PlayStation VR

IS THIS THE PROMISED LAND FOR VIRTUAL REALITY ON CONSOLES?

THE ERA OF PC-exclusive VR has now come to an end thanks to the arrival of Sony’s long-awaited PlayStation VR. This is an excellent, and comparatively affordable, introduction into the world of quality VR. It has its problems, however — the most notable of which is the fact that you’ll also need to buy a PlayStation Camera if you don’t already own one, and then shell out for PlayStation Move Controllers on top of that to get the full experience.

In the US and UK, the system is sold in two varieties, but we only get the basic PlayStation VR package locally. That includes the PSVR headset and processor unit, in-ear headphones and the required cabling for $550; you’ll need to BYO PlayStation Camera and, optionally, two Move Controllers too. (The US/UK bundle includes all the latter, plus a copy of PlayStation VR Worlds for US$500.) Both kits have the PlayStation VR demo disc, which has a dozen or so titles to try out.

Besides the VR unit itself and the Camera, all you’ll need is a PS4 (either the Slim version or the original), a PS4 DualShock 4 controller and a 1.8m by 3m play space that is well lit, but not too bright. Setting up is easy and the provided instructions offer a clear visual guide to get you up and running.

HOW DOES THE PLAYSTATION VR WORK?

PlayStation VR needs to produce two images simultaneously and then send them to a headset a metre or so away using only the PS4’s built-in GPU. It achieves this by using the PlayStation Camera to track nine different points of light on the headset and the lights on either the Move controllers or on the DualShock 4, depending on which game you’re playing.

It’s surprisingly accurate, given it’s using a single camera to track what’s happening, but it’s definitely not foolproof. It can support you if you decide to get up and wander around, but take more than a few steps in any direction and you’ll get a warning stating that you’re straying too far.

To that end, most PlayStation VR games can recommend you stay in one of two positions, either sitting down or standing up and stationary. Depending on where and how you angle your camera, switching between the two might not be so easy, so it’s best to find an angle that covers the majority of the room, so you don’t have to get up, move the camera and recalibrate.

DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE

The head-mounted display (HMD) screams minimalism with black-and-white matte plastic touches. Its final iteration is interspersed with seven front-facing blue lights that the PlayStation Camera picks up to track your location and head movement. For games that require you to turn around, Sony stuck two more blue lights on the back of the strip bringing the total number of trackable lights to nine.

PSVR also yields comfort. Sony went for a ‘halo’ shape with a single white matte strap that wraps around your head seamlessly and can be adjusted to your liking. The inside of the strap has a thick cushion with a rubber finish that holds your head gently in place. Once the headset is on, you can adjust the visor to help bring items on the screen into focus. The headset hangs all of its weight at the top of your dome, putting less pressure on the bridge of the nose and the forehead.

A rubber flap encircling the visor seals out the light. While they’re moderately effective at blocking out incoming light on your left and right, there is a massive gap between your nose and the headset, which allows light onto the screen and can be distracting. Although the headset technically fits over a pair of glasses, this tends to worsen the light-leakage problem.

Inside the headset is a 5.7-inch OLED screen with a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution. The PSVR offers a 100-degree field of view, a 120Hz refresh rate and latency less than 18ms, which means that it’s less nausea-inducing than previous versions.

But the PSVR is not a wireless headset, needing to be tethered to your system at all times. The cord has an in-line control unit close to the headset that allows you to turn the headset on and off or raise and lower the volume. It’s also where you’ll find a headphone jack that accepts anything from a pair of high-end Sennheisers to cheap earbuds. Sony ships every headset with pair of tiny white earbuds, but these are hollow-sounding, uncomfortable and prone to falling out.

VR doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. Friends and family can watch you as you game, thanks to Social Screen TV, which displays a 2D version of what players are seeing on your TV, while some titles actually support online multiplayer. Another neat feature is Cinematic Mode, which allows you to watch 2D content inside the VR helmet.

MOTION SICKNESS, EXTENDED USE AND VR’S FUTURE

It’s important to point out that VR can make even a seasoned gamer weak in the knees if you play it for too long. Sony recommends taking breaks every 15 minutes or so and stopping immediately if you start to feel dizzy. I’ll add onto that by saying that you should slowly acclimate yourself to virtual reality rather than jump headfirst into it.

In virtual reality, the only things you see are the screen and the objects on it, yet you can’t physically interact with them. This leads to the feeling of disconnection and resulting nausea. The other interesting symptom I had after extended use was a pretty awful headache. It might’ve been due to the lack of sleep I went through while writing this review or the fact that I put myself on a strict media diet of eight hours of VR a day for a week straight, but most nights, I went to bed with puffed eyes and throbbing sensation right above my temple.

WORTH THE PRICE

Forget the finer details and focus on the bigger picture. In three short years, Sony has taken PlayStation VR from the ground floor of development to an industry-leading product. PlayStation VR is a wholly new platform that embodies so much of what made the original PlayStation so great — it’s innovative, smart and easy-to-use. It’s affordable and already has one or two must-play titles. It’s a far cry from a complete package and, in some ways, fails to live up to the high bar set by the HTC Vive — but for around $300 less than an Oculus Rift (exclusive of any postage costs), we’re not complaining.

PLAYSTATION VR NEEDS TO PRODUCE TWO IMAGES SIMULTANEOUSLY AND THEN SEND THEM TO A HEADSET A METRE OR SO AWAY USING ONLY THE PS4’S BUILT-IN GPU. IT ACHIEVES THIS BY USING THE PLAYSTATION CAMERA TO TRACK NINE DIFFERENT POINTS OF LIGHT.