Can I simulate the PC VR Preview CPU & GPU load while editing in the UE5 editor (specially without donning a HMD)?

Hi there!

I’ve entered the wonderful world of PC/Desktop VR optimization in Unreal Engine! It’s even more fun than I expected, but I have one issue I’d like to address. Currently, I use a viewport size of 1526x580 (885 KP) when editing a VR project in the Unreal Engine 5 editor on my full HD monitor. However, when I run a VR Preview with Meta Quest 2, the viewport size becomes 4128x2096 (8.652 MP), which means there’s a significant performance difference between editing on the PC and previewing in VR.

To assess the impact of simple editor changes, such as hiding lights or objects, and to ensure I’m hitting the minimum framerate, I have to make a single change, run the VR Preview and wear the VR headset. This process can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Although I understand the differences between the editor, Preview modes, Standalone Game, and the final packaged project, I’m looking for a way to test more frequently and accurately within the editor itself, without relying heavily on VR Preview.

Is there a way to emulate stereo and use a higher resolution than the editor viewport size while editing? This would help me better approximate the CPU and GPU load of the VR Preview while still being able to utilize the UE editor’s functionality, such as showing/hiding items in the Outliner. It could potentially save me a significant amount of time.

Thank you!