Gaming Review PlayStation VR: Game changing or soon to be forgotten peripheral?

Plainview

I am a sinner.
Sep 11, 2013
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25,087
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It was about a year ago I bought one of those cheap Cardboard VR headsets for your smart phone. It was cheap, under $10 I think. All it was was cardboard and an elastic strap. While it was cheap, I was immediately hooked on VR. I couldn't believe something so simple made me crave something much bigger in the span of a few minutes.

I wanted an Oculus Rift bad after trying a Cardboard VR. I couldn't justify building a PC that could run Rift games without much compromise. Trying to resist that urge was difficult. I knew I wanted the technology, but the initial price, for me, just scared me away. Then, Sony announced their dreams for PlayStation VR. I was listening.

As time when on, and Sony began to talk more about the PSVR, I didn't think it would provide a believable VR experience. While the Cardboard VR was cool, and got me hooked, I wasn't sure how a sub HD, under powered console, compared to PCs that are needed to run Oculus Rift, would be able to get me to believe VR on a home console will be a possible in a way that wasn't a gimmick. I was hesitant.

At $499 for the PSVR and $299 for a PlayStation 4 Slim, or $399 for a PlayStation 4 Pro, you're looking at roughly the cost of a bottom spec PC that'll be capable of running Oculus Rift games. Then you need to add in the $600 cost for the Oculus Rift. There's a price difference and a spec difference. With that much of a price difference, a PSVR made sense for me. I'd get my VR fix and I didn't have to break the bank to get it. Would I regret that decision? Would it love up to the hype? Would my stomach survive a full VR immersion?


How is the PSVR hardware?

I'm going to get the negatives out of the way in the beginning. The resolution is sub-full HD and it's noticeable. Graphics are not as crisp as a 900/1080 resolution game on a TV. They're just not. You can see a bit of the screen pixels in certain scenes of each game and movie. There are jaggies which detract from the image quality. Lots of them in certain games. Those negatives are hard to ignore looking at it on paper. They're pretty big. For some they may be enough to warrant a pass. However, experience trumps all sometimes.

Taking the negatives above into account, I do not regret my PlayStation VR purchase in any way shape or form. The graphics may be less than optimal. It doesn't matter. The experience far, and I mean far, outweighs the negatives. The motion tracking of the headset is nearly perfect. There's almost no perceptual delay. The graphics may not be 1080p quality, but they're not awful either, in most games. They're just a bit less sharp than what we're used to.

7BU3L0I.jpg

The PSVR headset fits quite well for a variety of sizes. I tried it on, obviously, and also put it on my young niece. She had zero issues with fitting. Her reaction to Allumette was adorable. She was screaming with excitement. She couldn't believe what she was experiencing either. I digress... It only extends out and in and a dial in the back of the headset snugs it up. The extending of the front of the headset is great because it allows you to easily get back to reality with the press of a button and then get back into the VR world.

There is one adjustment missing with the headset, and should have been there instead of sliding the front in and out. The front display needed to be able to tilt from the top towards and away from the cheeks like it was a visor. As it is now, there's some light leaking from the bottom portion of the eye cups. It doesn't affect the picture, but it does affect your view when your eyes look way down. If it was able to be articulated in that way, all like could be eliminated. Also, there seems to be something shiny inside the top portion of the headset because there's some light bouncing around inside that creates a bloom at the top of the viewing ares in some instances. Nikon cameras had this. The fix Nikon did was put black tape inside the body to stop the light splashing.

The headset is light and I didn't feel any weight issues. The cord coming off doesn't get in the way too much. The sound is something to experience also. The headphones included are not great, but the 3D sound, when you turn your head the ear that points away from the screen will have it's volume lowered and the ear that points to the TV will have its volume raised, works very well. It's done seamlessly and added to the immersion.


How is the nausea?

For me, nausea was hit or miss. I feel an uneasy feeling in my stomach for a few hours after using the PSVR. That duration has subsided the more I use it. Here They Lie was an immediate nausea inducer. I mean, immediately. I almost ripped the headset off. The teleportation may be part to blame. The movement was also. It's a slow game, but that didn't matter. I felt quite a bit with RIGS. I thought I would be OK with it, but I wasn't. Drive Club VR, which many seem to be having an issue with, had very little nausea inducing instances. I did feel a little bit, but nothing to make me stop playing the game like Here They Lie and RIGS. On an aside, looking around in the car is simply amazing.

fuGnIC9.jpg

Drive Club VR

After I used the headset in a few more sessions, the nausea was less than it was originally. It wasn't completely gone, but it was substantially less than it was overall. The games that produced the nausea still produced it though. The nausea, overall, is now a slight uneasy feeling in my stomach. Nothing that would deter me from a PSVR and continuing to use it. I'll only be selective in what games I play.


The PlayStation VR Experience

The very first second I put the PSVR headset on, I knew I wouldn't regret my purchase. I'm not sure I can explain in words how profound the PSVR experience is, but I'll try. The PSVR is game changing as far as the world of video game peripherals go. This isn't Kinect. The PSVR isn't a light gun. The PSVR is the real deal. It's an amazing experience that is unmatched in my video game playing life.

The old adage of, 'You have to experience it for yourself,' could not be more fitting. I used a bunch of adjectives in this review, and I'll continue to do so, but they'll never compare to what you'd get first hand. You are put in the game like you've never been before. The world around you is immediately transformed into a fantasy world. You've never lost yourself in a video game like you'll lose yourself in a PSVR game.

aDGqAKN.jpg

Resident Evil 7 (Kitchen Demo)

I played almost ever demo on the disk. Some are boring and throw-aways, like Here They Lie while others are genre altering, Resident Evil 7 for example. Resident Evil being completely VR turns the horror game genre on its head. If you've ever been scared playing a video game, I've never been, you may be unable to play Resident Evil 7 or Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. I've never been scared to play a game, or even scared watching a horror movie, however, the PSVR and Resident Evil 7 and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood made me uncomfortable.

Everything is life size in Resident Evil 7 or Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. You're surrounded by the horror. You're right there in the kitchen in Resident Evil 7 and the clowns in Until Dawn: Rush of Blood are right there in your face. I had to look away from the clowns because it was all to real. You know there's no real threat. You just know it. It doesn't matter. You're affected on a surreal level. The threat becomes too real and I'm sure there will be many people who will not be able to play horror games in a VR world. It's that realistic. Just you wait until you're faced with the woman in Resident Evil 7's Kitchen demo.

azgwJOB.jpg

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood


The Moment When PSVR Went From Great To Amazing

While playing games, and entering the worlds through VR, there was one moment, a defining moment, in my history of playing video games that stands apart from everything else. What's ironic is that the defining moment isn't a video game all. The world of entertainment, and video games, has been changed by a short animated fill called Allumette. I cannot overstate how amazing experiencing Allumette is and it is multiple industry (video games and movies) altering.

Allumette is a short, animated movie. You're observing a floating in the clouds city as you watch the tale of a girl and her mother. I didn't know what booted up when I picked the demo and was sitting there pressing buttons trying to figure out what was going on. I then began hearing footsteps. I couldn't see where they were coming from. By chance, I happened to lean right on my couch. It was then that the power of VR hit me. I was looking behind, and underneath, an arched bridge and was seeing where those footsteps came from.

aUX9vDe.jpg

Allumette

As I watched the girl walk, I moved closer to her until I was staring her in the face. I instinctively moved out of the way to let her walk by and not want to block her way. I turned my head 90 degrees to follow her up the stairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs and knelt down. My living room table was right next to me. I was able to put my elbow on the table and just watch the story unfold. I was completely lost in this girl's world.

The screen turned white and a floating boat appeared. I stood up and noticed there was an opening in the top of the boat. I thought, 'No way could this be possible, could it?' I looked into the opening. I was able to look around inside the boat and see all around it as if it was real life. I was a voyeur in their little world and I was going unnoticed.

There was another part of Allumette that made the real world and VR world collide. A man was walking with a cane and he tripped. His cane slipped out of his hand and fell over the edge of the stairs. When it did, I stuck my hand out to try and catch it. I paused the movie. I had to have a moment to take in what just happened. It was taking me a minute to take it all in.

7sTUUF4.jpg

I've flinched from a ball hitting the camera while watching a video. I've never done anything more than that. Physically trying to physically intervene in a virtual world never crossed my mind as being possible. With Allumette, I felt I was part of the movie's world. I was an all knowing spirit just watching their world unfold. I strongly feel that viewing movies with a VR headset will be part of the future of the movie industry. Imagine being in a Marvel, or DC, movie where you can walk around the world they're fighting in. The possibilities are endless. If VR takes off, like I hope, and believe it will, various industries will embrace it.


Closing Thoughts

My initial Cardboard reaction was spot on. I wanted VR and I wanted it bad. The PlayStation VR confirmed it. I love everything about VR. It's the direction I want to go in gaming. I love everything about it. I don't see VR completely replacing a TV simply because some people will not be able to tolerate it. Until that issue is resolved, going VR will have some drawbacks for some. For me, it's about choosing what games, and experiences, that jive with my comfort level using a VR headset.

The PlayStation VR is the perfect entry level VR device for the masses. The price seems steep upon first glance, but the cost is substantially less than an Oculus Rift and a PC to run it and even less than the Vive. The immersion difference between the PSVR and Cardboard headsets, that includes Gear VR, is like night and day and they cannot be compared.

If you want to get into VR, and don't have a computer to run an Oculus, PSVR is the undeniable choice. If you're on the fence, get out and try it. You won't be disappointed by it. I was on the fence and I'm completely happy with my purchase. You may end up loving it or hating it. One thing's for sure, if you've never tried VR outside of Cardboard, you'll be in for an experience you've never had before and don't realize how amazing it is. Words are difficult to convey they feeling you'll get when you give it a try.

Another downside the PlayStation VR has, for me, as far as VR in general goes, is I'm craving it even more than I was before. I want an Oculus, or Vive really bad. I want more resolution, and, most importantly, more content. The experience of VR is that game changing. If you're taken by VR, you'll want as much content as possible. It's simply amazing and unlike anything I've every experienced gaming, and technology wise, and I'm sure those sentiments will be echoed by many who give it a whirl.

There's so much more I can say about the PlayStation VR and VR in general and I will. I'll write more as the weeks pass about individual games, the hardware, etc., so that people who may not have a chance to play it can get a better idea about jumping into VR or waiting a little bit more. You'll eventually get there. It's just a matter of when.

If you have anymore questions @tag me and I'll answer them for you.
 
It all sounds really cool. Even if I wanted to spend the money to experience VR, I wouldn't be able to take it. I get horrible headaches and motion sickness from a lot of different games...so much that I'm sick the next day afterward. I may take a gamble on this thing if it ever drops to half the price. I'm sure it's worth it at full price, but not in my situation.
 
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It all sounds really cool. Even if I wanted to spend the money to experience VR, I wouldn't be able to take it. I get horrible headaches and motion sickness from a lot of different games...so much that I'm sick the next day afterward. I may take a gamble on this thing if it ever drops to half the price. I'm sure it's worth it at full price, but not in my situation.

Maybe try a demo in store? There are PSVR demo units going around, and MS stores have the Vive to demo as well. I'm prone to motion sickness but I was surprisingly fine with the Vive.
 
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Maybe try a demo in store? There are PSVR demo units going around, and MS stores have the Vive to demo as well. I'm prone to motion sickness but I was surprisingly fine with the Vive.

It's nearly 70 miles (each way) to the nearest Best Buy store that has a demo according to the PS VR site.

Plus, I don't like humans much and wouldn't like having someone watching over me the entire time.
 
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PlayStation VR is suffering from the same things as Oculus Rift: Forced exclusivity of content and mostly gimmick games being released. And when i say gimmick games, i mean games that are spinoff standalone VR experiences rather than doing to best they can to integrate it into current games. Every horror game, walking simulator, space sim, and RTS is extremely compatible with VR, but those games aren't getting fitted for PSVR when they should be their first priority.
 
Good write-up PV, echoes my sentiments wholly.

Just got RIGS and Batman in the mail today and will give them a spin as my 1st 2 "complete" games. Batman because I love the Arkham series, Batman fan, and BadMonk going bonkers over how great it is. RIGS I may not open yet as I am really torn between it and Battlezone. I may wait to hear what others say about each before I decide. I may end up with both too.
 
i tnink ill do the wait and see approach, 12 months time should be cheaper and alot more games out. Also by that time scorpio will be out and ill want too see if they have VR plan.
 
I saw an IGN article awhile ago saying Doom VR was amazing, but I haven't heard anything since. Is it coming to any of the systems?
 
I think it's kinda crappy that while it has become expected to put out an online multiplayer mode in a game, a VR single player version is just too much to ask.

I'm not saying that every game warrants a VR version, or there aren't some major setup or HUD changes that would need to be made, but it shouldn't be rocket science to include a VR mode with a decent amount of games, especially any FPS types.

Whatever happens, I just really want to play a proper Portal game in VR, and this better happen at some point... hopefully on console, as well. Yes, I'm well aware of that Vive demo.
 
I think it's kinda crappy that while it has become expected to put out an online multiplayer mode in a game, a VR single player version is just too much to ask.

I'm not saying that every game warrants a VR version, or there aren't some major setup or HUD changes that would need to be made, but it shouldn't be rocket science to include a VR mode with a decent amount of games, especially any FPS types.

Whatever happens, I just really want to play a proper Portal game in VR, and this better happen at some point... hopefully on console, as well. Yes, I'm well aware of that Vive demo.

Ive already noticed there are different levels of emmersion in games. A well done VR game makes you feel like you're actually standing in the game. A lesser version has objects with more of that 3D movie look to them and the emmersion just isnt the same.
To do VR well is a huge task Im sure.
 
It was about a year ago I bought one of those cheap Cardboard VR headsets for your smart phone. It was cheap, under $10 I think. All it was was cardboard and an elastic strap. While it was cheap, I was immediately hooked on VR. I couldn't believe something so simple made me crave something much bigger in the span of a few minutes.

I wanted an Oculus Rift bad after trying a Cardboard VR. I couldn't justify building a PC that could run Rift games without much compromise. Trying to resist that urge was difficult. I knew I wanted the technology, but the initial price, for me, just scared me away. Then, Sony announced their dreams for PlayStation VR. I was listening.

As time when on, and Sony began to talk more about the PSVR, I didn't think it would provide a believable VR experience. While the Cardboard VR was cool, and got me hooked, I wasn't sure how a sub HD, under powered console, compared to PCs that are needed to run Oculus Rift, would be able to get me to believe VR on a home console will be a possible in a way that wasn't a gimmick. I was hesitant.

At $499 for the PSVR and $299 for a PlayStation 4 Slim, or $399 for a PlayStation 4 Pro, you're looking at roughly the cost of a bottom spec PC that'll be capable of running Oculus Rift games. Then you need to add in the $600 cost for the Oculus Rift. There's a price difference and a spec difference. With that much of a price difference, a PSVR made sense for me. I'd get my VR fix and I didn't have to break the bank to get it. Would I regret that decision? Would it love up to the hype? Would my stomach survive a full VR immersion?


How is the PSVR hardware?

I'm going to get the negatives out of the way in the beginning. The resolution is sub-full HD and it's noticeable. Graphics are not as crisp as a 900/1080 resolution game on a TV. They're just not. You can see a bit of the screen pixels in certain scenes of each game and movie. There are jaggies which detract from the image quality. Lots of them in certain games. Those negatives are hard to ignore looking at it on paper. They're pretty big. For some they may be enough to warrant a pass. However, experience trumps all sometimes.

Taking the negatives above into account, I do not regret my PlayStation VR purchase in any way shape or form. The graphics may be less than optimal. It doesn't matter. The experience far, and I mean far, outweighs the negatives. The motion tracking of the headset is nearly perfect. There's almost no perceptual delay. The graphics may not be 1080p quality, but they're not awful either, in most games. They're just a bit less sharp than what we're used to.

7BU3L0I.jpg

The PSVR headset fits quite well for a variety of sizes. I tried it on, obviously, and also put it on my young niece. She had zero issues with fitting. Her reaction to Allumette was adorable. She was screaming with excitement. She couldn't believe what she was experiencing either. I digress... It only extends out and in and a dial in the back of the headset snugs it up. The extending of the front of the headset is great because it allows you to easily get back to reality with the press of a button and then get back into the VR world.

There is one adjustment missing with the headset, and should have been there instead of sliding the front in and out. The front display needed to be able to tilt from the top towards and away from the cheeks like it was a visor. As it is now, there's some light leaking from the bottom portion of the eye cups. It doesn't affect the picture, but it does affect your view when your eyes look way down. If it was able to be articulated in that way, all like could be eliminated. Also, there seems to be something shiny inside the top portion of the headset because there's some light bouncing around inside that creates a bloom at the top of the viewing ares in some instances. Nikon cameras had this. The fix Nikon did was put black tape inside the body to stop the light splashing.

The headset is light and I didn't feel any weight issues. The cord coming off doesn't get in the way too much. The sound is something to experience also. The headphones included are not great, but the 3D sound, when you turn your head the ear that points away from the screen will have it's volume lowered and the ear that points to the TV will have its volume raised, works very well. It's done seamlessly and added to the immersion.


How is the nausea?

For me, nausea was hit or miss. I feel an uneasy feeling in my stomach for a few hours after using the PSVR. That duration has subsided the more I use it. Here They Lie was an immediate nausea inducer. I mean, immediately. I almost ripped the headset off. The teleportation may be part to blame. The movement was also. It's a slow game, but that didn't matter. I felt quite a bit with RIGS. I thought I would be OK with it, but I wasn't. Drive Club VR, which many seem to be having an issue with, had very little nausea inducing instances. I did feel a little bit, but nothing to make me stop playing the game like Here They Lie and RIGS. On an aside, looking around in the car is simply amazing.

fuGnIC9.jpg

Drive Club VR

After I used the headset in a few more sessions, the nausea was less than it was originally. It wasn't completely gone, but it was substantially less than it was overall. The games that produced the nausea still produced it though. The nausea, overall, is now a slight uneasy feeling in my stomach. Nothing that would deter me from a PSVR and continuing to use it. I'll only be selective in what games I play.


The PlayStation VR Experience

The very first second I put the PSVR headset on, I knew I wouldn't regret my purchase. I'm not sure I can explain in words how profound the PSVR experience is, but I'll try. The PSVR is game changing as far as the world of video game peripherals go. This isn't Kinect. The PSVR isn't a light gun. The PSVR is the real deal. It's an amazing experience that is unmatched in my video game playing life.

The old adage of, 'You have to experience it for yourself,' could not be more fitting. I used a bunch of adjectives in this review, and I'll continue to do so, but they'll never compare to what you'd get first hand. You are put in the game like you've never been before. The world around you is immediately transformed into a fantasy world. You've never lost yourself in a video game like you'll lose yourself in a PSVR game.

aDGqAKN.jpg

Resident Evil 7 (Kitchen Demo)

I played almost ever demo on the disk. Some are boring and throw-aways, like Here They Lie while others are genre altering, Resident Evil 7 for example. Resident Evil being completely VR turns the horror game genre on its head. If you've ever been scared playing a video game, I've never been, you may be unable to play Resident Evil 7 or Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. I've never been scared to play a game, or even scared watching a horror movie, however, the PSVR and Resident Evil 7 and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood made me uncomfortable.

Everything is life size in Resident Evil 7 or Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. You're surrounded by the horror. You're right there in the kitchen in Resident Evil 7 and the clowns in Until Dawn: Rush of Blood are right there in your face. I had to look away from the clowns because it was all to real. You know there's no real threat. You just know it. It doesn't matter. You're affected on a surreal level. The threat becomes too real and I'm sure there will be many people who will not be able to play horror games in a VR world. It's that realistic. Just you wait until you're faced with the woman in Resident Evil 7's Kitchen demo.

azgwJOB.jpg

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood


The Moment When PSVR Went From Great To Amazing

While playing games, and entering the worlds through VR, there was one moment, a defining moment, in my history of playing video games that stands apart from everything else. What's ironic is that the defining moment isn't a video game all. The world of entertainment, and video games, has been changed by a short animated fill called Allumette. I cannot overstate how amazing experiencing Allumette is and it is multiple industry (video games and movies) altering.

Allumette is a short, animated movie. You're observing a floating in the clouds city as you watch the tale of a girl and her mother. I didn't know what booted up when I picked the demo and was sitting there pressing buttons trying to figure out what was going on. I then began hearing footsteps. I couldn't see where they were coming from. By chance, I happened to lean right on my couch. It was then that the power of VR hit me. I was looking behind, and underneath, an arched bridge and was seeing where those footsteps came from.

aUX9vDe.jpg

Allumette

As I watched the girl walk, I moved closer to her until I was staring her in the face. I instinctively moved out of the way to let her walk by and not want to block her way. I turned my head 90 degrees to follow her up the stairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs and knelt down. My living room table was right next to me. I was able to put my elbow on the table and just watch the story unfold. I was completely lost in this girl's world.

The screen turned white and a floating boat appeared. I stood up and noticed there was an opening in the top of the boat. I thought, 'No way could this be possible, could it?' I looked into the opening. I was able to look around inside the boat and see all around it as if it was real life. I was a voyeur in their little world and I was going unnoticed.

There was another part of Allumette that made the real world and VR world collide. A man was walking with a cane and he tripped. His cane slipped out of his hand and fell over the edge of the stairs. When it did, I stuck my hand out to try and catch it. I paused the movie. I had to have a moment to take in what just happened. It was taking me a minute to take it all in.

7sTUUF4.jpg

I've flinched from a ball hitting the camera while watching a video. I've never done anything more than that. Physically trying to physically intervene in a virtual world never crossed my mind as being possible. With Allumette, I felt I was part of the movie's world. I was an all knowing spirit just watching their world unfold. I strongly feel that viewing movies with a VR headset will be part of the future of the movie industry. Imagine being in a Marvel, or DC, movie where you can walk around the world they're fighting in. The possibilities are endless. If VR takes off, like I hope, and believe it will, various industries will embrace it.


Closing Thoughts

My initial Cardboard reaction was spot on. I wanted VR and I wanted it bad. The PlayStation VR confirmed it. I love everything about VR. It's the direction I want to go in gaming. I love everything about it. I don't see VR completely replacing a TV simply because some people will not be able to tolerate it. Until that issue is resolved, going VR will have some drawbacks for some. For me, it's about choosing what games, and experiences, that jive with my comfort level using a VR headset.

The PlayStation VR is the perfect entry level VR device for the masses. The price seems steep upon first glance, but the cost is substantially less than an Oculus Rift and a PC to run it and even less than the Vive. The immersion difference between the PSVR and Cardboard headsets, that includes Gear VR, is like night and day and they cannot be compared.

If you want to get into VR, and don't have a computer to run an Oculus, PSVR is the undeniable choice. If you're on the fence, get out and try it. You won't be disappointed by it. I was on the fence and I'm completely happy with my purchase. You may end up loving it or hating it. One thing's for sure, if you've never tried VR outside of Cardboard, you'll be in for an experience you've never had before and don't realize how amazing it is. Words are difficult to convey they feeling you'll get when you give it a try.

Another downside the PlayStation VR has, for me, as far as VR in general goes, is I'm craving it even more than I was before. I want an Oculus, or Vive really bad. I want more resolution, and, most importantly, more content. The experience of VR is that game changing. If you're taken by VR, you'll want as much content as possible. It's simply amazing and unlike anything I've every experienced gaming, and technology wise, and I'm sure those sentiments will be echoed by many who give it a whirl.

There's so much more I can say about the PlayStation VR and VR in general and I will. I'll write more as the weeks pass about individual games, the hardware, etc., so that people who may not have a chance to play it can get a better idea about jumping into VR or waiting a little bit more. You'll eventually get there. It's just a matter of when.

If you have anymore questions @tag me and I'll answer them for you.

Morpheus.jpg


The matrix has you :txbsmile:
 
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Funny the conversions I've had with ppl that haven't tried this, most have opinions as if they had. You can't have an opinion on the experience of vr unless you've tried it. It's more than what it looks like.
 
Ive already noticed there are different levels of emmersion in games. A well done VR game makes you feel like you're actually standing in the game. A lesser version has objects with more of that 3D movie look to them and the emmersion just isnt the same.
To do VR well is a huge task Im sure.
Well, there are standards that early on, Oculus was putting in place. That being a standard for depth and size of objects and people in their relationship with the real world counterparts of said deoth, objects, and people. Once this formula is perfected, it can be repeated for every game. They just have to TRY, IMO.

My point was something like multilayer takes a whole team of different development people. VR is not quite as extensive. You really just need at least a single specialist working beside you. I do get what you are saying though, and you wouldn't want to just haphazardly slap a VR mode, with little thought to how well it translates to VR. Do, or do not...
 
Great write up and I agree completely. Gfx are not as sharp are we are used to on our HDTV's but like you said, after a couple mins you forget that as your in that 'game world' and they are not bad at all, Batman VR looks amazing and the detail is fantastic.
Can't wait to see what the future holds, and hey in a few years when we get PSVR 2 lol

I am gonna see if PS4 Pro makes the PSVR experience better, if it makes the visuals sharper then I may get one, I'll wait and see what reviews are like first.

All in all I am super impressed with the PSVR, like Plainview and other PSVR users have said, you have to experience it, it's an amazing bit of kit and I still am gob smacked at Batman VR menu screen, stood on a balcony overlooking Gotham. I am so excited about the possibilities for some remarkable games in the near future. Roll on Robinson
 
Funny the conversions I've had with ppl that haven't tried this, most have opinions as if they had. You can't have an opinion on the experience of vr unless you've tried it. It's more than what it looks like.
That's so true. Watching game play videos of Rush of blood, I was like 'meh', I normally hate light gun style on rail shooters but in VR this game is bloody fantastic, one of the best launch titles imho. (Alongside Batman of course :p)
Watching a gameplay video of someone playing Kitchen cannot convey the feeling of dread being tied in that chair, the fear you actually feel when 'it' comes in the room. I saw some gameplay videos of Robinson and thought, that looks cool but I was so wrong, trying out the demo and staring up at trees which looked a mile high while then peering over the edge of a cliff which dropped for hundreds of feet, you cannot explain the size and scale unless you were there man, YOU WERENT THERE MAN!!! I was and it was beautiful :)
 
Ive already noticed there are different levels of emmersion in games. A well done VR game makes you feel like you're actually standing in the game. A lesser version has objects with more of that 3D movie look to them and the emmersion just isnt the same.
To do VR well is a huge task Im sure.
I was trying to find some videos about the development process for VR titles, I am interested about how they are put together and is it that much different from normal video games?
 
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Great write up. Meant to post more here, forgot my pass and was too lazy to look it up where I store them, physically written down. Anyway, I'm very happy with my launch bundle PSVR. As many state, resolution on some experiences is limited but when done correctly, it doesn't matter at all for myself. Vr is an attempt to simulate human FOV also. I believe a FOV that actually wrapped the screen around your eyes would go much further than just higher resolution. If VR could put an image more within your peripheral vision, it would add immensely to the already fantastic immersion. We're probably a ways away from this I'm guessing.

I've tried a ton of stuff. So far I've been sick only because I moved my camera from a rock solid chest height sitting position to top of the TV. I also experienced tracking issues with the top of the TV setup. This expanded my view in some games, from, slightly to much more. That setup change made me feel different but I noticed in BatleZone and Eve demo, I was sitting further back into the cockpit which made me a little queezy in both. I'm extremely tolerant so there wasn't a reason to stop. I believe lack of "real" peripheral vision might be the cause of much of peoples nausea.

The Scavengers Oddysey got pretty bad for my stomach but my brain and eyes were fine. If you feel your stomach turning/queezy, take some deep breaths. It helps some. There are other things you can do to tolerate sickness but it's hard to explain them, as I learned them f***ing around with lucid dreaming in the past. For some reason just looking up in Scavengers Oddysey into space produces a slight feeling, very slight. Even though my stomach was screwed playing I was still able to jump all over the place during battles without puking or whatever.

If anyone is getting sick, try setting up the camera about chest high to where you'll be sitting. Also, try taking a sip of something acidic or even highly carbonated/both. Coca-Cola/Pepsi/sparkling water/tangy lemonades are all examples.

Another thing I noticed, when calibrating the lights on the HMD, if you don't have to move the headset through the first two calibration tests tracking was extremely solid. The first time I set it up at chest high, it didn't do this. I had to move the HMD.

I do believe PSVR will be a forgotten HMD but not for the regular reasoning, like the honeymoon period wearing off. It's just, technology moves on very quickly. 2-3 years Max for this HMD before the're some real breakthroughs that warrant an upgraded HMD. Five years from now, we'll want a new HMD. To be honest, if Sony released a new HMD next month, with curved lenses for better peripheral vision simulation for another $299, I'd buy it.

I'm very impressed with PSVR's initial hardware an experiences, so I'd be inclined to think ViVe and Occulus are even a bit better.
So far though it's what I've been waiting for since the late 1970s. Well done Sony and based on impressions from others, ViVe/Occulus.

Vr can be a totally different future for entertainment in general, not just games.
 
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Cool. Sounds like PS VR is exactly what i thought it would be. I can remember going to the fair as a kid and they'd have VR and thinking it was the craziest thing ever. Wondering when we'd reach the point where it would become mainstream in our homes. Well, it's finally here. Sucks that not everyone can experience it without getting sick and whatever.
 
Nice write up, thanks. VR is something I’m looking forward to when Scorpio comes out. Loving the impressions in the Sony VR thread.
 
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PSVR seems like it's going through something like the early days of Kinect. Lots and lots of promises and amazements, but without "the thing" that warrants purchase as of now. I feel it will be a meaningful purchase only with the 2nd generation headset and a much more powerful console. But then again, what VR headsets out now aren't? Too bad I have no places to try it out.
 
Kinect was a piece of junk. PSVR is a box of magic.
You're insane. . . Kinect will EAT you. Sit down and finish your breakfast. . lol. WTF?

ON TOPIC:
Been reading about the functionality of PSVR - while it does seem like a good time, the flaws of the technology are beginning to shine through. Not to take anything away from VR as a whole, but it seems like it has some way to go yet. . .
 
Thanks fir the review. I haven't been really following it too much, as ps pro is my big thing now but I might pick one of these up if there's a good black friday sale. Might be too early for a great price though.
 
Kinect is not equal to VR in any way, but it would have been a great VR peripheral (Microsoft's Hand Pose software has 1:1 hand taking with 0 lag)... just as Move was really good, and I'm glad it's finally fulfilling it's purpose, and has become something GREAT! Hard to believe something that was intended as more of a "Wii Too" was designed well enough for the future of VR. Very cool!

I can't wait to try PlayStation VR. I'm not sure I'm ready to pay for a headset just yet, as I sold my Xbox One in my move, and now I'm about to get a One S AND a PS4 Pro. I'm just so excited that VR is here and becoming culturally mainstream. The future looks bright! I applaud Sony for pulling this off.
 
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Lol Kinect. What I am playing in VR blows away everything I ever tried with kinect. It's so far beyond it, it feels 20 years ahead versus 5 years. I understand ppl want to rationalize the wait or downplay it, but it's the real deal and it works well.


I would compare kinect to playing Atari on a black and white TV, then jumping and playing Mario 64 in full color.
 
PSVR seems like it's going through something like the early days of Kinect. Lots and lots of promises and amazements, but without "the thing" that warrants purchase as of now. I feel it will be a meaningful purchase only with the 2nd generation headset and a much more powerful console. But then again, what VR headsets out now aren't? Too bad I have no places to try it out.

You need to try it. Don't assume it won't amaze you, I was a skeptic.