Playstation VR is a milestone of VR devices for consoles

2016 became a turning point for the gaming industry when VR headsets first appeared on the scene. Until then, there were a lot of projects and prototypes, but the first to dare to launch their product into the market was Oculus VR with Oculus Rift in March 2016. Rift was fascinating in its day, but comparing it to current VR headsets, we can see how much VR technology has advanced. Oculus Rift was a device that introduced us to virtual reality, regardless of flaws. A month after that, HTC launched its VR hedset: HTC Vive. Both hedsets were purely computer-based. Until then, there was no VR headset for consoles, until Playstation decided to join the future.

In October of the same year, Playstation launched the PlayStation VR (or PSVR) hedset. Although it was launched in 2016, PlayStation VR is still popular among VR recruits looking for the best VR headset. Despite requiring a Playstation console to work, those already users of Sony’s console ecosystem can open up a huge library of experimental and action titles that are exclusive to Playstation VR. Until more information is released about the upcoming successor, the Playstation VR 2, let’s recall the hedset that, despite age, still dominates the VR market.

Resolution and general specifications

The resolution of the PlayStation VR headset is 1920 x 1080 per eye. With current headsets like Valve Index, HP Reverb G2 and the new HTC headsets, the Playstation VR headset resolution looks ridiculous. However, we must bear in mind that PlayStation VR is 7 years old. At the time, that eye resolution was revolutionary. The refresh rate of the hedset is 90 Hz or 120 Hz, depending on the VR game or application. In terms of latency, Sony says the response rate, or response time, of PlayStation VR is locked to about 18 ms – which is about 0.002 seconds faster than the highest acceptable latency before you notice the backlog in VR. The Playstation VR features approximately 100 degrees of field of view and Sony’s Sixaxis motion sensor technology, which consists of a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer. In terms of gaming space, the recommended measures for PS VR are 3×2 meters with a PS camera approximately 1 meter away.

Comfort and appearance

While the Oculus Rift aims for an unobtrusive, late-Gibson cyberpunk aesthetic, and Vive seeks an aggressively industrial look, the Playstation VR design features pure white curves of the spaceship’s interior from ’60s science fiction, highlighting the black front panel and rubber face mask. The external PlayStation camera monitors it using a matrix of luminous blue lights: six trim the edges of the hedset, two on the back and one right in the middle of the front panel. The shape is similar to Sony’s old HMZ personal browser, but without the futile effort to make the headphones look tiny and stylish. PlayStation VR is inexorably appealing. Whether that’s good or bad is a matter of personal taste.

The weight of the hedset itself is evenly distributed. While you’ll certainly have to take it off after a few hours, the large front eyepiece never seems too clunky. This is partly due to the impressively adjustable headband, with a lot of lining. Hedset wearers will also find that it’s particularly easy to wear a hesdet over their glasses.

In terms of comfort, it’s inconceivable how comfortable the PlayStation VR is. While other VR headsets had a kind of spongy base, the Playstation VR rubber covers gently touch the upper part of the face. To put it on, it is necessary to press the button to loosen the sides, and it can be stretched over the upper part of the skull and finely adjust the clamping using a dial on the back. The screen is attached to the front of the ring, where it almost floats in front of the face. On the underside there is an integrated microphone and adjustment knob that, when pressed, allows the front panel to move forward or backward to achieve a comfortable fit and optimal viewing angle.

Controllers and motion tracking

Playstation VR works with Move motion controllers, originally developed as a Wii-like motion management system for the PlayStation 3 (but much more precise). Move uses two stick-controllers with luminous bulbs that serve as motion sensors. The PlayStation camera monitors the controllers along with the Playstation VR position lights. The result is a motion control system that works very similarly to the HTC Vive in terms of accuracy, albeit without the touchpad of the Vive controller. Because they depend on the PlayStation camera, you can’t turn around as completely as you can with the HTC Vive and its two spread tracking sensors. However, if you stay seated or stand in front of the TV (or wherever you place your PlayStation camera), the controls are very reliable.

Because Playstation VR relies on visual tracking with color lights rather than infrared tracking, it seems to be more sensitive to interference due to ambient light and reflections. With the lights on in the room, there was a noticeable shift in tracking that made the view of the hedset gradually hover to the left. There is the possibility of some more hiccups and other tracking disorders when playing games that require high levels of movement.

Compatibility

The question that’s on everyone’s tip of the tongue right now is the PS5. Sony’s new console is now out there, but it’s still relatively hard to find. The good news is that if you have it, you can use PlayStation VR with it. All you need is a free camera adapter and it’s possible to play your PS4 Playstation VR content on the hedset via compatibility with older versions. This means there’s no reason to throw away your hedset once you upgrade —the PS5 even supports your old PS4-era controllers so you can continue playing Farpoint with the Aim controller. The improved PS5 specifications also mean that some titles even look better on the device, with faster load time and improved frames per second (FPS) to run.

Huge amount of VR games

Sony has developed a serious reputation by providing some of the biggest AAA blockbusters available on consoles, including leaders such as God of War, The Last of Us, and Ratchet & Clank. To put it that way, Sony’s approach to VR doesn’t reach the heights of its more traditional games, but it definitely lays a wonderful foundation for the future. The exclusive first games available, including Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Blood & Truth, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, Firewall: Zero Hour, Farpoint, and Marvel’s Iron Man, offer some of the best VR experiences available on any platform. Using the power of PS4 or PS5, PlayStation VR brings some pretty spectacular-looking games that sometimes achieve the same visual fidelity as PC-based VR titles.

Playstation VR also has a good share of cross-platform games such as Superhot VR, Werewolves Within, Arizona Sunshine, or the phenomenal The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. If you want to improve your fitness, you’ll enjoy titles like BoxVR and Beat Saber. There’s something for everyone here, though most of the VR games available are geared towards more game enthusiasts than the more popular Meta Quest 2.

On top of the platform’s dedicated VR titles, there are also several traditional PS4 games that have special VR modes packed. Star Wars: Squadrons, Hitman 3, Gran Turismo Sport, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard can be played almost entirely in VR. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in VR is an even scarier experience than playing in front of the TV. Playing Gran Turismo Sport with VR headphones and steering wheel is arguably the best immersive simulation racing experience available on any VR platform. Most importantly, users can easily use their PlayStation controller for input as well.

Conclusion

While the VR experience isn’t as visually intact as the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, it’s not that far away, avoiding direct jagged graphics and the neck effect (a mesh look that appears where visible spaces between pixels on the screen are seen, usually when viewed at close range) on the screen. The main strength of PlayStation VR lies in its games, thanks to Sony’s relationships with well-known developers such as Rocksteady, Capcom and Double Fine, who could promise a powerful content library. Even with the PlayStation VR 2 sneaking around the corner, PlayStation VR is still a great entry to VR for PlayStation 4 or 5 owners. Like the consoles themselves, the first exclusive games are the real stars of the series with fantastic games. Great third-party hedset games also prove that it can stand next to the more popular Quest 2. Outside of VR gaming, cinematic mode is a great feature for simulating gaming and watching movies on a movie-sized screen.