Many people often ponder whether the PlayStation 4 is powerful enough to offer a competent virtual reality experience – especially with the recommended specs for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive being so high. But having gone hands on with PlayStation VR a few times now, we're happy to report that it does genuinely offer a comparable experience.
While it's certainly not perfect – the resolution can be low and you should expect some aliasing issues – the effect of "presence" is very much intact. For those unsure of what this means, it's the end-goal for all virtual reality solutions: the sensation that your real-life surroundings have melted away, and been replaced by the video game world that you've been transported to.
Given the nature of the PC upgrade cycle, it's inevitable that the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will outpace PlayStation VR in time, but we reckon that Sony's solution should be more than able to hold its own for a few years – and by the time that it starts to feel long in the tooth, we'll probably all be salivating over the PlayStation 5.
So, to answer the question: yes, the PS4 is powerful enough to provide a quality virtual reality experience. And while it's obviously not perfect, it does come at a very competitive price.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 24
I still reckon that the main driver behind PS4 Neo development was to offer a more compelling piece of hardware for PSVR support than the base PS4.
4K, whatever,....it will just support media, not gaming.
@sub12 You could very well be right, but it's telling that the leaked PS4K documentation we reported on yesterday doesn't mention virtual reality once.
@get2sammyb
Fair enough, but saying outright that PS4 Neo is the superior machine for PSVR is kinda walking the line when it comes to marketing......."so PSVR isn't really 400 dollars for the optimal experince, your saying it's another 400 or whatever on top of that"......
Maybe your right, but if I was Sony and if PS4 Neo was developed to give VR a more substantial kick......I wouldn't say that outright at this time, not when everybody owns the base PS4......not when you already sold it as a 400 dollar piece of kit.
If they want the PSVR to be successful, it certainly won't be through advertising it as best played through the ps4k. The one advantage Sony has I'd this thing works with the ps4, a console that will have over 50 million units in the wild by the time the PSVR launches. I bet their aren't even 20 million capable gaming PCs out there to properly run the Vive or Rift, and they have to SHARE that market. I actually think the PSVR will do really well in the US, especially at Christmas time. Millions of owners have had their ps4 over a year or more now and are itching for that new experience that is easily compatible with their current hardware without having to upgrade. Plus, Sony has the ability to get AAA developers on board, and that is the most important thing at this point. RE7, Battlefront, Ark ham, No Man's Sky, etc will be what makes or breaks this piece of tech, an most of those games I listed are exclusive to the Morpheus. It also helps that it has the second screen viewing, theatre mode, and that the majority of the games will be compatible with the stock DS4. They have done almost everyrhing right with PSVR thus far, let's see how well it does.
Price is key.
But also, CONSOLE ACCESS. A ton of ppl just don't wanna mess with PC.
@sub12 Again, I don't disagree, but the document that leaked was confidential and only intended for developers. If they really were trying to boost VR with PS4K, that'd be the place they'd disclose it — even if they didn't tell the general public.
@get2sammyb That leaked document certainly doesn't mention VR at all. It only talks about enhancements for Neo mode - both for 4k and HD TV's and detecting the connected TV's resolution. Not one mention of any guidelines towards 'Neo' enhancements for VR based games at all.
It maybe that this documentation was sent to a developer not making VR software and that they have another set of guidelines regarding Neo and VR. The difference her of course is that the headset is a very defined piece of kit. Its not as it the resolution or frame rate can exceed the capability of the headset. It maybe that the PS4 version has lower lighting effects, lower quality shadows etc and a 90hz refresh rate where as the Neo version has higher levels of these and 120hz refresh rate...
@JaxonH Price is key for me for Neo. My wife just asked me a minute ago if we were getting a PS4 for Christmas. I told her I don't know b/c both Sony and Nintendo are driving me nuts with their secrecy. I did tell her though Neo on Sept 30th if it gets a FFXV bundle. Doesn't look promising, but Aman can dream.
Hey its Friday, shouldn't you be busy playing something? (I'm not saying more, thin skinned mods on this site.)
PSVR was good at E3 2015 and better at E3 2016. Rift and Vive are higher quality when run on high quality PCs (not minimum specs). Early games are rough around the edges on all of the platforms. All in all, I wan't to experience the evolution of this platform, but I don't want to pay a premium price: PSVR is right for me. But, if you want a large number of high quality polished VR games, you might want to wait for the next generation of VR. That's my advice.
(My first experience with VR was in the 90's while developing VR Baseball, so, in comparison, we've come a long way!)
I actually think a lot of the "not enough power" points are based on a combination the vive or rift recommending 90fps for both comfort over time and to reduce things like tearing and the 30 vs 60 frame rate being a hot topic this generation.
Having said that when I played the resi 7 demo and it was like playing an up res'd verson of a PS2 game through a telescope it was inline with my expectations for playstation VR.
I finally had my first taste of VR today with the Samsung Gear VR and now I'm in no doubt that the PS4 is powerful enough, if my little S6 can give me a good experience than the PS4 definitely can. I have to say it was far better than I could ever have expected and the sense of scale is breathtaking. One thing it has sold me on is the move controllers, as when I was playing some deep sea diving app there were fish and other objects that it really felt you could reach out and touch but of course you had no hands there, so PSVR with PS move is now top of my wishlist. After finally trying VR this is the most excited I've been for gaming since Mario 64 came out 😃
I'm going to wait and buy a 4K PS5, + haptic gloves + VR bundle
@nathanSF Will the Vita be included in that bundle?
Possible "leaked" Neo docs here - http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2016/07/15/ps4-neo-leaked-documents-outline-specs-dev-guidelines-and-more/#/slide/1
Dodoo - thanks for the info. Interesting stuff, though I do feel buyers will be guinea pigs for the next full iteration
So basically it can do VR, but the games will look like they're from the PS2 era.
I thought there was an external box that did some of the processing or has that changed?
@dryrain The external Box does very little in terms of the game processing. What it does is convert the picture into a 'flat' TV type picture so others can see what you see on TV and processes the 3D audio sound necessary for the VR experience.
It does nothing to the games themselves and developers don't have access to it either - Its basically converting what you see/hear in VR for the TV so others can see/hear what you are experiencing - at least a representation of that.
www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-what-does-playstation-vr-external-processor-unit-actually-do
I'm not against VR, just not interested yet. It will be interesting to see the differences regarding VR between PS4 and PS4Neo and if PS4 is powerful enough for a decent VR experience once the second wave of games is released - if there is a second wave.
I had to cancel my PSVR preorder sadly due to finances not going to add up in time. But I do fully believe in the tech because of it's huge scope for potential, my only concern is a lot of games are trying to use motion controls where's I prefer to just to sit down with a pad instead.
My concern is more the type of experiences VR is appearing to offer at the moment. It seems a lot are nothing more than 'throwaway' type demos. Yake Batman for example, how many times can you put on the Batsuit and analyse a crime scene? Star Trek looks very boring as a game too - sat on the deck and pressing a few buttons - great if all you are is the person raising or lowering shields!!
Its the kind of technology that in a few years - with a lot more oomph behind it could deliver the type of gaming experiences we get now from standard 2D screens. I am more excited by VR from a non-gaming perspective - watching a live sports event or concert from the comfort of my own home but the visuals as if I were there. Visiting museums or places of interest etc. I feel the games are still a way off from competing with AAA games in terms of content, depth etc. Unlike 'gaming' in general, VR games could and probably will grow fast but right now, I feel that VR is the attraction not the game itself - by that I mean I wouldn't buy these games if they were not VR because they couldn't compete with non-VR games. I wouldn't play RIGS for example over BF1, TF2 or CoD. I don't like on-rails or 'floating' hands (which a lot of VR games seem to have), I don't like walking sims...
As it stands at the moment, nothing stands out as a 'must have' a peripheral seller. I would buy a PS4 (for example) for Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, but nothing makes me want to spend £400+ on a headset and camera (and maybe move and/or the 'gun')...
@BAMozzy I believe the closest thing to a AAA experience we will be "cockpit" games: racing sim, flight sim, space sim, tank sim, and mech sim. These games already have an audience and will work well without VR and offer an enhanced experience in VR for those that desire it, can handle it, and can afford it. Other experiences are going to take time for developers to mature and the base installations to increase. As a programmer, I find it all pretty exciting. I can't wait to see what someone figures out for RPGs, adventure games, etc. in VR: I still think we have a long, exciting road ahead.
As a consumer, I'm looking forward to Eve Valkyrie, Battlezone, Gran Turismo, and Ace Combat. Rigs is a possibility. For me, that's enough for a new platform and more than my wallet can handle.
@BAMozzy What about Robinson: the journey, or Farpoint? Those two look amazing games and experiences. Wonder why it's called Robinson when the character is called Robins lol?
@blakey78 Robinsons world looks good but I can't stand floating hands and immediately loses any sense of immersion. It looks a bit like a walking sim which is something else I don't like.
Farpoint looks very plain too - just shooting alien bugs in a bland environment. I wonder how mych they will charge for the 'gun' peripheral but at least it has attached hands/arms.
Neither game would appeal outside of VR and I feel that VR is again the primary reason to buy. I can see some people buying Robinson if it wasn't VR but Farpoint, as it stands with the limited information I have seen, wouldn't be something I think would sell if it wasn't in VR. VR is the focus, the selling point rather than the game itself.
Games like Uncharted and Horizon make me want to buy the console to play these, make me want to find out the story, make me want to know the characters etc. The platform they are on is immaterial - the game comes first and they would be great games regardless of the platform. Because they are on PS4, they sell the console. In the VR games, its like the VR is the selling point, the VR comes first and the game is 'secondary'. I want to see a game that makes me want to buy VR rather than I have VR now what can I play. Its similar in essence to Kinect - a great piece of technology but nothing you want to play that used it and the games felt like they focussed on Kinect rather than the game.
For me Robinson could be so much more - like Horizon:ZD with a deep story in an incredible looking world, weapons, crafting, RPG/skill based levelling and customisation etc. Farpoint could have been a lot more - Killzone/Halo type gameplay with a deep story and lore battling against an Alien civilisation as you fight your way through various levels etc. Instead of VR being the selling point, the game itself is and the VR is 'just' the device you need to play it on.
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