PSVR - do NOT buy!

[antithesis]

Whilst I would not want to dismiss one person's experience it seems like the you only tried a few demos rather than anything built from the ground up in for VR. This makes a huge difference to the experience. Also aspects like watching movies or the game cinema mode are not what this really about.

I can only suggest you try before you buy, it's a very underwhelming experience. Once again, the software is not to blame, they're limited by the hardware.

The problem is mostly one of resolution. 1920 x 1080p sounds good, but what it really means is 2 x 960 x 1080p, which looks like complete crap. Take the headset off and look at the 960 x 1080p image mirrored on the TV - that's what you see in-game, not 1920 x 1080p. There are mobile games that easily look better than PSVR.

Other visual issues include blurry text (not due to my eyes), colour bleeding, screen rounding and an overall lack of image quality. Not to mention Move controllers suck, as does the PS camera for head-tracking.

Here's an image from the Kotaku review. Note the reviewer is holding the controller perfectly still yet this shaking is persistent in all games -

 

 

Quality framerates to be had here - 

 

 

 

Note the screen-rounding and burnt-out looking colour palette here (that's not just the game) -

 

 

In reality, the PSVR doesn't look half this good, the third image in particular. Parts of the screen are in-focus, while others are blurry, bright, smudged or warped.

 

3D gaming on PS3 was much better than this. I played Crisis on a PS 3DTV and it was thoroughly immersive. PSVR on PS4 is awful by comparison.

Save yourselves some money and go with mobile VR instead.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[BlackCatBurrito]

It really is all about expectations & what you really want from it. Either side of the opinion on PSVR is perfectly acceptable, the difference between loving it & hating it is finding the thing that makes you more or less forget about the issues & lose yourself. It may be there for some, It may be coming, it may never grab you. That's ok. The Vita isn't for everyone either, but God I love it.

Edited October 13, 2016 by BlackCatBurrito

[antithesis]

So mine is ready to be collected from the local DPD dropoff point, this thread has kind of taken the excitement out of it for me and am now weighing up whether to not open it and send straight back as Shopto won't take orders back if they have been unsealed. Really in 2 minds now!

 

 

Demo it at a local store before picking it up. You could end up with a $500 dud on your hands.

[AffectatiousDonk]

I have my PSVR all hooked up right now and here is my brief experience of the first 30 minutes (which includes setting it all up).

 

Firstly all of the cables I would need are supplied including an additional HDMI cable (you need 2 in total).

 

All of the cables are numbered clearly and in the large setup book it shows very simple instructions on what goes where, it really is self explanatory but still took me about 15 minutes in total to do it all.

 

I will say that I found I sweated a little with the head set on, and this caused a little condensation which in turn made my screen hazy and out of focus, after wiping the lens with the supplied cleaning cloth it was ok, but I do feel like this might be an occasional issue for me and perhaps other people too, especially those is warmer climates.

 

Onto the game itself, just like my experience when I played a demo back in August I was knocked sideways, it is completely surreal finding yourself in a world that is not where you are actually sat.

 

 

Back to the game (Summer Lesson)...

Same problem with fogging up today too. Once you use it for about 15 mins the temperature of the screen warms up from your head then you are good to go

[Terra]

I was expecting this to happen but I really was hoping that it didn't. VR really is nothing new but it is still not at a level where it can be used without issues. I expect by next year the PSVR will be shunned by SONY or pulled from store shelves. I don't see this as a successful way for SONY to win back consumers. They still have time but they aren't using it well. 

[antithesis]

It really is all about expectations & what you really want from it. Either side of the opinion on PSVR is perfectly acceptable, the difference between loving it & hating it is finding the thing that makes you more or less forget about the issues & lose yourself. It may be there for some, It may be coming, it may never grab you. That's ok. The Vita isn't for everyone either, but God I love it.

 

Normally I'd agree with you about expectations. But I didn't go into this all goo-goo eyed and dopey, I'm a grown man with over 35 years of gaming under my belt. I don't succumb to peer pressure and don't buy into hype, I simply wanted to see what VR was all about and chose the cheapest entry point.

 

My expectations for PSVR were low and Sony failed to meet them. I STRONGLY suggest that anyone considering buying PSVR demo them first. And not just for a couple of minutes in VR, that's wasted potential and frankly a waste of money for the handful of good VR games that will hit the PS4. Use Cinema Mode to play regular games and watch a couple of videos. The lasting impression I have is it looked like a really bad, old TV.

 

Sony's return policy on the PSVR is very hardline, I talked with the EB Games guys about it for a good 10 minutes and they're frankly shitting bricks about it. Buyer beware - Sony won't take it back if you don't like it. They won't take it back if it's not in perfect condition. As soon as you open that box,  you're in troubled waters for a return.

[Devil_Spooky]

"I've played a couple of demos and didn't like them, NO ONE BUYS IT, IT SUCKS"...

 

Seriously people, don't be sheep, try it for yourselves and the decide if it's something for you, good or bad this is one experience you need to experience yourself to know what it's capable of, don't let others tell you what you should or shouldn't do.

[antithesis]

I was expecting this to happen but I really was hoping that it didn't. VR really is nothing new but it is still not at a level where it can be used without issues. I expect by next year the PSVR will be shunned by SONY or pulled from store shelves. I don't see this as a successful way for SONY to win back consumers. They still have time but they aren't using it well. 

 

Honestly, that's how I see this playing out too.

 

Everyone should make up their own minds about it, but my intention here was to pop the hype bubble and bring things into perspective. PSVR is a second-rate way to play ugly games using dated technology dug up from Sony's graveyard of misfit toys. It's a real shame, but that's how they hit a consumer-friendly price-point.

"I've played a couple of demos and didn't like them, NO ONE BUYS IT, IT SUCKS"...

 

Seriously people, don't be sheep, try it for yourselves and the decide if it's something for you, good or bad this is one experience you need to experience yourself to know what it's capable of, don't let others tell you what you should or shouldn't do.

 

You can thank me later.

[Devil_Spooky]

Honestly, that's how I see this playing out too.

 

Everyone should make up their own minds about it, but my intention here was to pop the hype bubble and bring things into perspective. PSVR is a second-rate way to play ugly games using dated technology dug up from Sony's graveyard of misfit toys. It's a real shame, but that's how they hit a consumer-friendly price-point.

 

You can thank me later.

 

Don't need to, I'm perfectly capable of making up my own mind and I know perfectly well what I'm getting into.

[antithesis]

If I were to get a PSVR this month, it would be with the same intention. To broaden my gaming experience, and maybe have some enjoyment as well. Games I like will come eventually, and most are merely to pass the time.

 

That was my approach - I'll give anything a chance, but PSVR looked so bad there was simply no way I could justify $550 of worthless headset gathering dust on a shelf.

 

If you want a quick "should I or shouldn't I?" acid test - put your nose on a TV screen. See those huge, bright, blurry pixels? Welcome to PSVR. 

Don't need to, I'm perfectly capable of making up my own mind and I know perfectly well what I'm getting into.

 

So did I. They went straight back to the store. You can still thank me later.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[JapanimeGamer]

If you want a quick "should I or shouldn't I?" acid test - put your nose on a TV screen. See those bright, blurry pixels? Welcome to PSVR. 

 

That may have been true for you but it is not true for me, and if hordes of people want to believe you based on that then good luck to them.

 

My advice to people who are interested in PSVR would be to ignore the worst review you read and ignore the best review you read and try and gauge what the rest are saying.

[Nitro]

Ok, I got my PSVR all hooked up and I can categorically & absolutely recommend that you DO NOT BUY this piece of sh!t. It's fucking awful.

 

Off topic but I love how you censored "shit" but not "fuck"

Edited October 13, 2016 by Nitro

[antithesis]

Off topic but I love how you censored "shit" but not "fuck"

 

I posted much the same thing on another forum that has naughty word filtering. I figured I'd get in more trouble here for the fcuk misspelling and missed the sh!t  

That may have been true for you but it is not true for me, and if hordes of people want to believe you based on that then good luck to them.

 

My advice to people who are interested in PSVR would be to ignore the worst review you read and ignore the best review you read and try and gauge what the rest are saying.

 

Yes and no. Despite outlier reviews, a general consensus tends to boil to the surface and all opinions are ultimately of great value in forming the middleground. When most people say "It's crap" or "It's great", most other people will form the same opinion after experiencing it themselves. Give it a week or two for the word to get out, then take that into account when considering purchasing the PSVR. As it is, I don't think PSVR is remotely worth the asking price.

 

I don't care if everyone or no-one at all agrees with me here, my suggestion is simply to not to walk in blind. Sony doesn't want you returning these things, so tread with caution. Demo the unit, see if you can tolerate the low-resolution, blurry, pixelated screens (I can't), judge the gaming catalogue (mostly on-rail shooters because freedom of movement causes nausea) and keep in mind this is really Motion Control 2.0 with the same problems it had last time around.

 

I didn't pre-order this thing because I wanted it to be shit, nor did I expect PSVR to be omgitstehshit!!!1! But I did return it because it's closer to shit than good and there's a high likelihood that it'll be dead within a year, just like 3D and Move before it. I'm not the only person to have formed that opinion, but I did form it on my own with no outside influence whatsoever. It's only after I drew that conclusion that I've looked at reviews and very few of them have a lot of good things to say about PSVR, or current-gen VR in general.

 

I'd recommend waiting for 4K or even 8K VR because 1080p (or 1200p) screens that close to your face look like pixelated, eye-bleaching turd. We need a tonne more pixels crammed in to make it a worthwhile alternative to desktop or couch-based gaming, and we need a tonne more processing grunt to power it. Maybe next generation, if VR lasts that long...

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[JapanimeGamer]

Ok i am going to offer some ground back to you here...

 

My honest opinion of owning PSVR (not demoing it) is that yes it is a bit grainy, that is no lie, it is not HD quality, but (and for me this is the BIG but) what it does do it does superbly.

 

I am taken to a world where i have never been before and it is mind blowing, the potential of PSVR is massive.

 

I think what you get out of it largely depends on what you expect from it and how tolerant you are of its strenghs and its weakness's.

 

It would be fair to say that on a PS4 Pro this thing would be insane but as it is on a standard PS4 its still something amazing, just not with crystal clear grahpics that i dont ever remember anyone ever saying we would get or even could have been hoped for in a headset of this price anyway.

 

That is my total honest opinion.

Edited October 13, 2016 by JapanimeGamer

[DeadStanley]

Everything looks blurry and smudged and I need to pull the screen right up to the point where they're colliding with my glasses. I don't think wearing glasses is the problem, it'll look like shit for everyone - the resolution may be 1080p, but it looks upscaled from 480p.

 

The best thing you could have done for yourself was to try out an existing VR unit, or maybe the PS VRs that were demoed at Best Buy, considering you had one in your area, wherever that is. You'd have found out right then and there that this wasn't for you. That being said, I noticed the "screen door" problem and sweat accumulation on the demo unit as well, but it was not enough of a deterrent for me. These are things that while unfortunate, are ultimately things I can look past to enjoy what the headset does have to offer.

 

Some games will display better than others, as it depends on how they deal with aliasing and if they aren't downscaling their frame buffer resolution to compensate for the required frame rate of 90 - 120Hz. I think we'll all be seeing more efficient VR titles in the future, but honestly you have to start from somewhere and while this may be more of a tool for enthusiasts, it's at least getting VR into mainstream and affordable gaming platforms. Sales will drive the tech and in a few years we'll all see a stronger PS VR option in the works. Perhaps that iteration will work better for you.

[Satoshi Ookami]

Reading the topic it seems that my predictions are going to be correct.

It's going to flop in the west because of insufficient graphiczzzzzzz.

 

In any case, I would wait until someone reviews it using PS4 Pro. 

We all know that the 'everything will be working alright on PS4 Amateur' was just a PR talk and everything will be pushed towards Pro.

In the end, what we see now may as well be the first step towards showing that with PS4 Amateur, you won't have enough power for anything.

[JapanimeGamer]

To be honest aswell Satoshi i think this is still very early days, in time there will be updates, and more refinded finished games too...

 

What we are seeing is just the beginning, i would urge people to not be entirely discouraged just yet.

[StrickenBiged]

So mine is ready to be collected from the local DPD dropoff point, this thread has kind of taken the excitement out of it for me and am now weighing up whether to not open it and send straight back as Shopto won't take orders back if they have been unsealed. Really in 2 minds now!

 

Where are you at? If you ordered online in the UK (like your account says) you are legally entitled to return any product within period which would allow you to conduct a reasonable inspection of the product for a full refund. See the Distance Selling Regulations and quote them if they give you shit about it being opened. See Citizens Advice for the detail, but note that this won't apply to any games you bought if you broke the seal. 

 

Anyone living in London might like to know that there is apparently a demo booth in Kings Cross station until 16 October. I'd guess you might have to wait in line though. http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2016/10/sony_erects_giant_playstation_vr_headset_at_kings_cross_in_london

[Dr_Mayus]

I don't mean to be dissrepectful but i am very surprised by the amount of 'Thanks for the heads up' kind of replies based on one persons experience.

 

It is as though that one persons opinion is the gospel and that's that...

 

If people do not like it or do not want it then that's perfectly fine, but to be completely tilted in one direction by one persons opinion in an online forum seems a bit hasty in the least.

Normally true, but if you know Ant then you know his opinion can be trusted. If you were on the fence already that review might be enough to sway you.

[Sofa King]

VR has turned into Console Wars: Civil War around here. Never had any interest other than curiosity myself so maybe that's why I can't understand why some here take it all so personally. 

[antithesis]

The best thing you could have done for yourself was to try out an existing VR unit, or maybe the PS VRs that were demoed at Best Buy, considering you had one in your area, wherever that is. You'd have found out right then and there that this wasn't for you.

 

Unfortunately, that's not an option here in Australia. I got one of the first shipment to hit our shores and the only way to demo it was to attend the EB Games Expo in Sydney last week, which is roughly 1000km away. For us early adopters, it was suck it and see...

 

For everyone else, definitely demo the PSVR. It took less than a second for me to formulate an opinion. No amount of tweaking, gaming or movie-watching afterwards had a chance of changing it. And yes, I did play VR titles as well as regular PS4 games and they didn't elevate the experience beyond "Oh look, there's something over there!"

 

The screens and controls are the problem, not the medium. It's simply too low-quality at that distance from your eyes to recommend, Move controllers are too clunky to offer seemless controls, and the PS4 camera is too inaccurate to track your head or hands properly. All of that is immersion-breaking in a medium that relies on immersion and IMHO, it wasn't worth the money I laid out for it.

Normally true, but if you know Ant then you know his opinion can be trusted. If you were on the fence already that review might be enough to sway you.

 

True dat Doc. I'm not here to fuck spiders. Take a look at my friends list here if anyone doubts my credentials. I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.

Reading the topic it seems that my predictions are going to be correct.

It's going to flop in the west because of insufficient graphiczzzzzzz.

 

In any case, I would wait until someone reviews it using PS4 Pro. 

We all know that the 'everything will be working alright on PS4 Amateur' was just a PR talk and everything will be pushed towards Pro.

In the end, what we see now may as well be the first step towards showing that with PS4 Amateur, you won't have enough power for anything.

 

It's not insufficient graphics or underpowered GPUs to blame. It's the PSVR screens and repurposed motion controls at fault. The PS4 Pro can't fix that.

Edited October 13, 2016 by ant1th3s1s

[Sly Ripper]

I wouldn't say don't buy it, the tech is really good. The 3D works really well, framerate is smooth, tracking is good. It's just that the resolution is too low. Some games are better than others.

 

Wait until PS4 Pro though, I think some of it feels like low resolution textures.

[smellslikejavier]

Thought you would of went with the PC Vr headset.

I know in 2 years I'll be picking one up since consoles are limited for space

 

This is why I want to buy one.

 

but both PC VR headsets are more expensive than the PS VR, you'll need a powerful (and expensive) PC in order to make them work properly and on top of that you can only just play indie games on them for the most part, unlike with the PS VR were the games have more high budget so you can play games like RE7, call of duty, rise of the tomb raider, etc with them.

 

so yeah, that's the reason why pretty much the majority of gamers are more interested in the PS VR rather than on the PC VRs according to surveys.

 

cheaper price + better games = PS VR

expensive price + you'll need an expensive and powerful pc + only plays unfinished indies from steam = oculus and htc vive.

Edited October 13, 2016 by smellslikejavier

[Alexander_Pihl]

After finishing my perusal of this thread I just wanted to make a comment on the thing with Sony's new projects ending up as a failure in the long run.

 

Let's just admit it. Sony has a terrible track record in supporting its peripherals and spin-off platforms (that'll be aside from the quadrilogy of PS consoles). They come up with imaginative and ingenious products, develop a lot of titles for them, and then they end up forgetting them entirely. The PocketStation, PlayStation Move, PlayStation Mobile, 3D Display, EyeToy and of course the great Vita were all victims of Sony's inventive products that ended up as a failure in the long run.

 

It has been a serious problem over the years and that, as one would expect, makes people afraid of the same thing. Will Sony's virtual reality device take off well enough that it effectively would become its own platform with a massive install base? Would companies make games that would continue to take advantage of it? Because if the PS VR won't sell then developers will not have much success in selling games for the PlayStation console as the VR headset is required to play the game.

 

The thing with the VR that makes me see this as a different case is that it's virtual reality. Everyone's talking about it, every big company wants to produce products of virtual reality, and it has the potential of becoming a fundamental way in which we communicate and work. It would lead to us seeing more innovative uses for this piece of technology.

The PlayStation 4 has been a runaway success meaning there's a huge audience out there available to sell VR headsets to.

 

Sony's getting the virtual reality technology and the prize of it right, and we need to keep in mind that is just the beginning of something great.

I am beyond any doubt sure of that a stronger and better version of the PS VR will come out next year, and it won't be long before we see a virtual reality headset that supports 4K.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Alexander_Pihl

[Oobedoob S Benubi]

The thing with the VR that makes me see this as a different case is that it's virtual reality. Everyone's talking about it, every big company wants to produce products of virtual reality, and it has the potential of becoming a fundamental way in which we communicate and work. It would lead to us seeing more innovative uses for this piece of technology.

The PlayStation 4 has been a runaway success meaning there's a huge audience out there available to sell VR headsets to.

 

Sony's getting the virtual reality technology and the prize of it right, and we need to keep in mind that is just the beginning of something great.

I am beyond any doubt sure of that a stronger and better version of the PS VR will come out next year, and it won't be long before we see a virtual reality headset that supports 4K.

 

This is all that needs to be said about PSVR in contrast to Move and Vita, really.

 

Nobody asked for Move. Most of those that would have been interested already had a Wii at that point. Nobody asked for the Vita. Most that would have been interested have already been buying Nintendo handhelds for decades.

 

Many people have been talking about VR for decades, and now Sony is the first to have it ready for consoles.

 

 

I wouldn't say don't buy it, the tech is really good. The 3D works really well, framerate is smooth, tracking is good. It's just that the resolution is too low. Some games are better than others.

 

Wait until PS4 Pro though, I think some of it feels like low resolution textures.

 

Best game right now that I have played, wait for it... The Playroom, minigame Robots Rescue. It's what would happen if the Super Mario 64 just went VR. Graphics look fine as well, though I indeed have seen some problems with textures in other games, mainly the ones that try to be too real. I have no texture problems with Robots Rescue, Bound, or How We Soar.

 

I am getting interested in PS4 Pro at this point, especially if it turns out VR really works better with it.