.
So...started researching this virtual world and 66 pages was a long haul. haha.
PanzerFreak Was the backbox hard to remove cable-wise or any other issue? I definitely have to remove that and hopefully the actual cab width is less than 29 inches?
Anyway, thanks for all the knowledge, people! It didn't go for nothing.
I'm thinking I'm in. Gotta sleep on it for a couple more days.
Oh yeah and the friscopinball hero too! Awesome stream! Made a difference!
Best wishes
r/
Mike
Happy to have helped! Thanks. Removing the cables for the backbox wasn't that difficult. Before removing the head I would definitely take pictures and watch the latest backbox removal video from Roland for 6.0 games. There was no way I could get the game down into my basement with the head on due to the head cabinet width (wider then a widebody cabinet head). I would definitely recommend having someone help you with lifting the head, I should have waited for my wife to help but was stubborn and nearly dropped the thing lol.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:its actually really weird going from virtual back to a real machine after only playing virtual for a few weeks. the real machine feels weird now, like too much 3d. And like what is what that big metal ball making so much noise and ruckus.
Lol I know what you mean! It’s very odd at first. I played my TMNT last night for the first time in a while and thought “This game feels small and very loud”!
2 weeks later
If there's one table I would recommend updating it's the Lord of the Rings VPW Valinor edition one. Below are the steps for how to update the table. This one adds a really cool Pup Pack that adds videos and animations for modes in the game. The process below can be used to update tables that already exist on your Ultra VP. I would create a clone of your original drive and then only modify files on the new cloned drive incase something messes up.
1. Download the file here https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/8828-lord-of-the-rings-valinor-edition-stern-2003-vpw/
2. Open F:\vPinball\VisualPinball\Tables on the Ultra VP drive (drive defaults to F when connected to my PC using a docking station, may be different on yours)
3. Copy the original "Lord of the Rings Valinor Edition (Stern 2003) VPW v1.0" file and save it somewhere on your PC as a backup
4. Rename the new 1.3 file to the exact name of the original, in this case "Lord of the Rings Valinor Edition (Stern 2003) VPW v1.0".
5. Delete the original file at F:\vPinball\VisualPinball\Tables
6. Copy / paste the new file
7. Done
1 week later
Quoted from SLAMT1LT:PinCabs are flat and lifeless in my opinion. VR is the way to go.
Why are you here bashing PinCabs? This is basically an owners thread for Ultra VP owners. Please go to the general virtual pinball thread to bash there.
As someone who has tried VR pinball, even built their own VR pinball cabinet (sold it this year), I much prefer full size Pincabs such as the Ultra VP 6.0. Why? I don't have to wear a headset. #2, I don't have to wear a headset lol. Do you wear a head in real life to play pinball? No. IMO VR actually takes away from immersion as again you are wearing a headset. Also even today's best VR headsets still suffer from the screen door effect and this is especially noticeable in VR pinball for things such as inserts and the text on them. A sharp 120hz 4K display in the real world still can't be beat when it comes to image quality.
Finally, VR pinball cabinets do not have the weight of a real pinball machine or the capacity for the mechs for proper DOF + SOF. I much prefer a full size Pincab that mimics the look and feel of an actual pinball machine over a VR pinball cab which like VR itself seems like a theme park novelty that you enjoy for a few minutes and that's it.
RRW is planning an update for the Ultra VP 6.0 that will add VR support which will be interesting to at least try given the weight of the full size cabinet and all of the DOF + SSF devices in it.
Quoted from Mr_Outlane:Wrong.
My HP Reverb G2 has zero screen door effect. With a resolution of 2160 x 2160 per eye, it is beyond 4K. It's also a comfortable headset with good audio. For single player VR rocks! I also find VP to be lacking in graphics. But I don't really notice this in VR. This will change in time with the use of modern 3d graphic engines, but we are not there yet. If you dig it, all the power to you. I have 9 real pins for multiplayer. A VR setup will add a unique experience for my pinhead gatherings. Nobody I know has experienced it yet.
As far as weight and room for DOF and SSF, all you have to do is build the stubby cab larger. Less than half the length of a real cab will suffice and you can add all the weight you want. Those early ultra-thin Pinsim designs were just stupid.
BTW, I plan to mount two 32 inch displays on wall mounts in portrait for VPX and FX3. No need for a full cab.
There is still a screen door effect with the HP Reverb G2 and it's most noticeable when looking at insert text in VR pinball. Maybe when we get to 8K or 16k VR displays the screen door effect will finally be gone. 4K is great but the problem is VR headset users are looking at a display 1" from their eye balls so of course they will see pixels lol.
VR is a cool concept but IMO it's still a novelty like a theme park ride...fun for a few minutes but do you really want to be in it for 30 minutes, an hour or two? I want to play pinball without a headset, easily grab a beer, glance over to my TV where the football game is on, etc as well those are examples of how real pinball is played. Also playing VR pinball with friends or family just sounds odd. "You're up, here's my sweaty headset". Those are a few reasons why there's still a demand for full size vpins. With all of the being said I'm still looking forward to trying VR pinball with the Ultra VP at some point.
Not sure why all of a sudden there's a couple people here bashing full size cabinets in what is an Ultra VP Club thread...Please take the bashing to the general virtual pinball thread lol.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:yeah its definitely pretty cool hearing the coins drop in, hearing the ball drop when it reaches the end of the shooter lane, make noises when it goes up and down ramps, and in some games across the playfield.
pretty damn cool.
Makes it feel pretty realistic.
I may eventually replace the solenoids at some point if I have the energy and strength, that would be the only thing I can think of to do to make it one step closer to a real machine.
Im going to say it again I love these PUP packages. Monster bash and Tron so far are just awesome.
can anyone here tell me step by step how to install new pup packs on the VP 6.0? I have seen some videos but still confused. I want to install that bond one
Trying to figure out the same thing. I've only updated existing tables on the Ultra VP.
There's a great post in this thread by brannonrad for updating tables. Maybe
brannonrad can add a guide for adding new tables?
2 weeks later
2.5 software update is out! Did anyone else open a ticket for the new 2.5 software and receive a download link? I opened one a couple days ago but haven't heard anything yet.
Quoted from mikepmcs:UPDATE: PanzerFreak I received my confirmation and invoice today on the new software/additional ssd. Hopefully you received an email by now.
r/
Mike
Nice! Nothing yet here. When did you submit the ticket? I submitted a ticket on Tuesday 11/15.
Quoted from Oneangrymo:I’m still waiting for email about 2.5 request
Same here 
1 month later
Iron Maiden VPW is out! Thank you brannonrad for the guides! This is a huge help, can't thank you enough. I've never tackled adding a new table but will try with your guides.
https://vpuniverse.com/files/file/12603-iron-maiden-legacy-of-the-beast-original-2022-vpw/
Quoted from wtatumjr:Howdy! I'm new to virtual. There seem to be a couple of price points - around 5K and 9K. Is the 9K 4K better? Are they pretty dependable maintenance wise?
Welcome to the world of virtual pinball! It's fun.
The virtual pins around $9k typically have far more features and are built to look as well as feel like a real pinball machine. There's a number of other manufactures in the $5k - $8k price range (not Xtreme or Rec Room World) that make some nice vpins but they don't have as many DOF devices (if any), typically rely just on SSF, and the PC hardware isn't as powerful. Most of these seem to have a rather odd build look to them as well such as awkward looking metal or wood bars where a traditional lockdown bar would be, some even protruding off the ends of the cabinet. Example below, just looks uncomfortable.
Installed the new Iron Maiden VPW table on my Ultra VP last night. First off thank you, thank you, and thank you to brannonrad for the adding new table instructions. I wouldn't have been able to install the table without your guide, can't thank you enough as have been wondering for months how to install a new table. I did install the Pup Pack, and bought the music on Amazon as directed in the Pup Pack install.
Some tips and observations
1. With the latest 2.5 software pressing "x" to close the Pinup software doesn't work as apparently there's now something called VP Guardian that has to be stopped first, otherwise Pinup just relaunches. I pressed alt + tab to tab over to VP Guardian and stop it. You can also try using the alt + F4 to stop Pinup, you can easily relaunch it from the start menu
2. You will have to play around with your POV settings after installing the new table. I tried the settings below as recommended from someone on the VP Forums. I still had to adjust the scale settings a bit to get the table to fit the Ultra VP well. I'm going to check what POV settings the XMEN LE VPW tables uses as looks excellent on the Ultra VP IMO. You can install the XMEN VPW table with a simply copy and paste (rename file method) versus a new install.
1)Rotate from 270 to 0 degrees
2)Remove the X offset
3)Set X scale to 1.25-1.4
4)Set Y scale to .98-1.1
https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=47713
Video for how to get into POV settings (to adjust the settings I used the flipper buttons)
Quoted from Phinner21:That looks awesome! What Ultra model and monitor are you running again?
6.0 with the factory 120hz LCD.
The new X-men VPW looks great too!
2 weeks later
Quoted from mikepmcs:Question for either brannonrad or PanzerFreak. I'm trying to do this with my backup version 2.5 1tb hardrive on my laptop away from the game. There is nothing on my laptop C drive pertaining to pinball but the hard drive that I have plugged in via the cloning station says drive F: so I've been trying to do the steps to update and or add and then physically change out the little hard drives drives on my ultra vp to see if it works. It does not work.
Do I have to make the changes on the ultra vp only? Is this my issue? You mention C drive in your tutorial but the hard drive that holds all the games is not the C drive. The c drive is the main drive to the computer.
So on the ultra vp I have to go in to windows and use the C drive and not the actual drive that has the software on it?( i don't know what that drive is lettered cause I've never looked)
Basically I cannot do it on my laptop?
Also, if there is a video of this for the ultra vp somewhere on that facebook page you have access to, can you link me to it. I really need a visual as my reading comprehension is compromised due to progressing impairment. Simple things for most people are not simple for me any longer and crap gets jumbled up in my brain to the point of dysfunction. I'm strictly a visual learner now, basically. Sucks.
Thanks in advance for any help.
r/
Mike
brannonrad would know for sure but I believe for adding new tables and accessing the Pop Up Software that you need to do that on the Ultra VP itself for it to work correctly. For basic table updates (not new tables) I'll remove the Ultra VP hard drive and attach it to my PC using a dock, then copy / paste the updated table (plus rename it to how the file is on the Ultra VP).
However, for adding new tables from scratch I first added any new files while the Ultra VP hard drive is docked to my home PC. Next I'll connect the Ultra VP hard drive back to the game and go through the add steps that brannonrad provided. There may be something with directory relationships and file paths that prevents us from doing this while docked.
2 weeks later
Quoted from mattdawg:Picked up my ultra 6.0 yesterday. Long 3 hour drive both ways. Worth it though. Loving it so far.
I'll start tinkering once my extra drive comes from Amazon and I clone the current one. That way I have a good fail safe. I'm still not exactly sure why Roland doesn't recommend using the 2nd drive he gives for this case but I'll follow orders. I'm not sure if there's ever an actual use case for the standby drive he provides.
The flipper buttons don't provide much feedback and the ball is indeed larger than a normal pinball but I am still happy with. The whole experience (solenoids, 7.1, subwoofer, screen size, leds, etc) is pretty amazing. I'll probably play with the views at some point.
Roland assured me multiple times that the playfield monitor is 120 hz. It does look it when I play. I will confirm it myself at some point by going into the monitor settings in Windows where you can see the hz in there.
It's kind of funny when the sirens go off as I will ask my wife if they had gone off yet. She said multiple times. They are just so high up there that I can't really notice when they go off.
Roland stated the leg protectors help with the bubbling around the legs. I may still make an outline with an exacto knife around those protectors.[quoted image]
Congrats! Looks great.
1 month later
Thanks for the notes about the 64 bit upgrade, I may have to do this. Any word on when we may see another software release from RRW?
Quoted from mattdawg:I am going to bet it will be the same time every year. I am late to the game but I think I seen it was released last time in November? That right? If so, I would bet it'll be November again.
I personally will probably not use their next release as I have upgraded everything myself and have customizations, high scores, etc I don't want to lose. I am sure the next release will be a must though for anyone that hasn't done the upgrades.
Yeah that sounds about right. I'm likely going to hold off on the 64 bit upgrade until RRW does it. Seems like at least a few RRW owners on the Facebook Group are reporting issues after performing the 64 bit upgrade properly on their own (issues with other tables).
I wonder if all new / future VPW tables at this point will require 64 bit support.
3 weeks later
Quoted from BloodSpawnDevil:Been reading through this considering getting one of these or building myself. Seems like most virtual pins are 43 inch 16:9 TVs or monitors. Does anyone know what exactly is in this vpin that can be 49 inch with such a low width for the cabinet? I cannot find anything like it!
It's a 49" 4K 120hz IPS monitor (possibly made by LG) with the bezel removed. RRW advertises how the display is a commercial monitor and is very robust. A commercial monitor is supposed to have higher grade components designed for operating around the clock. The Ultra VP should have a commercial screen but there's really no way of knowing for sure. I don't think a monitor model number has ever been reported. There's never been widespread reports of monitor issues on the Ultra VP which is good. Some early 6.0's, such as mine, had faulty 120hz screens. RRW replaced mine for free but at the time I needed drive to RRW (nearly a 9 hour round trip) to get it as shipping companies were damaging the replacement screens. Never had an issue with the screen after that.
RRW can get away with a larger screen as the cabinet itself is simply wider then a traditional pinball cabinet.
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider PanzerFreak.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
Reply
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!
Donate to PinsideGreat to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
