Going to try PS4 Virtual Reality: Please Help (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

So to be clear here, the only way to get the v2 headset is with the Skyrim bundle that includes everything and sells for significantly more that other bundles? (Thing is, I already have 2 move controllers and wouldn't need any more). Also, is room space an issue? My "mancave" is wide but narrow when it comes to my sofa and display.

For the moment it seems that way. I haven't seen that headset sell solo yet.

This should help you with your second question:

http://www.techradar.com/news/gamin...ace-you-ll-need-to-use-playstation-vr-1325702

 

[Bryan^H]

I've been thinking about getting this just to own the Star Trek Bridge crew game. it looks pretty fun.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Just wanted to pop in and provide some initial thoughts as my motion controllers went dead after 30 minutes of gameplay. My fault for not initially charging them completely.

It took a good hour or more just to get started with gameplay.

The hooking up of the Playstation 4 and headset bundle was relatively easy thanks to an included xLarge quick setup manual that walks you through the connections.

Being my first time using the motion controllers I could not figure out why they were not working in the game. Turns out I had to pair them first with the PS4. I just plugged them in via USB cable and they paired.

The next time-consuming step was fumbling around the VR setup and game controls. Without any real guide before you, you kind of stumble onto a motion controller setup menu where you have to align the light on top of the controllers with a circle on your screen. This process takes a long time as you have to continually move in and out of camera range just to get them calibrated correctly.

When all was said and done, more than an hour later, I was beginning to play Until Dawn: Rush of Blood

Initially, I was kind of bored. This is basically a game where you are shooting targets in a fun-house/rollercoaster setting. After a while, however, I was very impressed with how immersed I was in the game. I had forgotten the real world. I can't say that I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride. I didn't get the stomach drop feeling one gets when plummeted downwards on a speeding coaster. However, I did get a very distinct sense of "WOAH" as I felt my senses shift in a different direction. I would call it dizziness -- but in a good way. Your body does react to the movement it believes to be real. I was just hoping it would be MORE real, and perhaps, I have to play more into this game.

After taking the headset off after 30 minutes, I did feel nauseous, but not to the point where I felt I was actually going to throw up.

I am waiting for the controllers to fully charge and I am going back IN again.

Having one big problem....

I can't adjust the volume on my external wired headset. That option is grayed out in the SETTINGS menu. I don't even think I can do it from the quick menu. I don't know why this is, and as a result, I am not fully getting the immersive experience I want as the headphone volume is too low.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Ron - glad to know you got to taste the "immersion" feeling. I highly recommend playing Batman next, as the experience is much more of a wow-factor thing than Rush of Blood. Also, for what it's worth, Rush of Blood is a spinoff to a game that is COMPLETELY different in style, tone, gameplay...just about everything, so its a bizarre experience in its own right that you'll have a weird time playing.

Regarding Sony phasing out the PS VR, don't be worried. If you had Amazon orders cancelled then I would check if they were legit in the first place (Amazon selling a game versus a third party vendor) or if it was simply Amazon selling out their stock. Black Friday through Cyber Monday were really big for the PlayStation platform as a whole and the VR stuff sold very, very well, so you're competing with other people for this stuff and I wouldn't be surprised if their physical discs were just being sold through. That said, any game you want can also be found on the PSN store (digital copies tend to keep their cost, however, so a $10 disc at GameStop might still be a $20 digital download on the PSN store). Hunt around at GameStop, Best Buy, and Amazon to try and find what you're looking for, but also consider the digital copies. Personally, I prefer discs but the convenience of switching to digital copies with VR is really nice.

As for Farpoint, it has been consistently almost-sold-out pretty much since launch. Sony's factories are pushing out a lot of hardware and the PS VR has always been a bit of a mystery in terms of what will sell and how much will sell on it, so I just think they haven't been able to keep up with demand very well. I got Farpoint because I saw that Newegg was offering delivery in 4-6 weeks over the summer, after their first few shipments sold out. So it's not an issue of Sony trying to quietly kill the VR stuff, it's just trying to maintain supply with demand.

Is your wired headset a Sony PlayStation one, like the Silver headset? Or is it some other brand? Is it connected to the PS4, to the controller, or to the VR headset (there's a plug for headphones)? How you're connected to everything makes all the difference here.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Morgan,

I am so happy you are involved with this thread. I have been enjoying our back-and-forth as well as with everyone else.

I just finished about 90 minutes of VR. Played a lot of UNTIL DAWN. Really enjoyed it but got stuck near the end and unable to finish even on easy level. It's an amazing game -- don't sell it short. I love the funhouse/roller coaster atmosphere of it.

I then switched over to a new demo download from the store. It has a great game called ROBOT RESCUE that is just out of this world, despite the fact it's geared towards kids. The graphics and game play are spectacular. I love the way it puts a virtual controller right in front of your face.

Then I went to the WORLDS disc and played a bit of London Heist. That was very cool, but the tracking often became a bit dodgy when I tried to pick up and load my gun inside the bank.

So, after 90 minutes, I walked away feeeling a bit whoozy. The VR really takes a lot out of you and one must normalize a bit back into reality.

That being said...

So far, it's pretty damn cool. All the things I thought I would hate, I don't. The graphics aren't 1080p, but somehow you forget that after awhile. The immersion is pretty incredible. No, you don't feel like you are on a rollercoaster ride, but you definitely feel a bit queezy when the cart plummets downwards. I don't think I have been scared by anything as some people have reported. I mean, there is always a sense that this is a game and nothing can hurt you. Now, if I were a kid, I would be scared shitless. This is not the kind of thing you give young kids to play with, though I am going to try some of this out on my 5 year-old nephew.

The great thing is, I am not bored by it yet. I have Batman to get to. I have Resident Evil to look at. If you highly recommend Farpoint, that will be my next purchase but I am waiting for that bundle to drop from $80 to $50. Thought it would have happend on Monday but if Sony can't fill orders, then no price drop.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Just ordered the Skyrim Bundle myself. What sold me on getting a PSVR headset over the Oculus was a couple of things:
1) The PS VR has less screen door effect than either than the Oculus or Vive because of the optics used. Yes, it has less resolution than those two but it has better colors and NO god rays.
2) Better software support.
3) The PS VR can be used with Steam VR on a PC using utilities like Tridef and VorpX.

Ron - if you have the first Star Wars Battlefront game there is a X-Wing VR demo you can try out as well!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Lo Sytsma (and everyone one else contemplating a Sony VR purchase),

I think all of us would opt for the best VR system avaiable which would probably be the Vive or Oculus. I think Lou pointed out, above, the perfect reasons for choosing the Sony instead. Basically, those were my reasons. I don't have a powerhouse computer to drive those systems. The cost to get into the Oculus or Vive, at my best estimate, would be twice or more the price of the Sony system.

If you are on the fence to buy this, I would give you a slight push over.

Lou, Josh and Edwin....

I am having a lot of fun with this headset bundle. As I mentioned earlier, the graphics are not high-resolution but after a few minutes you don't even think about it. This system works so well in the immersion process that the outside world gets totally blocked out and nothing else matters but the game itself.

I keep referring to this ROBOT RESCUE game that is a free VR LIVING ROOM download. It's absolutely amazing on so many levels. I can literally turn around and look at action going on behind me. I can run back and pick up coins or rescue little robot friends.

This is not a system that is going to change your life. The technology is still in its infancy, and for certain, you buy this now in another two years there are going to be better systems at this price point.

This is definitely early-adopter product. However, it's a fun product. And all I hear from my friends at work is "I showed this off to my friends and they went out and bought it." Hear that over and over again. And it's true: if you were at a friend's house and they showed this to you, chances are you would be buying it the next day.

If you have a PS4, you are only spending $350 for the bundle. I had a PS4, but I wanted the PRO for improved performance. So, if that is the case, you are going to be spending $700 for a complete system. Then you have to buy games.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron - if you have the first Star Wars Battlefront there is a X-Wing VR demo you can try out as well!

Lou, I don't.

I take it there is a X-WING VR game forthcoming? I hope!

 

[Jbug]

You couldn’t pay me to use a publicly available headset

I got my VR set from BB a year ago due the in-store demo done by Sony. The person running it wiped the head sets with wet wipes after each person. That is what should be done for demos. I also keep a fan handy as sometimes it gets hot wearing the headset. The fan also adds something when playing games like Until Dawn with it's cold outdoor setting and for Batman when you are on the roof of GPD. Using a HT sound system is a great way to go also. I like to be able to hear (as much as possible) people, sounds like phone ringing and other noises as I sometimes play while my wife is away.

I need to move the VR to a stand alone location. For now, it's a part of my HT set-up and does not allow enough room for certain games. I'm trying to find another location in the basement for that. If anyone is interested in the Star Trek game, mine is for sale for $25 to the first requester via a PM and using Pay Pal.

A question for those playing Moss, I got stuck on the part with the structure in the middle of the screen that you need to make your way up on and then are able to jump to the level with the stairs. How about a tip?

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Lou, I don't.

I take it there is a X-WING VR game forthcoming? I hope!

You would think, but I am not aware of anything officially announced yet.

The first Battlefront game is pretty cheap now that the second game is out.

Check out some Youtube videos for it.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Just wanted to pop in and provide some initial thoughts as my motion controllers went dead after 30 minutes of gameplay. My fault for not initially charging them completely.


I can't adjust the volume on my external wired headset. That option is grayed out in the SETTINGS menu. I don't even think I can do it from the quick menu. I don't know why this is, and as a result, I am not fully getting the immersive experience I want as the headphone volume is too low.

Can't you plug your wired headset into the visor earphone and control the volume from there? Or do you need your receiver to properly drive your headphones?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Just saw this thread. We got a PS VR in the office several months back and, finding it super fun, I decided that I would get it if there were any good BF deals. $100 off the Skyrim bundle (plus 5% off for using my Target card) qualified.

I know that the Skyrim bundle includes the new version of the headset and the Gran Turismo bundle includes the old version. I don't know about the Doom bundle or the standalone headset. I do know that the original Move controllers are compatible. I think the only difference in the Move controllers is that the new ones use micro USB (like the DualShock 4) and the old ones use mini USB (like the DualShock 3).

It's been over a week and I haven't even installed Skyrim yet. Been having a great time with the demos (and, to be fair, I also got Battlefield 1, which I've been playing a bit).

I watched some of Wreck-It Ralph in 3D (I don't own a 3D TV, and my personal experience with 3D has been mixed due to mediocre eyesight). It was OK. However, the 3D image in VR games is superior to ANY 3D movie that I've watched in the theater. I think doing the eye spread adjustment has something to do with that. Be sure to configure that when you set up your headset!

re: Batman. It's only a bit more than a tech demo, but WOW is it a great tech demo!

The X-Wing VR mission, which is a free download for owners of the original Battlefront game (which you can get for under $10), lasts about 20-30 minutes. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and has been playing video games since before the original movie came out, I have to say that this is probably the BEST half hour in the HISTORY of video games. I cannot overstate how fantastic of an experience it was to be flying an X-Wing into VR battle. If the developers simply ported the old X-Wing PC game to PS VR, I'd have to take a sabbatical from my job.

Does anyone know if the new Battlefront includes any VR content?

Raw Data (a port of a Vive/Oculus game) and Starblood Arena are cool FPS titles. At least based on the demos. Moss is another great demo, although the actual game isn't scheduled for release for another year. Hopefully they're using the time to develop a full-length game. That one could be a killer app for the system.

Hm, maybe a group of us should invest in Star Trek Bridge Crew and form an HTF crew. I hear it's a lot of fun if you hook up with the right crewmates.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

A question for those playing Moss, I got stuck on the part with the structure in the middle of the screen that you need to make your way up on and then are able to jump to the level with the stairs. How about a tip?

I remember being stuck there too. Can't remember exactly how I got past it. I think it involved moving my head a bit to look around the side or back at openings that weren't visible from the front.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

God, I hope that wasn't the implication I was putting out there.. I'm just saying.. it is definitely a different experience. I don't know if I would say a TV is infinitely better (or worse), it is just different. Watching 3D BD on PSVR is just something you should try if you have it; I found it interesting experience in comparison to watching on my TV. That's all.

I wasn't implying your post was suggesting this, I was more responding to Edwins statement:

Still I might be tempted to buy this if the playback quality of 3D movies is good. It would be a relatively cheap way to ensure that my 3D discs remain viewable without me having to drive 20+ kms out to my sister's place all of the time.

 

[CraigF]

Yesterday, when I decided to bite and buy one of these, plus a Pro (no good reason, I know I don't need it), nobody anywhere near me (of BB and WM) has the PSVR/Skyrim in stock. And BB won't allow reservations, so I take a chance on driving to a "far away" store, best to order online I guess. This is a popular item (because of the updated headset I assume), there were plenty in stores last Friday (BF).

Should I get the Worlds disc too?

 

[Jeff Cooper]

Responding to a few other questions:

- Is there any VR content in SW Battlefront 2? As of right now, no.

- How do I get past that room in Moss? If I recall correctly, you hit the switch to open up the structure, go through it, rotate it around, then get the bug to go through it and stay on one switch while you are on the other. This opens some more doors which you can then jump up inside the structure and hit the final switch to open the top most section, which creates a ledge you can rotate the structure around to jump from and reach the exit door. Or something like that.

- New move controllers: Yes the only difference in the move controllers packed in with the new version of the headset is that the charging method has been updated to the PS4 connectors, from the PS3 connectors. Also the move button has a slightly different tactile feel.

- Wired headphone volume control - I'm not sure how this works with the new headset. In the old one there was a bit on the main cable where you plugged in whatever headphones you were using and it also had the volume controls in that same spot. In the new one, are the included earbuds hardwired into the headset? If not, then you should be able to just unplug those, and plug your own headphones into the headset where the included ones were plugged in, and then use the volume control on the headset itself to set the volume.

- Availability of the new headset: I believe in North America it is only available as a bundle. There are a few bundles out there that include it, it's not just skyrim, but there are also some that are the old version, like GT Sport. Be very careful in your research as to what version the bundle you would get includes. I believe it's only available as a stand alone unit in Japan right now.

- Availability of older titles: Morgan hit the nail on the head here. Lack of availability is purely due to demand vs. product made, not anything to do with dropping support. Hell, Farpoint has always been a pain in the ass to find, even since day 1.

 

[Sam Posten]

I just want to be sure that Sony isn't silently phasing out this product.

If this is a serious concern for any potential buyers they should avoid spending a cent on it.

DO NOT BUY INTO VR expecting it to be a long term mass market success and a guaranteed hit. It really is a market segment that is for explorers and early adopters only.

DO BUY IN expecting to have novel and unique experiences that are outside the mainstream.

This is NOT a mass market product. And even if VR itself is a success, there is no saying whether VR on consoles will be one long term or if Sony will continue investing in this area. I suspect they will, but who knows?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The earbuds included with the new headset are NOT permanently attached. There's a little plastic doohickey on the wire that presses into the headset to hold the wire in place, but you can pull it out. It might get loose if you do that over and over, though.

The earbud holders built into the headset are a very clever idea. You never have to worry about unplugging 'em if you don't want to.

The PS Plus freebies for December were announced today. No new VR game, but Rush of Blood will remain free until the beginning of January, so those of you who didn't download it yet can still take advantage. Of course, now I'm annoyed at missing out on those $10 VR titles at Best Buy last weekend!

 

[Sam Posten]

1) The PS VR has less screen door effect than either than the Oculus or Vive because of the optics used. Yes, it has less resolution than those two but it has better colors and NO god rays.
2) Better software support.

I strongly caution against making value judgements on which headset is best based on specs and having only personal experience with max one of the three. Each of the three has pros and cons for sure, picking one on pixel count is one of the worst ways you can differentiate.

#2 is ridiculously wrong. Sorry Lou, but no way is there more software for PSVR than either of the other two headsets.
http://store.steampowered.com/vr/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_HTC_Vive_games

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_VR_games

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oculus_Rift_games

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Sorry Sam - don't mean to mislead anyone. Sony hit the ground running with PSVR due to their established relationship with software publishers whereas the HTC and Oculus had to develop those relationships over the past few years.

Plus if one uses Steam VR with their PSVR then you get access to a lot of that content you provided links for.

Best of both VR worlds!