How PSVR2 Is Making Pistol Whip Better Than Ever

Nice to see they're adding some improvements but this is one of several games that the wire is a real hindrance with.

Not day one as I'll have Horizon, GT7 and RE Village but this is going on an ever increasing list of VR games to buy

Not as delicious as it sounds…

Love this game. Looking forward to playing it more with the free upgrade!

@Deljo Just face the opposite direction of cable/PS5 and you will never notice it.

I bought this in last months digital sale, easy buy after reading about the improvements made. There's so much to play day 1, I can't wait.

I keep hearing good things about this game, yet every time I'm tempted to buy it I look at the screens/videos and it looks like one of those 90's Virtuality demos and I can't quite get into it. For anyone that played it before, does it actually look so primitive in real 3D or is it better looking than it seems?

@NEStalgia it’s fast as **** and cool as ****. It’s a John Wick simulator. Worth it at full price.

@SoulChimera Huh, I imagine I'll cave to the hype at some point. Everyone says good things, nobody says bad things, yet every time I look at a video I just think "this looks terrible!"

Obviously video isn't a good way to see a VR game, but it's just monochrome colors and flashing strobes in video and looks so primitive!

Bought in the January sale but saving it for when the PSVR2 arrives.

I’ve got Pistol Whip on Oculus Quest 2, it’s very good.

@SoulChimera There is no opposite direction on higher difficulties with enemies popping all around you, and you'll moving constantly to dodge. I agree with the commenter, this seems like the type of game that is considerably superior on wireless headsets like the Quest 2. Even if PSVR2 fanboys disagree.

@NEStalgia Most PSVR & PSVR2 games are ports of existing Quest 2 games because the user base for Quest 2 dwarfs even the PCVR install base. It's not because the PSVR2 is underpowered, its just its userbase is tiny so developers prefer to develop games first and foremost for the biggest market (Quest) and then port to other platforms.

Having said that, don't be fooled by "graphics", you'd be surprised how immersive these games are in VR even with this art style. There's even been doom-like VR titles with pixel art style release on PCVR and received stellar / positive reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiLcuorQ_JA

I saw some other videos for it and one thing I hadn't realized that also put me off from Synth Riders is that it's sort of somewhere between "standing" and "roomscale"....roomscale doesn't work for me, not enough room, so if you have to frantically lean and try to dodge bullets I'm going to be slamming my poor HMD into stuff....not a good idea Even playing moss and trying to lean over a little too far to see around stuff I hit things occasionally....I definitely lose too much sense of real space when in VR lol.

@Sarxion Oh man, even though I'm familiar enough with VR to know that 2D does not represent the real experience, I'm looking at that Doom-ish thing and my eyes hurt already picturing that beamed into my eyes. That kayak game seems ever more tempting

@Sarxion personally as someone who's used a psvr set up for years with one cable, I really think your over blowing it! Played a lot of games, my kids too and the cable has never been an issue.
For me personally, I'd say having haptic feedback in the controllers and the headset, with the adaptive triggers and most probably better visuals, this will be the superior version. As will all the other ports that use the foveated rendering to massively increase the visuals and frame rates.
And when you compare something like GT7 on psvr2 against grid legends on the quest 2(game looks like a ps3 game and runs like it) I'm happy they went with the cable. Hopefully if they sell enough, developers can really get behind it and psvr setups to really push vr forwards, past what a mobile chip set can do. Proper AAA games like half life alyx. That's my hope anyway.

@NEStalgia It's 100% a stylistic choice on the devs part. I love the art style and think it looks rad as hell, but that's entirely subjective. Either way, it's one of the best VR games around.

@NEStalgia Don't dunk on it until you tried it I thought exactly the same thing as you with all the "ugly VR titles" being released, until a friend let me try a VR setup at his place and was mindblown at how enjoyable and immersive it is. There's just no point of comparison between viewing it on a flatscreen display and a VR headset display. You think the pixels will look uglier in front of your eyes, but because of how these headsets adjust depth perception, you don't really notice it anymore after like 15 seconds.

It's almost like stepping into a another reality/dimension a-la Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There's nothing else like it. And graphics don't really matter if the art direction is good enough.

Games like Pistol Whip, Runner VR, and Superhot all have something in common. They may not have the "most realistic graphics", but in VR, their art style shines and immerses you way more than even the most realistic VR title. It's eerily similar to Nintendo's approach of making timeless videogames with on limited hardware/graphics processor chips that score overwhelmingly better critically and financially compared to the "AAA ultra-realistic graphics" shovelware titles on PC/Xbox/PS5 that release every year and flowp.

@Serialsid Oh I don't deny PSVR2 will look incredible! I'm just saying, some VR titles definitely massively benefit from a wireless setup. Primarily, anything that has you turning around 360 and moving around in a roomscale environment constantly. I can tell you this because I've tried some games with a cabled setup VS wireless, and they do NOT work as well in cable mode.

If you've only used VR with a cables for years, I can't blame you for not understanding the freedom that wireless headsets give you for roomscale titles. I'm not overblowing it, I just know the difference better after trying both experiences (cabled / wireless)

BTW. I'm not implying I'd prefer PSVR2 to be a fully wireless headset with the same ***** visuals as on the quest. But I would have much preferred if Sony had figured out a way to transmit high quality video streams wirelessly from the PS5 so it didn't require any cables. Mirroring the excellent experience from wireless headsets, but with the power of the PS5

@Sarxion I have briefly tried a friends quest 2, and yes not having a cable is nice with a bit more freedom. But the comfort and weight to me are stacked against it.
I do believe I read that sony are investigating quite heavily into wireless technologies, and apart from the battery problem I agree that would be the way to go. But until they can get it so every single ps5 user gets the same high quality experience, we need that cable for the consoles power.

@Sarxion Really? They must have removed that from the PSVR version. Unless I’m misremembering, all the enemies appear in the 180 degree section in front of you. Sure, on hard, some appear fast right on the edge and you may need to glance over your shoulder if you want to kill them for 100% but to my recollection, none were appearing from behind.

I play PSVR with the camera facing the opposite way to the cable so I never had any issues with it on Pistol Whip.

I’ll buy it on the Quest as well if it’s different. Thanks for the heads up.

Top game. Free upgrade too. Kept my preorder now I’ve seen gt7 on it

I keep seeing negative sales predictions with regards to PSVR2. Sony slashing production numbers. Get one thing correct. The gaming media is just as two faced and slimy as the political media...all scoring points and talking bollocks to get a leg up.

PSVR 2 has a problem. Is it a great bit of kit, YES...is it affordable to all, NO. If people have forgotten there is a real issue in the UK right now with the country being a sinking ship and money being tight.

I cancelled my pre order for two reasons. I have PSVR1 and loved it, did i use it much? Not really as it was a hassle to set up. I could not leave it set up and it's an even bigger nightmare to set up to PS5.

I have a Quest 2. Excellent as it is, especially when tethered to a decent PC either by cable for Wireless...but I rarely use it ..

This is my issue. Far more TV screen games in my collection than VR and two is how is motion sickness? I struggle with this and this is why I've back out for now..

I don't want another expensive ornament...

It looks amazing but support and motion sickness...no one is talking about sickness. Quest two I have some issues with motion but I've slowly trained it on PSVR1 but it can leave me groggy for hours...

@Mezzer PSVR2 is a doodle to setup, just one wire to plug in and calibration.

Bloomberg article saying PSVR2 production has been slashed was debunked by Sony

@Toypop
Lol, comparing a quest 2 with a PSVR2 is basically the same as comparing a switch with a ps5, except the power difference is greater.

The Switch, like the quest, is a great machine for lower spec mobile gaming, but the power difference and restriction for battery life is significant.

I don’t feel this game is really that restricted by a light, flexible cable. It’s not a 360 game.

@Toypop There is nothing about this game that requires it or enhances it by being wireless.

@Toypop
Lol, OK.

I have a PS5, so these are my options:

1) Get PSVR2 and games for £600, have almost top tier PCVR games (which is more than PCVR gets currently anyway due to Quest decimating that market), the most comfortable headset with great displayed and controllers. Plus have all the bloody quest games ported over anyway, not to mention some console exclusives.

2) Buy a Quest 2 for slightly less money, or wait to buy a Quest 3 for slightly more money. Play standalone and have greatly inferior games to the top level PSVR options, along with all of the Quest games, but just worse than the ports that will inevitably come to PSVR2.

I will be able to use AR functionally if I pay more for the Quest 3, but I don’t care about that.

3) Get the aforementioned Quest option, but also spend a couple of grand on a PC I can connect it to via WIFI. Meaning I can play the small number of PCVR games that will exist, but have to limit myself to 2hrs play time due to battery restrictions in the headset anyway, suffer the compression penalty, plus potential sickness from the need to stream, or plug it in. So then it’ll be not much difference to PSVR2, just a lot more money.

For me the choice is easy. But again, I already have a PS5, if I already had a top tier PC, or if I had nothing and had no interest in flat games at all and so would get no further use out of a PC or PS5, then my choice might be different.

I can honestly say though, not having a thin, flexible, light wire would play no part in my decision whatsoever. It simply doesn’t matter to me. In fact, even if all other things where equal and a standalone headset with the performance of a PS5 with FR, or PCVR, was possible, I’d still rather have a cable than be limited by battery life or have to keep switching out or carry extra batteries.

Or, if I wanted to take it round to a mates, sure. The same way I might take a switch to play a party game. But that’s a completely different user case.