So, Sony make a move to differentiate the PS5 a bit with a VR helmet. The specs seem good, though the wired connection is a bit of a step back (though I appreciate 1 wire is a massive improvement on the thousands (not really thousands) of wires that came with the original). Their policy seems to be a sprinkling of exclusives but mainly retrofitting VR modes into flagship titles (I assume Gran Turismo 7 being one of them).
I guess it could mean a new Astrobot too.
I have mixed feeling about it - I rarely use VR on the PC any more as it feels gimmicky and is just too much faff to set up (plus the isolating nature of it is still a bit of an issue), but when I do I am still impressed by it. The comfort of the original PSVR was great and we really enjoyed some of the more party-like games on it, even if actual big titles never really worked properly thanks to the godawful Move controllers.
I can't see this selling any PS5s and I probably agree with Microsoft's policy of "head down, just do games this gen so we don't fuck anything up" but it is a good example of why the PS5 this gen is a bit of a weird wildcard and worth keeping an eye on I guess.
Thoughts from the peanut gallery?
I've got a PSVR, I guess I'd say I like it in theory more than in practice.
Nothing against the device itself, I think the VR effect is impressive and the games on it that are good are really really good (Beat Sabre and Astrobot especially). Running on a PS4 it feels like witchcraft. There are clearly more sophisticated VR solutions out there but as an entry-level system it's tremendous.
But I just find it very odd being completely isolated from the outside world, if that makes any sense. I've got funny ears so can't wear earbuds - the big over-ear headphones I have to use add to that. Not being able to see or hear what's going on in the outside world feels very uncomfortable to me (especially in this Covid age when I'm rarely or never alone in the house) and the fact I can't quickly remove the device without taking off headphones AND a big headset and probably getting tangled in all the wires doesn't help.
So I rarely play it. And I don't think an updated version would solve my main problems with it (fewer wires would help a little, I guess). Maybe some kind of button you could press that instantly cuts the game off and shows you the outside world through the headset? I dunno, I guess I'm just not the target market.
I've also got PSVR. What I've played with it, I've enjoyed. However, my PS4 is now in storage so I'm going to pack it up and send it to my son, who'll get more use from it. At least, he does seem to have a thing for VR currently, which is a marked difference from the memory of him trying it the first time. Panic attack would be the best way I'd describe it…
As this has inside-out tracking I assume it'll have a similar feature to the Quest, which lets you double tap the side of the helmet to instantly see the real world (and also has a boundary feature to stop you crashing into a shin high thing you accidentally left on the floor). However, the Quest also has built in sound which this doesn't, so I'm not sure it's much of a help as you'll still have massive cans clamped over the top of the helmet.
I think it's the isolating nature of the device that does it for me too. It's too immersive to be a regular choice for entertainment, and I'm not sure how they'll ever get round that. Even if I have cans on and I'm playing jammed up against the screen of the PC I still have at least some peripheral awareness. But sometimes I don't even want to do that, and will merrily play something brainless, slouched on the sofa, while Twitch is running on another screen. Perhaps one day when the glasses are literally like glasses, or it's more of an AR-type experience.
I'm buying one, of course, but you knew that already.
How is the Quest 2? Is it much of an upgrade from the PSVR or more of a convenience thing?
You have to sell your soul to Facebook to use it (the Quest 2 can't work without a Facebook account and can be bricked if your account ever gets banned). But it's miles ahead of the PSVR in general experience and the lack of wires makes it almost impossible to go back to being tethered. The Quest 1 is heavy and lower rez, but the screens are OLED, the Quest 2 is lighter, more powerful and more comfortable (but still not as comfortable as the PSVR 1) but the screens are a bit washed out in comparison. Getting them to work wirelessly with the PC can be a bit of a ballache, but the onboard games are surprisingly good, and it's as close to pick up and play as a VR helmet has got. No other hardware, no cameras, just pick it up and play. And the controllers are galaxies ahead of the Moves (which are embarrassingly shit).
Right, fuck it, I'm getting one.
What games do I need? Apart from Beat Saber, obviously.
I think you'll need to readjust yourself to the prices of the games on the Occulus store before you get too carried away with plurals.
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/oculus-quest-2-elite-strap-3873592
Recommended. The 2 is more comfortable than 1, but still a bit of a horror show out of the box.
Yes I saw that - I think I'll get the thing itself and see how it fits my weird-shaped head first, but I suspect I'll end up getting that for comfort.
Seriously though, what games - prices notwithstanding? I'm thinking Beat Saber, Pistol Whip and Resi 4 as a starting point, though I'm a bit concerned that the first two of those may be a bit too similar. Something Star Warsy for the boy.
Pistol Whip isn’t that similar to Saber. It’s also fucking amazing. I’d say that’s a decent place to start. As you have a PSVR I’d focus on Quest games that make the most of the total freedom to move around a play space. Even crazy stuff like the Table Tennis games are transformed by it. Quest 2 has a lot of native titles with significant graphical improvements over 1 or even total exclusivity - but I think the most likely way you’ll be engaged with it is playing to the system’s big strength. Pick it up and play immediately in any space with no wires.
Obviously as well there’s the PC connectivity angle, for Alyx etc if you have one.
Obviously as well there’s the PC connectivity angle, for Alyx etc if you have one.
How does that work? Do you need it cabled up or will it work over wi-fi? And does it work with any PC VR game, i.e. could I play Elite Dangerous or Hitman 3 in VR with one of those things or am I being a bit ambitious?
It's reasonably easy to get it to work wirelessly. There is an official route or you can use a 3rd party tool. YMMV - you need a decent router, a 5Ghz connection and preferably the PC wired into the router, rather than going over 2 wireless hops. And it works via Steam VR with pretty much any native VR title these days. Most will automatically use a Rift or Quest native profile, so you won't have to tinker with controller settings. You'll need a relatively beefy PC (1660 upwards I'd say) for some of the more marque titles to run well, but Elite Dangerous (which is transformed by VR) isn't too spec dependant. Flight Sim, Alyx, Boneworks etc all need a decent PC to maintain framerate. Worth saying that you also have access to the Rift/Quest Oculus store, which has some exclusives. The most notable being Asgard's Wrath, which is a decent puzzle action adventure game. But it does also need a fair amount of grunt from the PC.
Fair enough. My 1070 is getting a bit long in the tooth these days but it'll be fun to play around with.
I used a 1070 and Quest for a while. It's fine on most things. Alyx will run fine (low detail in Alyx is still amazing and doesn't look much different to high). Asgard will struggle. Elite will be fine. Flight Sim don't even bother trying. Generally the 1070 is still a very capable card for VR though. Worth looking at the Steam games you have and looking for ones which support VR. You may already have a big library.
Something Star Warsy for the boy.
Vader Immortal is pretty cool if you're a Star Wars fan. Bear in mind that everything in VR is kind of terrifying, so I found having Darth Vader standing in front of me and trying to menace me quite intimidating. Then again, I also found Superhot bloody scary. I'm not sure Resi 4 is a great idea, frankly.
Getting the thing working wirelessly with a PC is an absolute revelation, a must. It is a real faff, but one evening of frustrating computer stuff is a small price to pay for what it unlocks when you do. The Steam Lab stuff, which is free, is great in itself, but you'll probably find that you own a fair few VR games that you can now play wirelessly, in a well-thought out VR headset with great controllers. Then, if you want scary, just play Half Life Alyx, which is my favorite game that I absolutely cannot play due to fear.
Star Wars Squadrons is pretty good in VR, though you'll need your VR legs to play it. Vader Immortal and the other Quest Star Wars exclusive experiences are decent enough, if a bit slight.
Superhot is another game transformed by no wires and the ability to free move.
Squadrons is incredible in some ways. It's a fulfilment of the fantasy of being an X-Wing pilot in the Star Wars universe. Or at least it almost is. I imagine actually being that pilot would involve less feelings of nausia, and less annoyance at slightly crappy level design. There's a few too many bad choices in the levels, whether it's making you battle Tie Fighters against a background that is slightly too busy so you can't pick them out, or requiring you to guess what location you need to be in to trigger the next bit of the game. The feeling of being in a Star Wars space ship absolutely sends tingles down the spine, though.
I actually picked up Vader Immortal for PSVR and the five minutes I played of it seemed pretty good.
Then the end of the very first scene required you to turn round and press a button on a control panel behind you. Of course as soon as I did this, the PSVR camera could no longer see my hands (as they were blocked by my big lumpy body) and started complaining that I needed to turn round again.
Eventually, after trying various contortions and varieties on "turning around really fast", I just about it got it to work with the most ungainly bit of VR limbo dancing the world has ever seen.
I didn't go any further. I think it might be quite good on the Quest though.
I always forget that Squadrons had a campaign…
Can you seriously play the entirety of Hitman in VR? It's not just a tech demo/sand box?
Yeah, it's the whole game - well all three games really. But I hear the VR implementation is a bit wonky, even on PC.
I definitely should never play this game tbh D:
Vader Immortal started on the Quest I think, so I can't quite imagine how a PSVR translation would've worked at all.
A random recommendation for Quest is Tetris Effect. Yes, it doesn't look as good as the console versions, but it's pick up and play and the controllers work quite well for it (after remapping). A Fisherman's Tale is good (and benefits from the free movement). I also quite like Blade and Sorcery, even though it's janky as fuck.
Oh, there is also a VR game where you're a tree fighting squirrels and everyone who is a squirrel plays on their phone. Acron maybe? We've had far more fun out of that than we should've done.
Also, I can't remember if these are Quest exclusive, but there are three very memorable VR experiences I tried on Quest. One is a simulation of what it's like to be blind (which I found very thought provoking) and there's also a couple of non-interactive VR movie type things which were quite emotional. Worth a scout round the Oculus store to look for top rated free stuff as some of it isn't garbage.
I'd love to give Myst VR a go. Almost bought a Quest just for that.
I think Prole's mum has one she's selling on Facebook Marketplace.
there's also a couple of non-interactive VR movie type things which were quite emotional.
I knew someone would bring up porn eventually.
Interesting you instantly equate the word emotion with porn. Let's explore that.
(I've been watching Couples Therapy on iPlayer)
I think Prole's mum has one she's selling on Facebook Marketplace.
No, no! It's random mums; not mums which are random.
A random mum is selling MPH on MySpace?
Why not? Let's say that they are.
My mum just bought him, thanks Prole.
Bri - I had to shut mart in the bathroom again as he shat in your slippers.
Bri - I had to shut mart in the bathroom again as he shat in your slippers.
That has nothing to do with me being a cat though.
Don't make me get the water spray
Bri - I had to shut mart in the bathroom again as he shat in your slippers.
Those aren't my slippers.
cav - does this work? Feel free to send me a referral if you'd like some free money / Facebook moon points.
https://support.oculus.com/articles/orders-and-purchases/headsets-and-app-purchases/oculus-referrals/
OK, so my Quest 2 arrived yesterday and although I've only had a brief chance to play around with it, I think it's very, very impressive.
The freedom from wires and cameras makes all the difference, even just standing in the main menu and realising I could walk a few paces in any direction was quite amazing. The way the "boundary edges" materialise in front of you like something off the Star Trek holodeck is superb. Picture quality is a notable step up from PSVR and it feels less like peering through a porthole. Even the on-board speakers are pretty decent.
One slight problem though: this thing really isn't designed for glasses wearers. Even using the supplied glasses spacer and the silicone face protector, there's not a lot of room in there. My glasses are jammed against my face which isn't actually as uncomfortable as it sounds but makes focusing through them actually quite difficult, one eye is always blurry. I've found an older pair of glasses which are slightly smaller than my regular pair and it's helped a little bit but they're not tiny or anything and it's still not great. Plus of course I am concerned about scratching the headset's lenses.
Is there anything I can do, or buy, to alleviate this problem - a bigger spacer or something?
Doesn't it come with two options in the box? If that's not working then yes, you can get bigger spacers but they will obviously reduce the POV and sense of immersion. That said I've never had an issue with any of the headsets in the Oculus range so you must have quite wide frames.
The sense of freedom is indeed a game changer as well as the self contained nature of it… just pick up and you can be playing in seconds. It's hard to go back to a teathered system.
Do you use free movement in games that support it? I tried it for a while and felt distinctly sub-par. Teleportation isn’t quite as immersive but it’s a lot more fun to play.
Depends on the game, no? Alyx I'll teleport. But, say Asguard's Wrath I'll do full movement. Or do you mean it's specifically bad on the Oculus?
No, game-specific I guess. This was in Star Wars: Tales from Galaxy’s Edge, which felt like I was careening around in a shopping trolley every time I nudged the stick. Maybe a slower-paced game would be better while I’m still getting/reacquiring my VR legs.
Oh, another question, do you use AirLink or Virtual Desktop for PC gaming?
I still think this is like magic. I want to go rent a warehouse and wander around.
Virtual Desktop but only out of habit, they're both ok these days
Air Link was a bit of a hassle to set up but I got it up and running in the end.
Then I tried Half-Life Alyx. Holy fuck. Runs flawlessly and looks astonishing.
Starts out looking good. Then gets spoopy.
Hang on. I've just realised that as AirLink basically gives me full access to my whole PC, I should be able to run VR Game Pass games as well. For some reason I'd thought it was just a Steam thing, but it's not, is it?
It should work across Oculus, Epic (I assume you've been collecting your free game every week), Steam and Gamepass on PC. Mind you, Flight Sim, for example, is a bit of a horror show to get working and some other non Steam games can be a bit tricky. YMMV.
Yeah, the absolute uselessness of the EA desktop app was preventing me from installing Star Wars Squadrons this evening. I’ll try again another day.
Ah yes, the Origin replacement that is bafflingly worse than Origin, which itself is awful.
You were both right about Superhot, it's brilliant.
Also oddly the most immersive game I've played by far, despite its abstract visuals. I think it's the fact it practically demands that you do great sweeping gestures and dramatic moves, almost from the off, but also keeps the controls dead simple so you're not really thinking about what you're doing, you're just doing it. And it doesn't make you move around much at all, so you're not running up against the boundary edges like in some other games. I was well into this last night.
