e6 Connect with iPad iOS - first impressions

[sirish19]

Due to my outdoor setup with the SkyTrak and Net Return, I needed a portable solution so use it with a 6th generation iPad. As such, I had been limited WGT for simulation games. To be honest, I have really enjoyed WGT and feel the graphics and shot simulation is actually very good, especially for being free. One of the things that I don't like about WGT is the inability to play multiplayer locally.

When I saw that E6 Connect was now supporting iOS and had a demo version, I was very excited to give it a go. I have played a couple of rounds of the Aviara Golf Club so far and, although it is alright, I don't think it is great on my iPad. The graphics really aren't that great and it is a bit slow and choppy. For example, when you select the flyover, you see trees and things in the background appear as you are getting closer. I assume it would be a lot better on an iPad Pro but I would be curious to be able to compare the two.

A few other things that I don't really like:

• On the iPad, the map view on the right side of the screen is actually very small and it makes it hard to aim. If I use my finger to set the target, my finger actually covers up the target and makes it very hard to aim shots. From what I can tell, the only way to get a full view of the hole in e6 is to select the flyover. However, you can't stop the flyover at any point so your aim is either from ground view or from the small hole view. This is very different from WGT where you can get several views and can aim very accurately.
• On e6, and on my iPad, the yardages on the screen following the shot are very small and hard to read.
• With WGT, I also like the fact that you get the sound of the hit from the club as you see the shot. With e6, the shot just happens.

These are just a few of my initial observation. Will play around a little more this weekend as I am deciding whether or not it is worth the $300/year or whether I am more satisfied with WGT.

Does anyone else have any other observations?

[hype03]

I just downloaded the e6 Connect iPad demo myself, but haven't yet had a chance to test it. I will give it a go this weekend myself and report back my take on it. I am surprised to hear that you are fond of WGT. I always feared it would be a bit more on the arcadey side of things, but encouraged that you like it. I haven't upgraded to the GIP yet as I have been trying to figure out which sim I want to invest in. Do you know if there is a 30 day limit on the demo?

[GungHoGolf]

E6 Connect Graphics on iOS are only 640x480 pixel resolution, and on WGT the graphics are actually real static photographs, so no doubt graphics look better on WGT. E6 is true 3D, however, so your perspective won't be fixed to wherever the WGT camera was on the course. Also ball physics on E6C are very, very good.

On PC, E6 Connect looks very good, 4K / 60fps, and rivals TGC19. It's too bad they cannot get close to the resolution on iOS, but I can only assume it was done for performance reasons.

[happybob]

Where do you download the E6 connect iPad demo? From the Apple App Store, or from TrueGolf website?

[hype03]

you can download it from the apple app store.

[GungHoGolf]

Where do you download the E6 connect iPad demo? From the Apple App Store, or from TrueGolf website?

Request the demo at https://e6golf.com/e6-connect/demo/, then download the iOS app in the Apple App Store. If you're on PC, you'll get a download link for the Windows installer in an email.

[sirish19]

For the Demo for iOS, I downloaded e6 from the Apple App Store. It was very easy to download and set up. Just registered and the 30 day trial started.

I gave it another go this morning and I was really disappointed with the number of misreads I was getting. I played Aviara and when I got to the #3 Par 3, I had to hit the ball about 10 times before I got it to read. I was also having trouble with it reading puts. I am outside and it was just started to get into the sunlight so that may have had something to do with it. However, I switched to WGT snd I wasn't getting any misreads until a little bit later when I was in direct sunlight. I will give it a go again in the late afternoon once the setup gets into the shade.

[sirish19]

Also, regarding the misreads, one of the other things that I like about WGT is the it gives you an audible chime when it is ready for you to hit. We don't get anything like that in e6 and it seems like the misread error message stayed up too long. I wasn't quite sure when and if it was ready to hit.

[sirish19]

E6 Connect Graphics on iOS are only 640x480 pixel resolution, and on WGT the graphics are actually real static photographs, so no doubt graphics look better on WGT. E6 is true 3D, however, so your perspective won't be fixed to wherever the WGT camera was on the course. Also ball physics on E6C are very, very good.

On PC, E6 Connect looks very good, 4K / 60fps, and rivals TGC19. It's too bad they cannot get close to the resolution on iOS, but I can only assume it was done for performance reasons.

T¥anks GungHoGolf. Do you know if that is the same resolution whether you are on an iPad or iPad Pro? In other words, it still won't look any better on iPad Pro?

When you say ball physics on E6 are very good, do you mean they are more accurate or they give you more data points? Do you think they are that much better than WGT?

I am an Apple guy and have a MacBook Pro that I would love to be able to use with this but it seems that no sims support Mac. I just can't justify spending money for a gaming laptop at the moment. Since my setup is outdoors, I have to take down and put up the Net Return every time (unless we have extended days of nice weather) so I need a very portable system. Also, I can generally only get out and play on the weekends (when there is nice weather) so can't justify this at the moment.

You have a great setup by the way.

[GungHoGolf]

Same graphics on iPad Pro, that’s what I test with. Ball physics meaning how the bounces, spins, and rolls out on fairways and greens. You can use Bootcamp on your MBP to run Windows and E6C or TGC.

[sirish19]

I just downloaded the e6 Connect iPad demo myself, but haven't yet had a chance to test it. I will give it a go this weekend myself and report back my take on it. I am surprised to hear that you are fond of WGT. I always feared it would be a bit more on the arcadey side of things, but encouraged that you like it. I haven't upgraded to the GIP yet as I have been trying to figure out which sim I want to invest in. Do you know if there is a 30 day limit on the demo?

If you are going to stick with SkyTrak, I would definitely recommend the GIP. Not just for the WGT sim support but also for some of the other functions within ST app itself. I really like the bag mapping and wedge matrix functions and utilize those a lot. I am not sure if the other sims have that kind of bag mapping and wedge matrix functions.

As for WGT, yes, I actually do really like it. If I had an indoor setup with projector and impact screen and everything, I would definitely be using something other than WGT. E6 looks promising and with the connect package at $300 a year, it seems to be a pretty good deal. But for my purposes, the iPad iOS option with WGT works really well. You have quite a number of famous courses to choose from as well. I have been playing for over a year and haven't played all of the courses yet and certainly haven't gotten tired of it. It is a lot more engaging and gives you more variety than just hitting in the range mode. When I really want to work on my swing, specific clubs or specific shots, I practice in range mode but when I want to just alternate shots going from driver, irons, chipping and putting, I love WGT. I also like the putting on WGT better than e6 as you can get a 3D green view and really aim your shots and play a lot of break.

If you just want to see how WGT looks, you can download and play it in game mode (i.e., just playing on iPad rather than connecting to the ST. It will look exactly the same on ST except you won't see the player.

[hype03]

Thanks for your feedback! I do think I will end up purchasing the GIP as I do think the features you get with it are well worth it. Throwing WGT is an added bonus. I have been dragging my feet because i guess I want to make sure I’m making the right decision with my purchase as this "sim life" isn’t the cheapest hobby. With the current temporary setup I have in place (Net return, small portable hitting mat, and SkyTrak and laptop & iPad) WGT & GIP make the most sense.

[GungHoGolf]

hype03 You’ll need PIP (Play & Improve Plan, $199/yr) to get WGT. GIP for $99/yr has everything PIP has (besides WGT) and lets you connect to higher-end sims like TGC2019 and E6 Connect.

[sirish19]

Update. I tried E6 out again after my setup became shaded and I had pretty good results with very few misreads.

I have posted the video of the first 14 holes to YouTube in case you are interested to see how it looks.

https://youtu.be/L7kJh3tEe2A

One other thing I noticed is that E6 seems to drain the iPad batter pretty quickly. It also is prone to crash if you open up another program. When I got a warning message that the iPad batter was low and clicked OK, E6 crashed and I had to start all over.

[GungHoGolf]

Thanks, great video. Nice chip-in birdie on 1

[tonybrown32]

Update. I tried E6 out again after my setup became shaded and I had pretty good results with very few misreads.

I have posted the video of the first 14 holes to YouTube in case you are interested to see how it looks.

https://youtu.be/L7kJh3tEe2A

One other thing I noticed is that E6 seems to drain the iPad batter pretty quickly. It also is prone to crash if you open up another program. When I got a warning message that the iPad batter was low and clicked OK, E6 crashed and I had to start all over.

Thanks for the video! I will be using E6 with an iPad 6th gen as well when I get my Mevo+ and have been curious how it will look/work.. I see what you mean about the mild choppiness and graphics... I don't find either all that offensive. I think it looks pretty good actually, but I dont need much for my makeshift garage setup.

I really liked WGT when I had it on my Skytrak. I think I was on the minority, as a lot of people seem to rag on it a little in favor of TGC or E6. WGT graphics were good, gameplay was good, price was great at only $99/year (I consider the $99/yr GIP a necessity personally.. Skytrak is not all that useful to me without the GIP, so another $99 on top of the GIP to play WGT is a real bargain in my opinion compared to other options)

My ONLY criticism of WGT was single player only, and no local multiplayer.. what a huge miss by SkyTrak and WGT. How many people build a sim to always play alone? Dumb.

Looking forward to trying E6 with the Mevo+. Your video helped me feel better about what my experience will be like compared to WGT on Skytrak. I will be completely satisfied with those graphics and how it runs on 6th gen iPad for my purposes. I was getting nervous with some people describing the graphics as horrible and "nintendo" like.. I don't see it that way. Yes foliage is blocky.. I think it will need to be on iPad or will be even choppier... if people want full HD or 4k experience that wont happen on iPad... more power is needed from a gaming PC with graphics card for those types of setups.

[bubbtubbs]

Sidenote: I would be totally satisfied playing golf alone for the rest of my life. I don't need people to try to get my best possible score. Most of my rounds are solo at dusk anyway.

[sirish19]

Thanks for the video! I will be using E6 with an iPad 6th gen as well when I get my Mevo+ and have been curious how it will look/work.. I see what you mean about the mild choppiness and graphics... I don't find either all that offensive. I think it looks pretty good actually, but I dont need much for my makeshift garage setup.

I really liked WGT when I had it on my Skytrak. I think I was on the minority, as a lot of people seem to rag on it a little in favor of TGC or E6. WGT graphics were good, gameplay was good, price was great at only $99/year (I consider the $99/yr GIP a necessity personally.. Skytrak is not all that useful to me without the GIP, so another $99 on top of the GIP to play WGT is a real bargain in my opinion compared to other options)

My ONLY criticism of WGT was single player only, and no local multiplayer.. what a huge miss by SkyTrak and WGT. How many people build a sim to always play alone? Dumb.

Looking forward to trying E6 with the Mevo+. Your video helped me feel better about what my experience will be like compared to WGT on Skytrak. I will be completely satisfied with those graphics and how it runs on 6th gen iPad for my purposes. I was getting nervous with some people describing the graphics as horrible and "nintendo" like.. I don't see it that way. Yes foliage is blocky.. I think it will need to be on iPad or will be even choppier... if people want full HD or 4k experience that wont happen on iPad... more power is needed from a gaming PC with graphics card for those types of setups.

Glad that video helped. Based upon GungHoGolf's comment above, I thought I would give E6 on Bootcamp a try and see if I could get it working on my MBP. So, I downloaded and installed Windows and E6. The first time I launched it, everything seemed ok, the audio came on fine and I was proceeding through setup. Once I went to select the monitor, the app crashed. Thereafter, every time I launch the app, the opening music comes on, sputters, and then the app crashed. I can't get it to do anything.

It seems like the E6 app is very sensitive and prone to crashing. This has been with the iOS version as well as the Windows version. As I mentioned above, when the low battery warning message came up on my iPad and I clicked "OK", the app crashed. If I try to turn on the screen recording, it crashes, etc.

[happybob]

Glad that video helped. Based upon GungHoGolf's comment above, I thought I would give E6 on Bootcamp a try and see if I could get it working on my MBP. So, I downloaded and installed Windows and E6. The first time I launched it, everything seemed ok, the audio came on fine and I was proceeding through setup. Once I went to select the monitor, the app crashed. Thereafter, every time I launch the app, the opening music comes on, sputters, and then the app crashed. I can't get it to do anything.

It seems like the E6 app is very sensitive and prone to crashing. This has been with the iOS version as well as the Windows version. As I mentioned above, when the low battery warning message came up on my iPad and I clicked "OK", the app crashed. If I try to turn on the screen recording, it crashes, etc.

Happy that you are satisfied with the E6 Connect graphics on iOS. I just tried out the E6 Connect iOS demo yesterday, and I have to say that it's utterly garbage. There is no way I'm spending even $300 a year for E6 Connect if I'm only planning on using it on the iPad/iPhone. The 640x480 resolution is completely unacceptable. Even Wii looks better that that, I would say it's more like the original Nintendo. I can't believe they are marketing this for the iOS. I've played with WGT for the past few years since I have the one of the first 100 units of Skytrak when it first came out, and I've been hoping to eventually upgrade to E6 or TGC2019. I had high hopes for E6 Connect due to the convenience of iOS compatibility, but after playing with the demo on my iPhone XS Max yesterday, there's no way! Even my kid's Amazon Fire tablet kid's edition games look better than that. I'm going to download the PC version to demo and see if I change my mind. Perhaps the E6 ball physics is much better than WGT, but for a 13 handicap like me, I couldn't really tell. Maybe if you are only planning on keeping it on the iPad with its small screen, you can get by. I connected my iPad to a 27" 1080p monitor, and it was unbearable to watch. Again, didn't have the same poor graphics with WGT.

[Dax]

I think you will find the PC graphics in Connect to be much better. I have tried it a couple of time’s these pst few days since downloading and have to say it is a good improvement graphics wise over e6. The way in which the grass looks is much more realistic. I think it can still improve based on what else is out there, but it is a good step up over the jump from e6 to e6 1.6, which really did not change much other than making things brighter and improving the look of the water and the sky. (Together with some physics changes).