DJI Virtual Flight Poor Image Quality in Goggles

The DJI Virtual Flight is a simple but unique FPV drone simulator made by DJI to use altogether with the DJI FPV Remote Controller and DJI Goggles 2, DJI FPV Goggles v2, or Integra.

This is the only simulator that fully supports training with any of the DJI Goggles on.

But if you are reading this article, that means you also have the problem where the image quality in your goggles is poor, pixelate and make it unusable with the simulator.

What can be the cause?

After update 16.4 on iOS, both for iPhones and iPads, the image quality shows artifacts when you want to fly a drone in DJI Virtual Flight. On the phone screen, the image quality is clear, but what you see on your goggles is unusable. These devices with newer iOS or iPadOS versions are incompatible with DJI Goggles to use with DJI Virtual Flight.

The issue was solved with the iOS Update 17.4.1 and the Goggles can now be used with DJI Virtual Flight - However, I'm unsure if the issue was solved for all the devices and goggles, and if it's a temporary or permanent fix. For this reason, we recommend you check this article for up-to-date data or keep reading for your information.

I will try to cover in this topic everything is to know why the image quality is terrible on goggles when using the DJI Virtual Flight.

The issue persists with DJI FPV Goggles v2. Others has reported to have the same problem with DJI Goggles 2, but I haven’t tested yet.

What is DJI Virtual Flight, and how can it be used with DJI Goggles?

The DJI Virtual Flight is a free mobile FPV simulator released by DJI for both Android and iOS devices that will allow you to practice before flying your DJI FPV or Avata outdoors.

But this simulator is not like any other one.

In fact, it is the only simulator where the goggles made by DJI are fully compatible to use and train, so you will get a glimpse of how it would be to fly with goggles on.

To train in this simulator, you will have to download the DJI Virtual Flight app on your mobile device and connect it to your goggles (DJI FPV Goggles v2, DJI Goggles 2, or DJI Integra).

Then turn on your DJI FPV remote controller, and if this is bound to the drone and goggles, you should be able to fully use the simulator.

The remote controller cannot be used if connected directly to the mobile phone. Please also make sure your drone is not powered on when using the simulator.

With this combination, you can choose from the simulator, either the DJI FPV or DJI Avata drone, and fly them with the goggles on your head and the original DJI FPV Remote Controller 2 as you will fly in reality.

Unfortunately, suppose you are looking for alternatives to use your DJI goggles and train in simulators on computers or mobile phones. In that case, this won’t work, and the workaround would also be offering a poor-quality image that doesn’t provide any good experience.

» READ MORE: 9 Tips to Keep Your FPV Goggles Safe

Why the image quality is poor on Goggles with DJI Virtual Flight?

Currently, if you have issues where your image quality on the goggles is poor, you should get something like this:

• If you connect and use the goggles on the simulator menu and even start a map, there are no artifacts where your DJI goggles will have standard image quality.
• But as soon as you start flying your drone in the simulator, suddenly, it looks like the data transmission on Goggles is extremely poor, making it totally unusable.
• The more details are loaded from the map, the worse it will be.

I have tested this with two iPhones and two iPads. But each of these was of version 16.4 and newer, the version when everything started to fail with this simulator.

DJI Virtual Flight Poor Goggles Image Quality on iPhone 

I have an iPhone 13 Pro, and ever since this was updated to iOS version 16.4, the virtual flight simulator stopped working as expected.

The simulator will start, and you won’t have any app issues, but the image you receive on the goggles is unusable if you want to use this simulator to train in FPV.

I also tested with about five different data cables, and none made a difference. 

Moreover, ever since the release of iOS 16.4, I have tested the simulator with every new update or DJI Virtual Flight updates to see if they have been fixed. 

But unfortunately, as I am writing this article, the current iOS version is 16.5.1 (c), and the DJI Virtual Flight still doesn’t work well with any DJI Goggles.

» READ MORE: How to Learn FPV in Simulators (Ultimate Guide)

DJI Virtual Flight Poor Goggles Image Quality on iPad

Same as with any iPhone, after the iPadOS update 16.4, the DJI Virtual flight works just fine on an iPad, but the image transmitted to the goggles shatters and is very pixelated. Tested on iPad Pro 11 inch with M1 CPU and 12.9-inch 3rd gen.

Indeed, you can use an iPad to train and benefit from a larger screen in DJI Virtual Flight, but in this case, you still have to have the DJI Goggles connected to the iPad in order to have a connection to the DJI FPV Remote Controller.

But long story short, the image transmitted to the goggles in DJI Virtual Flight has the same poor results as the one when using an iPhone with any updated version after 16.4

Why DJI hasn’t responded to this specific issue?

This issue is a hot topic across DJI Forum (or Here, and Reddit, just to name a few cases), with many drone pilots who express ingratitude as to why the issue hasn’t been solved in such a long time.

It would be logical that the poor image quality in the goggles issue for the DJI Virtual Flight will be solved in the future, but it appears this is not a priority for DJI.

Is there any fix to the DJI Virtual Flight’s poor image quality in goggles?

Unfortunately, if you updated your Apple device past version 16.4, there is no fix for this. You cannot roll back to an earlier iOS or iPadOS.

The only alternative would be if you have an iPhone or iPad with an older operating system that is not affected.

As far as the DJI staff response from the DJI Forum, it appears that there’s an incompatibility issue between the newer iOS version and the app.

If you have an Android device, the DJI Virtual Flight appears to work just fine, and no issues have been reported at all.

At this time, we can only wait for the new updates of the iOS and DJI Virtual Flight to see if this will be fixed;

» READ MORE: Is FPV SkyDive Free to Play?