Sunday, February 19, 2017

PlayStation VR

I had gotten my PlayStation VR headset over the holiday break and I must say, I'm surprised. Sony's new attempt to cater gamers to an immersive experience is unique.

The first thing to note, the headset is $400 by itself. The price is pretty steep however, that's only the headset. You'll also need to get a PS camera, which could be another $50. Plus any additional games. There is a bundle that comes with the headset, along with the camera and two Move controllers, as well as a copy of PS VR Worlds all for $500. Either way, you'll be spending a lot of money.

Design wise, the headset is simplistic and looks durable. However, the same can't be said with all the wires needed to connect the device to the PS4. There're at least 4 different wires all needed to connect to either the PS4, the TV, or a separate processing unit, which means you need to have a good amount of space to fit all of the hardware.

After spending roughly an hour messing with wires and setting everything up, I finally got to try the headset. From first impression it felt nice. The padding on the head strap helped support my head, and didn't cause any pain or headaches. There are side panels to block  out outside view and light. Also the area for your nose has a thin layer of padding. Overall the headset was comfortable and was not heavy what-so-ever.

I tired a few demos from the demo disc that came with my headset, and some worked pretty well and impressive. Although, slightly bummed from the short length of each demo only lasting a few minutes. Out of the demos I tried the ones that really stood out for me were: Kitchen, Drive Club VR, and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.

I also took the time to download Job Simulator, a VR experience of having to work at different types of jobs. The game was funny and pretty immersive, however what threw me off at times were the Move controllers not responding to the action I'm trying to perform.

The latest game I playing with the VR is Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. This, unlike all other games I've tried, is a full game experience that lasts for hours. Being in first-person really adds more to the immersion as this game relies on survival horror. The atmosphere makes this game on the VR kind of terrifying to play. So far this game is one of my favorites.

Overall, my experience with PS VR is mostly positive. I like the way how to PS VR headset feels and responds. I also love the immersive experience you get with different games. There are a few things however, that do hinder my enjoyment at times. Using the PS Move controllers in some games is a hit-or-miss. sometimes the controllers along with the headset, and sometimes you're going to be fighting with the controls. If Sony could release an updated version of the Move controllers that improves on the tracking, that could easily solve this issue. The other issue is that most games now are somewhat expensive and offer so little. most games I've seen go anywhere from $20-$60, and may only have 2-4 hours worth of content. RE7 was one of the few exceptions as I spent about 8-10 hours with VR on the game.

For PS VR I would give this a score of a 7 / 10. While the PS VR gives a new experience to gamers, you'll have to be cautious on the price for these headsets and any additional accessories, as well as the fact that most games feel more like glorified demos that are high of price, but low on content. I would say wait for a price drop on the headset. By the time the prices go down, there should be more games that can offer a lot more than what we have now. The PS VR headset is not bad by any means, but you should also consider the expenses.

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