PSVR - do NOT buy!

[Apple_Stems]

Hmm, two bad reviews.  I remember what a mid 80's TV looks like, so I'll hold off getting this.  Hopefully some stores will demo it before Christmas, so I experience it before deciding.

 

 

I didn't want to come off as super negative, because I really was blown away when I put the headset on.

 

There are problems with the PSVR but there's some good points too, though you REALLY need to try it for yourself before you make any judgements.

The amount of immersion it adds is unparalleled, especially with good surround sound headphones, you're genuinely convinced you're in the game world.

 

Though again, the potential of games you can play on it are very limited so justifying $500 for one is pretty hard to recommend.

[antithesis]

Hmm, two bad reviews.  I remember what a mid 80's TV looks like, so I'll hold off getting this.  Hopefully some stores will demo it before Christmas, so I experience it before deciding.

Definitely demo before purchasing, and not just VR content either. Play a regular game and ask to view some video content. VR games will be few and far between and for this thing to have legs, cinema mode needed to look good. I can without hesitation state that it is bad.

The headset itself feels kinda junky. The noseflaps are really obtrusive & don't need to exist, and the screen resolution is nowhere near up to snuff. At that close to your eyes, 4K is the only acceptable resolution. I wear light prescription glasses and it was immediately like I'd taken them off. I couldn't read text very easily, I got an instant headache (I don't get motion sickness) and my eyes are still sore hours later after no more than 15 mins of use.

I'm not trying to bad-mouth the PSVR, I'm just suggesting that you set expectations to meh, dial it down a notch or two, then dial it down right down to "seriously...this is as good as Sony could produce?"

I don't say that lightly and the veterans of the PS3 / PS4 communities know that I'm a stand-up guy who has nothing but good things to say about Sony. They really, really dropped the ball on this one. 3D on PS3 was much better than PSVR and we all know how that ended...

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[AffectatiousDonk]

At least you got your money back. Sounds like the only highlight on a very shitty day

[DEMON]

Yep. Seen a review like this coming.

[Oobedoob S Benubi]

  

Best $400 bucks I never spent.

 

Speaking of sitting too close to the CRT, I'm waiting to hear about the bitchin' eye strain headaches that'll no doubt ensue from having a screen that close to your face for too long. Knowing hardware developers, I'm sure quite a bit of research went into this particular area.

 

Sony says pause for fifteen minutes after playing for an hour. This is the exact same thing they say about regular gaming but I guess with VR this is the moment we finally start to listen

 

I did as much due diligence as you can on a unreleased product.

  

It sounds like you did not try it out beforehand though, which is the absolute most you can do. Note that this is not a personal jab, I know not everybody has had a PSVR event close by.

Personally I managed to try it out beforehand so I knew the limitations and still went through with my pre-order while knowing those limitations.

Some games get hit with the pixellation more than others. I was bothered by it in Driveclub and Here They Lie, but some games were much better like Batman, Bound or How We Soar. I also know for a fact that I can use VR over my own glasses so I will not have those problems.

Personally I'm going to have people over to try VR one of these days, so they can make up their minds.

So like what games did you play?

PSVR Room thingy, Resident Evil VR thingy, a movie and Garden Warfare 2, just to test.

  

Which movie? I'm of course getting Playroom along with the headset like everybody and I have no interest in the other games tou mention. Here right at the start of VR, I think it's important to hear as much about games and videos from others as possible.

RE and Warfare are two games that need to look realistic, by the way. Because of the pixel limits, personally I seem to be accepting cartoony and fantasy graphics a lot easier than things that need to look real but can't.

I felt really queasy playing the Scavenger game on PSVR Worlds and ESPECIALLY Drive Club VR. Battlezone and Thumper were somewhat bad too.

Driveclub was the one demo that made me ill, a lot of people had problems with that one. Did you play the demo or the full game?

I guess speed based games are better reserved for people accustomed to VR.

What was wrong with Thumper? Was it just the speed and movement or did it look "off" in VR? The things I have seen about it made me very interested, so I would like to know if it is actually bad VR or if it is just because you are not accustomed to VR yet.

[antithesis]

At least you got your money back. Sounds like the only highlight on a very shitty day

Demo, demo, then demo some more before committing to PSVR because it's going to be bloody hard to put this thing back on the shelves.

Sony has told retailers not to accept returns in anything but perfect quality and it's not very easy to get it all back in the box in an orderly fashion. The only thing I recommend removing is the sticker peels on the eyes, but keep them on the side to be sure. For everything else, keep the plastic bags in an unripped state, keep the cable ties and the leave the plastic peels on the various bits and pieces.

I was careful with my unboxing as I knew it was a 50/50 bet that I'd be taking it back. The second I turned it on was the second I knew I wasn't keeping it.

 

I didn't want it to end that way and I have never returned anything before that wasn't blatantly faulty. But I couldn't live with dropping $550 AU on PSVR, it's just plain bad. I think the only reason I got away with the return (aside from returning it within a few hours and re-boxing it properly) is I asked the guy to drop the dough into a PS4 Pro pre-order instead.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[EmeraldLeviathan]

Maybe you should of done a little research before buying it? It was well known the resolution wasn't great. I mean PSVR is the budget headset after all, so you can't expect top quality.

'Budget' ?? At the price they are selling them for? Sorry, for literally the price of the entire console, I do expect quality.

[dark69knight]

In The End Its Your Own Opinion And I Respect It

 

Looks Like I Have To Try This On My Own

[antithesis]

It sounds like you did not try it out beforehand though, which is the absolute most you can do. Note that this is not a personal jab, I know not everybody has had a PSVR event close by.

Which movie? I'm of course getting Playroom along with the headset like everybody and I have no interest in the other games tou mention. Here right at the start of VR, I think it's important to hear as much about games and videos from others as possible.

RE and Warfare are two games that need to look realistic, by the way. Because of the pixel limits, personally I seem to be accepting cartoony and fantasy graphics a lot easier than things that need to look real but can't.

 

Yeah, there was no opportunity to demo beforehand. If I had, I would have cancelled the preorder.

 

Hardcore Henry was the flick of choice - what better vehicle for VR than a first person movie. I also tried a bit of Lord of the Rings, which is the highest resolution rip I have at about 3.5GB. Both looked terrible.

 

Garden Warfare, not Modern Warfare. The one with Plants and Zombies It has cartoony graphics that don't push the hardware too hard. Bright, blurry and washed out is just how cinema mode seems to look. I tried to tweak my video settings but nothing improved it.

 

Looking around in VR is a great concept, but PSVR isn't the right vehicle, the screens are too low-res and the PS4 is underpowered to deliver anything but a rudimentary experience. If VR makes it to a second generation, that'll be the time to jump in. For now, it's very much a niche thing using immature technology.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[Apple_Stems]

   

Driveclub was the one demo that made me ill, a lot of people had problems with that one. Did you play the demo or the full game?

I guess speed based games are better reserved for people accustomed to VR.

What was wrong with Thumper? Was it just the speed and movement or did it look "off" in VR? The things I have seen about it made me very interested, so I would like to know if it is actually bad VR or if it is just because you are not accustomed to VR yet.

 

I played the demo of Drive Club VR, but I pray that they fixed it for the retail release for the sake of other people's health.

 

Also with Thumper, it wasn't TOO bad. PSVR is my first VR experience and Thumper was one of the first games I tried. I just felt a little light headed, that's all. I didn't want to group it in the same category as Drive Club.

[antithesis]

 

Looks Like I Have To Try This On My Own

 

 

Absolutely, yes.

 

I'm not subject to hype (I'm too old for that shit), I knew what I was getting into, I didn't have high expectations and even then, I was seriously underwhelmed.

 

I can afford to burn $500, but in this case, it was not worth keeping.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[Valyrious]

I demoed them and didn't experience anything you have. Then again I do not wear glasses.

 

Not that it matters much, I have more important things on my plate than to spend over $600 on PSVR right now. I'll wait for developers to create real video games (not these 15 minute long test experiments) for it before I commit.

[Oobedoob S Benubi]

Yeah, there was no opportunity to demo beforehand. If I had, I would have cancelled the preorder.

Hardcore Henry was the flick of choice - what better vehicle for VR movies than a first person movie. I also tried a bit of Lord of the Rings, which is the highest resolution rip I have at about 3.5GB. Both looked terrible.

Garden Warfare, not Modern Warfare. The one with Plants and Zombies It has cartoony graphics that don't push the hardware too hard. Bright, blurry and washed out is just how cinema mode seems to look. I tried to tweak my video settings but nothing improved it.

Yeah I keep telling people to try it beforehand if they have the option because many like you will be disappointed. Buying the headset after trying ensures you know what the limits are.

Personally I am not looking for FP movies, I'd like third person or just plain documentaries. LOTR, you mean you watched in cinema mode or is there a VR movie I do not know about?

I played the demo of Drive Club VR, but I pray that they fixed it for the retail release for the sake of other people's health.

Also with Thumper, it wasn't TOO bad. PSVR is my first VR experience and Thumper was one of the first games I tried. I just felt a little light headed, that's all. I didn't want to group it in the same category as Drive Club.

The personell at the PSVR event told me it was a bad demo and they couldn't believe the quality of some demos a few devs delivered, they said the full Driveclub was much better. Personally, I'll try it at the store before I buy it.

Good to hear Thumper is not really bad. I think you should give it another go after tou have played some more VR. From what I have seen, that game has been made to make gamers as confused and uncomfortable as they can while playing such a set course racer.

I demoed them and didn't experience anything you have. Then again I do not wear glasses.

 

Not that it matters much, I have more important things on my plate than to spend over $600 on PSVR right now. I'll wait for developers to create real video games (not these 15 minute long test experiments) for it before I commit.

If you don't mind indie games then there's a lot of good stuff already. If you want a huge AAA game then Robinson is probably the first one you should look at, unless you're interested in one of the Ubisoft games (Star Trek Bridge Crew and Eagle Flight).

Edited October 13, 2016 by BillyHorrible

[ReverseLag]

You do realize you need to adjust the headset right? Everyone has a different head shape, your pupils need to be aligned with the lenses and being near or farsighted makes a huge difference. If you don't adjust your headset it'll be blurry as hell. All the headsets have 1080p resolution, the thing you are complaining about is something else...

[Valyrious]

If you don't mind indie games then there's a lot of good stuff already. If you want a huge AAA game then Robinson is probably the first one you should look at, unless you're interested in one of the Ubisoft games (Star Trek Bridge Crew and Eagle Flight).

Truthfully there isn't one VR game currently in production that interests me. But that isn't surprising. It'll be a few years before they start getting wild with their innovation. Right now it's more of what we're already used to, but with a little bit more of a dynamic first person field of view. But the problem again, isn't the experience, it's the lack of quality (in my own opinion). I will be very excited for when they create something that astounds me, and I may be comfortable getting it then.

Originally I bought my PS4 to get prepared for Final Fantasy XV. Thankfully I've found some fun games to tide me over in the meantime. But XV is without question the reason why I have a PS4 today. So hopefully I'll find another game that has that same kind of feel for VR.

[antithesis]

You do realize you need to adjust the headset right? Everyone has a different head shape, your pupils need to be aligned with the lenses and being near or farsighted makes a huge difference. If you don't adjust your headset it'll be blurry as hell. All the headsets have 1080p resolution, the thing you are complaining about is something else...

 

Really? You don't wear them on your arse? No wonder it looked like crap! Thank you Captain Obvious...

 

The problem is less my eyesight and more that the PSVR experience is low-quality rubbish. Go into cinema mode, take the headset off and look at your TV screen, which shows exactly what you see on the VR headset. Then try to tell me that it still looks good.

 

And you're wrong - Vive and Rift are both 2160 x 1200 (1080 x 1200 per eye), PSVR is only 1920 x 1080 (960 x 1080 per eye). In reality, PSVR looks like it's upscaled 480 x 540 per eye...seriously, it's that bad.

 

Trust me fellas, I'm no dummy and I tried all variables to make this thing pop, but all it did was fizzle. My advice is to wait for 4K VR, anything less is third-rate. If anything all this has done is make me want to try the Vive.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[Jak]

At least half of those complaints were inevitable. I appreciate and respect Sony fans but some are just downright super naive. And to have high expectations at launch is very, generally ignorant. PS3 and PS4 were disappointing at launch. Vita is just indefinely disappointing, objectively (few great games doesnt save a system, neither does close-to-dead support, its popularity being carried by one genre.. which so happens to be one if the most played and love, etc).

To buy something like THIS day 1 just has me speechless. Instead of waiting for the tweaked, improved, better running, and more stable version, you buy the prominently obviously, lackluster, insufficient model day 1. And even better, ppl think they're in fair realms to complain when this generation has already factually shown multiple times of incomplete releases at launch YET you still choose to buy it DAY 1. (At least wait a damn week, weeks, or month, lol, and do some reviews/research. Buying out of hype alone is irrational, random, and you know..)VR is like a pseudo system, you expected it to be AMAZING at launch? Even Sony's Gold headsets has that same sweat problem, very terrible.

As im waiting for the price drop, when it happens, the system will have already been improved to a decently enjoyable experience (hopefully).

No. This is strictly DO NOT BUY...EVER. I've never said that about any Sony product and I date back to well before the Sony Walkman was a thing.

Well thats stupid considering the improved version in the future will fix some of the earlier's problem. Ps3, Ps4, DS4, Ganes are pure proof of this. I agreed with you for day 1, thats mostly obvious, but you have no creditibility to claim ever.

[JapanimeGamer]

That's unfortunate for you, still I am sure your review will be popular here.

Must be a personal thing because in the 2hrs I have spent on it so far I have had my mind blown. Totally fantastic, and to be honest a lot better than I expected

 

One does get the impression that there are some people here that actually want PSVR to be crap and fail, which is kind of sad really.

Edited October 13, 2016 by JapanimeGamer

[antithesis]

At least half of those complaints were inevitable. I appreciate and respect Sony fans but some are just downright super naive. And to have high expectations at launch is very, generally ignorant. PS3 and PS4 were disappointing at launch. Vita is just indefinely disappointing, objectively (few great games doesnt save a system, neither does close-to-dead support, its popularity being carried by one genre.. which so happens to be one if the most played and love, etc).

 

The problem isn't the software, it's the hardware. No manner of tweaking is going to improve either the screens or the headset design. Both are bad.

 

To buy something like THIS day 1 just has me speechless. Instead of waiting for the tweaked, improved, better running, and more stable version, you buy the prominently obviously, lackluster, insufficient model day 1. And even better, ppl think they're in fair realms to complain when this generation has already factually shown multiple times of incomplete releases at launch YET you still choose to buy it DAY 1. (At least wait a damn week, weeks, or month, lol, and do some reviews/research. Buying out of hype alone is irrational, random, and you know..)VR is like a pseudo system, you expected it to be AMAZING at launch? Even Sony's Gold headsets has that same sweat problem, very terrible.

 

Don't mistake me for a babe in the woods riding that VR hype train as far as it will go. I'm far from a fucking idiot, I bought it in the interest of both science and technology. I wanted it to be good, I expected it to be mediocre and it delivered nothing short of poor.

 

PSVR is way too immature, undeveloped and underpowered to gain any traction. Add to that PS2-era tracking and lacklustre Move controls (both revived from early graves) and It's dead on arrival. Expect games to dry up within a year, just like Move and 3D before it. Go watch the review on Gamespot of PSVR, they pan it and the video looks far better than what you actually get through the headset. If you go in expecting a VR version of Skyrim, you'll be bitterly disappointed.

 

Well thats stupid considering the improved version in the future will fix some of the earlier's problem. Ps3, Ps4, DS4, Ganes are pure proof of this. I agreed with you for day 1, thats mostly obvious, but you have no creditibility to claim ever.

As the guy who actually bought the damn thing and as one of the founding members of this site, I'd say that puts my credibility more than a little above your own. My response was to another well-respected PS trophy community veteran and I hand on heart recommend NOT buying PSVR, ever. It's the worst thing Sony has done on console and that's saying something considering how shit Move turned out to be.

 

If you disagree with me, that's fine....a fool and his money are easily parted and you'll be in the tiny minority when word gets out that PSVR is nothing short of crap. As I said, I've never spoken a bad word about Sony before, but PSVR is so poor that it's painful and it's going to save a lot of people a lot of money by speaking out now.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[ddracarys]

I wasn't going to buy one anyway, but this was still entertaining to read. Haha, the fact that anybody actually purchased this is funny.

[Jak]

The problem isn't the software, it's the hardware. No manner of tweaking is going to improve either the screens or the headset design. Both are bad.

Don't mistake me for a babe in the woods riding that VR hype train as far as it will go. I'm far from a fucking idiot, I bought it in the interest of both science and technology. I wanted it to be good, I expected it to be mediocre and it delivered nothing short of poor.

PSVR is way too immature, undeveloped and underpowered to gain any traction. Add to that PS2-era tracking and lacklustre Move controls (both revived from early graves) and It's dead on arrival. Expect games to dry up within a year, just like Move and 3D before it. Go watch the review on Gamespot of PSVR, they pan it and the video looks far better than what you actually get through the headset. If you go in expecting a VR version of Skyrim, you'll be bitterly disappointed.

If you disagree with me, that's fine....a fool and his money are easily parted and you'll be in the tiny minority when word gets out that PSVR is nothing short of crap. As I said, I've never spoken a bad word about Sony before, but PSVR is so poor that it's painful and it's going to save a lot of people a lot of money by speaking out now.

Submitted too early on accident, stanby.. Regardless of which, there will be an improved version whether it comes via patches or new models. Edited October 13, 2016 by Mar

[Edunstar84]

Really? You don't wear them on your arse? No wonder it looked like crap! Thank you Captain Obvious...

 

The problem is less my eyesight and more that the PSVR experience is low-quality rubbish. Go into cinema mode, take the headset off and look at your TV screen, which shows exactly what you see on the VR headset. Then try to tell me that it still looks good.

 

And you're wrong - Vive and Rift are both 2160 x 1200 (1080 x 1200 per eye), PSVR is only 1920 x 1080 (960 x 1080 per eye). In reality, PSVR looks like it's upscaled 480 x 540 per eye...seriously, it's that bad.

 

Trust me fellas, I'm no dummy and I tried all variables to make this thing pop, but all it did was fizzle. My advice is to wait for 4K VR, anything less is third-rate. If anything all this has done is make me want to try the Vive.

I think that's what most of us should do is wait and hope that Sony and the other companies continue to support the VR systems. If I'm unable to buy the first iteration. I really do plan on getting the next ones. 

Edited October 13, 2016 by Edunstar84

[antithesis]

Submitted too early on accident, stanby.. Regardless of which, there will be an improved version whether it comes via patches or new models.

I agree, but PSVR looks doomed to an early grave and there may not be further iterations.

Wait for 4K VR, that's the best we can hope for. Rift has a long-term view of VR, but they're failing pretty hard too. I'd love for VR to get off the ground, but it's both too early and too expensive to invest in now.

 

I wasn't going to buy one anyway, but this was still entertaining to read. Haha, the fact that anybody actually purchased this is funny.

I stated when Project Morpheus was announced years ago that I'd take one for the team, just as I did with day one PS4 and XB1 purchases.

I've done that again for PSVR and it wasn't good. I can honestly say that I'm glad I returned it and tossed the cash into the PS4 Pro instead. Consider that me taking another one for the team.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[JapanimeGamer]

Oh so you already no longer have your PSVR?

 

Oooooo k k and k.

[Oobedoob S Benubi]

Vive and Rift are both 2160 x 1200 (1080 x 1200 per eye), PSVR is only 1920 x 1080 (960 x 1080 per eye). In reality, PSVR looks like it's upscaled 480 x 540 per eye...seriously, it's that bad.

 

(...) If anything all this has done is make me want to try the Vive.

I'm just going to ignore the poop-slinging monkeys trying ro dominate yet another VR thread if you don't mind, and try to keep the discussion useful.

I would advise you to do some more research before getting a Vive... PSVR has an RGB screen while Vive and Rift use PenTile. RGB has three subpixels per pixel while PenTile has only two, meaning PSVR has less pixels but more subpixels. PSVR actually looks a bit better because of that, and more importantly, it lacks the screen door effect that the other two systems do have.

Just pixel count is not knowledge enough, hope this info helps.