thatdemoguy

Normally I go through a bit of exposition and maybe pad out my thoughts a little bit, but this time let's just cut right to the chase and not "mince any words" (yes that's my catchphrase) ....

 

I think PlayStation VR is an extremely NOVEL experience that represents an interesting lateral move for the way we play games. The ability to interact with virtual worlds is something that some of us have likely fantasized about since (at the risk of aging myself here) seeing the movie The Lawnmower Man back in 1992. And now that fantasy is indeed a reality. But I personally feel the NOVELTY of the experience will wear off quite quickly. This does not redefine or reinvent the way we will enjoy the medium going forward, but VR will provide a noteworthy, enjoyable, yet quite costly distraction for a little while.

 

Let’s start with the good things....

 

PlayStation VR is an extremely attractive unit, dare I say its sexy. It’s nice rounded edges, on board lighting, and streamlined design (at least on the headset) make it a much more high tech and futuristic in appearance than the competitor headsets, the Vive and the Rift. The headset is ergonomic and doesn't feel as if it weighs your head down, seeing as how the weight is balanced from the front to the back. Instead of a multi-piece unit, the headset is one uniform peripheral with a connected strap that can easily be pulled away from your head and then tightened with a simple winch type accessory in the center of the back strap. This means that no matter the size of your head, that you will be able to wear this unit comfortably. There's also only ONE major cord that comes from the main unit, but this main cord has your power and volume controls on it and can be a bit distracting or annoying if it rubs against you constantly during play. Oh and yes, thanks to a telescoping front panel, this unit can be worn comfortably with glasses!!!!

 

Also this unit is designed to be accessible to everyone. Meaning that it's definitely made for small play areas, so you don't have to have a huge empty space just to play with this, there are no room scale games made for this. While this can be seen as a limitation I personally think of this as a definite plus for this unit, meaning that if you so choose you can set this up for play on your couch. And with that said, one thing that pleasantly surprised me is that quite a few of the games available for this can be played using the standard Dual Shock 4 controller (more on that later), but to truly experience this you will need to have two of the PlayStation Move controllers.

 

The visuals inside the headset are quite crisp, even in spite of the obvious gap between the power of the PlayStation 4 and higher end PCs. It also has a decent field of view that doesn't ever make you feel "too" disoriented. And I have to admit it is rather surreal to stare down the barrel of a gun pointed at your face, or flying through a space battle and dodging fire, or (my personal favorite experience) being atop the skyscrapers of Arkham from inside the cowl of Batman. The visual fidelity is quite high; given that this uses a single 1080P OLED display. But I have to be forthcoming and let you know that this is a lower resolution than other headsets, and thus when you first put it on it will appear blurry until your eyes adjust to it. But once you're in the world, it's very much amazing.

 

Now let's get down to the nitty gritty....

 

The tracking inside this thing is less than optimal.  That's because this operates solely via the use of the gyroscopes/accelerometers in the controllers or the connection between the LEDs on the headset/controller(s) and the camera. This is where the limitations of the hardware comes into play. If you happen to block or obscure one of the LEDs or move outside of the camera view, you will lose your place in the virtual world and this will create a sense of nausea because your movements in the world won't feel natural in relation to the space that you're playing in. This generally only happened in games that were "standing" type games and not those that use a fixed perspective, like anything in a cockpit.

 

The headset, while ergonomic and comfortable, has one major design flaw in my opinion. The actual screen never touches your face because there is padding that covers your face that keeps all light from getting in. While this does add to the sense of immersion, the drawback is that this material is NOT breathable at all, meaning it can get quite hot inside the unit and condensation can become an issue. Remember earlier where I gave the unit credit for being able to fit with glasses? Well that is a gift and a curse when you constantly have to clean the moisture or remove the unit to cool off.

 

There's two major points left for me to discuss and I don't know which one to touch on first, because they are both of equal importance and relevance as to why I cannot say that PlayStation VR is a good investment.

 

First off, there are no real "games" on this. What I mean is that everything currently available basically boils down to a very specific few types of experience. It's all just basic exploration with simple world manipulation, point and click, or on rail shooting galleries in a controlled and restricted environment. Now I fully understand that this is the launch of the unit, but let's be REAL here....given the limitations of the hardware and the nature of virtual reality in and of itself, not much more can be expected from the gameplay types. This actually gives me a sense of trepidation for the future of this as a whole. I feel that this does not bode well for games that are going to arbitrarily tack on forced VR support....yes I am looking ahead 3 months into the future at Resident Evil VII. I feel like the initial sense of wonder of playing inside a virtual play space will not feel special anymore by the time future titles release, and then being hampered by having to be played in such a restrictive manner will make future titles less effective games, if that makes sense. Basically what I am saying is that I am of the opinion that nothing will ever replace the traditional experience of sitting down with a controller and being able to move your on screen avatar within a full game world, not being tied to simple commands inside of a box. I know that may read as somewhat pessimistic, but we have to look at this objectively and realize that the trend is already being established. Earlier I said the NOVELTY would wear off quite quickly, and this is what I meant. Outside of these initial experiences, that are neat in their own right, if there are no new game types or anything that significantly sets any of the newer titles apart, then we will just be playing the same games, just with licensed coats of paint on them. So instead of "space flight cockpit" simulator, you will be playing the Star Wars or instead of "first person horror", you will be playing Resident Evil....so on and so forth.

 

Secondly, let's talk about the biggest barrier of entry....and that's the cost. While PlayStation VR is the most affordable of the VR options on the market, it still packs a hefty punch to your finances. On top of having to already own a PlayStation 4, which is at minimum $299, the BASE unit (just the headset) comes in at $399. And while a good number of the games technically CAN be played using the stock Dual Shock 4, it is designed to be played with a set of PlayStation Move controllers. These can likely be found used, but are being sold NEW for $99. Also you will need the PlayStation Camera, which is another $50. Plus the cost of whatever game(s) you want with it. Now to offset this cost, there is a $499 launch bundle that comes with the headset, two move controllers, the camera, and the pack-in game, PlayStation VR Worlds, which in itself is a great primer and proof of concept of what the technology can do. But these launch bundles will be hard to find for a few weeks, given that the initial supply has all been bought out by those looking to scalp them for a premium price. Rest assured though, you can buy all of the required parts cheaper at retail than you would be able to get one of the bundles off the secondary market, where they are currently going for upwards of $700. Side note, the basic headset and the bundle both come bundled with ear buds, but this is best played with the use of a good set of headphones, which will likely run you another $75-$100. 
 

All in all, PlayStation VR is a nice entry level foray into the world of virtual reality. But unless you have a chunk of money just burning a hole in your pocket, I don't feel that this is a worthy investment. All of the available games are glorified tech demos, and there's honestly nothing available on it that is a must have at this time. Plus as of this writing we are a little under a month away from the release of the PlayStation 4 PRO and the big holiday push, which means I do believe that there will be possible new system+vr bundles that will become available. And given that Resident Evil is the first big name AAA title that is championing the VR push, I think I can make a safe bet that come late January, there will be a special bundle made available for that game as well. If you HAVE TO HAVE IT, do yourself a favor and just wait on it.

 

BUT TRUST ME VR IS NOT THE NEXT MOVEMENT IN VIDEO GAMES!!!! This is just another tech fad that will inevitably go the way of 3D televisions, the Kinect, and the much maligned motion controls, which this has somehow surreptitiously raised from the depths of the Wii's burial site. Keep your money in your pockets folks.  

 

How do you feel about PlayStation VR? Did you already make the jump? Do you think there is life in virtual reality gaming? Feel free to sound off here in the comments or hit me up on ALL social media below.