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[Man]

*insert stuff about why Virtual Reality is the next big thing*

With that out of the way let's jump straight into what we know:

UPDATE: 2014:

John Smedley (SOE) basically confirmed it on Reddit: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=99327533&postcount=139

Hearkening back to the EQN Black Box video and the bit with Terry wearing the Oculus Rift...are you thinking about experiment with any other VR solutions in EQN such as the Virtuix Omni, STEM System etc.?

hearing good things about 2 competitors.. one of which actually comes from Sony. so I'm thinking this is real and we may have our Snowcrash after all.

2013:

In September of last year it leaked from trusted sources to Gamesindustry.biz/Eurogamer, CVG and more that Sony is prepping their own Virtual Reality solution (indirectly challenging Oculus Rift) for the PS4. Apparently they were/are surprisingly far into development with various devs having received dev-kits already:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-09-04-inside-new-ps4-vr-headset

The headset (which is not tied to the company's existing Wearable HDTV Personal 3D Viewer, pictured above) uses the PS4's PlayStation Eye camera, like Move did, for head tracking. This, say people who have used it, makes the headset even more accurate than the Oculus Rift - though it does present some aesthetic challenges.

At present, the working prototype for the headset, which select developers currently have in house, looks much like Oculus' better-known VR system - with ping pong balls attached. The design is not expected to be final.

In October CCP (the makers of Dust 514 on PS3 and EVE Online) made an interesting remark on where Valkyrie (their Oculus Rift space shooter) might end-up: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/10/24/very-odd-ccp-refuses-to-confirm-eve-valkyrie-on-pc/

“Hold on a second, we haven’t confirmed that Valkyrie’s on PC,” he interjected when I idly noted that Dust 514 is the only non-PC extension of the EVE universe. “It’s capable of playing on PC right now, but we haven’t confirmed what we’re going to launch it on.”

“It technically works on PC, and it’s working fine, but there are other platforms it could run on. There’s nothing that technically prevents it from running on a console, for example.”

Just recently at CES they confirmed it will launch with the OR but maybe there's a console outing coming as well (thanks SolidSnakex).

On the live November PS4 launch stream it was revealed that the engineers behind EyeToy and PlayStation Move (Dr.Richard Marks) has had their studio branded as Magic Labs. In their Behind-the-scenes doc they mention that they're looking into eye-tracking (most likely for the far-future) but also that they're cooperating with NASA on a product in-development. Surely these guys would be key in the development of a VR device: http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/0hu5h0/playstation-4-magic-labs-behind-the-scenes

In December Jonathan Blow tweeted a mysterious photo of The Witness being played in split-screen stereoscopic view with the message “What could it mean??”. Considering the genre and it's PS4 time-exclusivity it would be a perfect VR launch game. The photos were labeled VR1 and VR2: http://www.officialplaystationmagaz...ess-teasing-oculus-rift-or-vr-support-on-ps4/

You also have Media Molecule whom are receiving some limelight focus again from Sony, seemingly warming up the media for their next big reveal. Based on the February 2013 PS4 reveal it seems like they're creating a Play Create Share title where you can sculpt 3D models using the PS Move controllers and you can make them come alive through puppetering. VR seems hugely beneficial with those features in mind. A Media Molecule developed AAA title at VR launch would be an absolute homerun and likely a landmark product: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYY-J3ckeSI
CES 2014 behind-the-scenes doc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjX1zJp7lkQ

Onto the speculation:

Orientation and Positional-tracking: Pretty much guaranteed to work just like the PS Move or the DualShock 4. The PS4 camera detects a light-visor or similar and it just works. Still the most reliable motion controllers on the market. The PS Move is down to 22milliseconds latency which includes the complete processing of the camera image etc.

Screen resolution: The PS4 is a home console comfortable at running games in 1920x1080p resolution meaning that this would be the natural choice for VR visuals as well (obviously splitting that resolution in two, 960x1080 for each eye). Assuming a 90degree Field-of-view like the Oculus Rift you will still have some of that screen-door / pixely look. Nomatter, the current public Oculus Rift devkit is blowing minds at 1280x800p resolution (640x800 for each eye) and the 1080p Oculus Rift just won the official Best of CES 2014 award. 1080p is acceptable and sufficient for a revolutionary experience.

Screen-technology: Highly likely OLED/AMOLED. If GamesIndustry.biz is to be believed it sounds like they might go for a single screen solution like the Oculus Rift but I wouldn't be completely surprised if they went for 2x 1280x720p screens either (but unlike their current HMZ products it would probably have optics for each eye to increase the field-of-view).
The biggest doubt or 50/50 I have in regards to a PS4 VR solution is if they will include support for low-persistence-pixel-illumination. This is to effectively remove motion-blur or pixel smearing. This was first blogged by Michael Abrash at Valve back in July: http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/down-the-vr-rabbit-hole-fixing-judder/
John Carmack (Oculus Rift CTO) talked about this in detail later on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbW9IwVGpX8
Interestingly he mentions that a game need to runs at 90+ fps, ideally 120fps and above for low-persistence to work comfortably without creating a strobe effect (the pixels are illuminated only for a millisecond while they remain black/dead until the next image). It might be that Oculus Rift have created a software solution for this after in where they 'strobe' the same image multiple times in case of framerate drops but who knows. In the same video Carmack mentions that the ideal solution would be for something like G-sync to also dynamically adjust the persistence of the pixel illumination (as the framerate drops just increase the persistence to prevent strobing).

Power-supply: Wired or not? Sony are aware that they cannot compete with the continuous technological progress of the Oculus Rift in releasing better and better models. Sony will want this in consumer hands and they out of anyone have probably the best ecosystem to do so (plug-and-play simplicity of consoles, in-house AAA developers, the standard DualShock 4 controller is fully compatible with a VR environment, PS Move controllers etc). By having this be a wired solution (probably connected to the PS4 AUX port?) they can drop the batteries and have the kit come under $200.

Release: I'm betting it's a November 2014 release with the announcement done at E3 or the week before. I don't think you will see a console bundle (would put the box at $599 or above) but I think you will see a VR 'Starter kit' (VR HMD + Demo Disc) for $199. I also believe you'll see a VR bundle containing the VR HMD, PS Move controllers, PS Camera and Demo Disc for $299. Great value but still pricey...
I believe the launch games will be a new Media Molecule title, The Witness, The Unfinished Swan, Tumble and Everyone's gone to the Rapture.


What is your prediction and opinion? Technology, release, titles, hopes...

 

[Giant Panda]

I wouldn't expect most AAA games to work very well on it. PS4 isn't powerful enough to do that, but lower end games built around VR should work. It is going to be expensive and I predict it will sell poorly.

 

[Hoo-doo]

I wouldn't expect most AAA games to work very well on it. PS4 isn't powerful enough to do that, but lower end games built around VR should work. It is going to be expensive and I predict it will sell poorly.

PS4 is easily powerful enough. Does a handful of slightly toned down effects and AA instantly drop a game's AAA status?

What a weird thought.

 

[DieH@rd]

As long as they allow self-publishing of FREE VR content, many indie devs will flock in just to establish presence on PS4, so that they could later on start working on paid products.

And for PS4 not being powerful enough, that's bollocks. 3D will always introduce performance drop, but if developer plans for it, they can optimize game for it [lower effects and asset quality]. VR games are immersive not because of great graphics, but because they transport gamers directly into the gameworld.

Main driving force for VR for me are driving games. Because of that, I will most surely get PS4 VR just for GT7.

 

[TetraGenesis]

Great write up! I'm really hoping Sony can match Occulus with their technology on this front. VR needs a standard of excellence to really take off.

 

[RoboPlato]

I hope they can incorporate strobing OLED. Would be glorious.

I wouldn't expect most AAA games to work very well on it. PS4 isn't powerful enough to do that, but lower end games built around VR should work. It is going to be expensive and I predict it will sell poorly.

If the res is 960x1080 or something any game that's 1080p/60fps will work. They can also tone down settings for VR mode. I expect Sony to really push it among internal studios and indies.

Oculus is aiming to work on phones. Absolutely no reason the PS4 can't do it.

 

[Skeff]

Honestly I think they'll offer both wired and wireless models, with the wired model obviously being much cheaper.

 

[Durante]

PS4 is easily powerful enough. Does a handful of slightly toned down effects and AA instantly drop a game's AAA status?

What a weird thought.

Dropping AA on a Rift-like device is a bad idea. Ideally, you want really really good AA (like 4xSGSSAA). It also needs to be very temporally stable, so post-processing AA methods are out.

The biggest doubt or 50/50 I have in regards to a PS4 VR solution is if they will include support for low-persistence-pixel-illumination. This is to effectively remove motion-blur or pixel smearing. This was first blogged by Michael Abrash at Valve back in July: http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/down-the-vr-rabbit-hole-fixing-judder/
John Carmack (Oculus Rift CTO) talked about this in detail later on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbW9IwVGpX8
Interestingly he mentions that a game need to runs at 90+ fps, ideally 120fps and above for low-persistence to work comfortably without creating a strobe effect (the pixels are illuminated only for a millisecond while they remain black/dead until the next image). It might be that Oculus Rift have created a software solution for this after in where they 'strobe' the same image multiple times in case of framerate drops but who knows.

Perhaps they are simply driving it at 120 FPS

 

[Badlucktroll]

Hypothetically, could a 4k curved display give the illusion of putting you inside the game? God i would love to play a game like Outlast, or even a *cough* Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles game in VR. Even Sega's Rise Of Nightmares could be pretty sweet in 4k.

 

[RoboPlato]

Dropping AA on a Rift-like device is a bad idea. Ideally, you want really really good AA (like 4xSGSSAA). It also needs to be very temporally stable, so post-processing AA methods are out.

AA is the area I have the most concerns about Sony's VR solution.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Dropping AA on a Rift-like device is a bad idea. Ideally, you want really really good AA (like 4xSGSSAA). It also needs to be very temporally stable, so post-processing AA methods are out.

Then drop literally anything else and optimize it for VR mode.

I'm just saying that the notion that the PS4 isn't powerful enough for AAA 3D content is ridiculous.
Unless there are actually people out there that equate "AAA" with "eye-bleeding cutting-edge graphix" and nothing else.

 

[epmode]

Hypothetically, could a 4k curved display give the illusion of putting you inside the game?

The thing that tricks your brain into thinking you're actually there is how the visuals instantly respond to head movement. So that wouldn't work.

 

[sangreal]

In December Jonathan Blow tweeted a mysterious photo of The Witness being played in split-screen stereoscopic view with the message “What could it mean??”. Considering the genre and it's PS4 time-exclusivity it would be a perfect VR launch game. The photos were labeled VR1 and VR2: http://www.officialplaystationmagaz...ess-teasing-oculus-rift-or-vr-support-on-ps4/

This likely has nothing to do with PS4. The Witness is confirmed to support Oculus Rift on PC. Also, the timed-exclusivity only applies to consoles

 

[vpance]

Hopefully it's a VRD like Avegant's unit, which solves the low res screen door issue so you don't have to end up rendering at 4k to brute force it like you'd have to with an OLED or LCD.

I'd also like to see eye tracking built in to detect where your eyes are focused and render the scene with the correct focus and DOF. I think that would be the game changer in VR solutions.

 

[Durante]

Then drop literally anything else and optimize it for VR mode.

I agree with this, I just hope they do it.

 

[low-G]

I speculate that PS4 will never utilize any VR peripheral in any significant way. The GPU is too weak to push VR of the kind of quality you'd really want, and I think we'll only see a trickle of the highest quality VR becoming something of a thing on PC. If that goes REALLY well, expect the PS5 to FOCUS on VR.

 

[Peterthumpa]

Dropping AA on a Rift-like device is a bad idea. Ideally, you want really really good AA (like 4xSGSSAA). It also needs to be very temporally stable, so post-processing AA methods are out.

Perhaps they are simply driving it at 120 FPS

Maybe dynamic changing resolutions a la Wipeout on PS3 would be viable as an option, no?

 

[Thundercleese]

Hypothetically, could a 4k curved display give the illusion of putting you inside the game?

No

 

[KKRT00]

I hope they can incorporate strobing OLED. Would be glorious.


If the res is 960x1080 or something any game that's 1080p/60fps will work. They can also tone down settings for VR mode. I expect Sony to really push it among internal studios and indies.

Oculus is aiming to work on phones. Absolutely no reason the PS4 can't do it.

Problem is that 60fps must be rock solid for this to be working, which for AAA games are very, very rare on consoles.

And yes, PS4 is generally strong enough for OR, just not strong enough for AAA games with OR.
You will never see big budget game with OR support on consoles.

 

[Skeff]

This likely has nothing to do with PS4. The Witness is confirmed to support Oculus Rift on PC. Also, the timed-exclusivity only applies to consoles

potentially, but the reason why it made it into a Sony VR rumor is due to the lack of fish eye, which can be demonstrated on OR too, but most games are shown with it.

 

[swcpig]

PS4 is easily powerful enough. Does a handful of slightly toned down effects and AA instantly drop a game's AAA status?

What a weird thought.

It has to power both screens (if they are using stereo imagery) so the capacity would effectively need to be double what it currently can do. No, the PS4 is unlikely to be powerful enough.

Oculus Rift is on record saying neither console is powerful enough. If they off load processing else where in the design, potentially putting additional image processing in the unit itself (ala Kinect 2.0) then there is some opportunity but via what bus - maybe my memory is shaky but it only has USB2.0 which may not be enough capacity. And what would you do, sit next to your 60" plasma? That's so awkward to envision.

It could possibly do lower res - 720, but as the rift has shown 1080 is the minimum and they are powering that with some very potent graphics cards.

Both this, Microsofts, and Sony's VR schemes are definitely the future of gaming (then again, very isolating) but still a bit out and I am doubting either MS or Sony will be successful with their current platforms - could be wrong but if either of them come up with a VR offering I am guessing it'll be more gimmick than epic.

And none of them better screw up the offering cause first launch into the public sphere with a bad impression will ruin this like bad 3D.

 

[Man]

This likely has nothing to do with PS4. The Witness is confirmed to support Oculus Rift on PC. Also, the timed-exclusivity only applies to consoles

Oculus Rift uses fish-eye-lense distortion however (due to the optics). Who knows.

 

[TheSinkingKnight]

Can't the VR headsets include processing power to offset the lack of power to run a game to a VR headset? (I don't know what I'm talking about)

 

[epmode]

It has to power both screens (if they are using stereo imagery) so the capacity would effectively need to be double what it currently can do.

A 3D viewpoint rendered on a single 1080p screen doesn't require twice the processing power of a non-3D viewpoint on the same 1080p screen. It's significantly less than that.

 

[Chabbles]

Didnt a guy from Media Molecule debunk their involvement in a PS4 VR game through a tweet afew days ago ?

And if the Witness is releasing on PC at some point in the future, the pics are explainable.


Id love to see sony announce a VR device soon as possible for the PS4, but cant see it happening this year. Maybe at mid point through the consoles life cycle. All of this seems like a bit of a reach. (Great op though, lots of info)

 

[Man]

Oculus Rift is on record saying neither console is powerful enough.

And in effect they would be saying the Laptop market is not powerful enough if that's the case...
Oculus is making a standalone HMD running Android so they should be eating their own words.

 

[epmode]

And in effect they would be saying the Laptop market is not powerful enough if that's the case...
Oculus is making a standalone HMD running Android so they should be eating their own words.

The Android thing is more of a long term plan.

 

[Future PhaZe]

I can't anticipate games for this not looking and or running like ass given the hardware.

Some really low spec games with great art design could result in a few gems but I'll stick to OR.

 

[Hoo-doo]

It has to power both screens (if they are using stereo imagery) so the capacity would effectively need to be double what it currently can do. No, the PS4 is unlikely to be powerful enough.

Oculus Rift is on record saying neither console is powerful enough. If they off load processing else where in the design, potentially putting additional image processing in the unit itself (ala Kinect 2.0) then there is some opportunity but via what bus - maybe my memory is shaky but it only has USB2.0 which may not be enough capacity. And what would you do, sit next to your 60" plasma? That's so awkward to envision.

It could possibly do lower res - 720, but as the rift has shown 1080 is the minimum and they are powering that with some very potent graphics cards.

Both this, Microsofts, and Sony's VR schemes are definitely the future of gaming (then again, very isolating) but still a bit out and I am doubting either MS or Sony will be successful with their current platforms - could be wrong but if either of them come up with a VR offering I am guessing it'll be more gimmick than epic.

And none of them better screw up the offering cause first launch into the public sphere with a bad impression will ruin this like bad 3D.

This only applies when you think of games as all being Crysis-like photorealistic graphical powerhouses.

There are millions of ways to make jaw-dropping gorgeous games that require a lot less horsepower than that.

 

[Man]

The Android thing is more of a long term plan.

Very longterm if that's the case. This is probably the third year I've heard Nvidia etc claiming their mobile chipset will enter the ballpark of PS3/X360 performance. The performance output of mobile chips is starting to slow down more so than desktop / cooled solutions due to heat issues (Carmack commented the same last fall).

 

[Giant Panda]

Then drop literally anything else and optimize it for VR mode.

I'm just saying that the notion that the PS4 isn't powerful enough for AAA 3D content is ridiculous.
Unless there are actually people out there that equate "AAA" with "eye-bleeding cutting-edge graphix" and nothing else.

Being AAA means higher production values which is essentially better graphics . I'm not sure how you can possibly refute the notion that games on PS4 VR will not look the same due fps and other issues.

 

[syko de4d]

Oculus Rift is on record saying neither console is powerful enough.

Thats not what they said, they said that the stagnated hardware of consoles doesnt fit to the plans of Oculus. The first dev kit could be easily used on consoles but Oculus wants to get better each year like PCs and mobile devices.

edit:
other side of PS4 VR rumors

Product Manager of nDreams says: VR technology “simply does not exist on the PS4″.
nDreams = made Playstation home, working on a PS4 title for 2014, working on a Oculus Rift game.

http://attackofthefanboy.com/news/ps4-vr-headsets-exist-developers-shoot-rumors/

I hope ps4 gets VR because it would push VR on PC too, more platforms for VR would VR just make more attractive overall.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Being AAA means higher production values which is essentially better graphics . I'm not sure how you can possibly refute the notion that games on PS4 VR will not look the same due fps and other issues.

So the Wii-U is incapable of AAA games then? The PS3 and 360 never had them?

 

[qa_engineer]

As long as they allow self-publishing of FREE VR content, many indie devs will flock in just to establish presence on PS4, so that they could later on start working on paid products.

And for PS4 not being powerful enough, that's bollocks. 3D will always introduce performance drop, but if developer plans for it, they can optimize game for it [lower effects and asset quality]. VR games are immersive not because of great graphics, but because they transport gamers directly into the gameworld.

Main driving force for VR for me a driving games. Because of that, I will most surely get PS4 VR just for GT7.

Gt7 with vr would be incredible.

 

[Skeff]

It has to power both screens (if they are using stereo imagery) so the capacity would effectively need to be double what it currently can do. No, the PS4 is unlikely to be powerful enough.

Oculus Rift is on record saying neither console is powerful enough. If they off load processing else where in the design, potentially putting additional image processing in the unit itself (ala Kinect 2.0) then there is some opportunity but via what bus - maybe my memory is shaky but it only has USB2.0 which may not be enough capacity. And what would you do, sit next to your 60" plasma? That's so awkward to envision.

It could possibly do lower res - 720, but as the rift has shown 1080 is the minimum and they are powering that with some very potent graphics cards.

Both this, Microsofts, and Sony's VR schemes are definitely the future of gaming (then again, very isolating) but still a bit out and I am doubting either MS or Sony will be successful with their current platforms - could be wrong but if either of them come up with a VR offering I am guessing it'll be more gimmick than epic.

And none of them better screw up the offering cause first launch into the public sphere with a bad impression will ruin this like bad 3D.

Errrm no.

Running 2 viewpoints would likely take an extra 40% GPU and even less CPU. a VR mode on PS4 would essentially be equivalent graphics to an XB1 game but in stereoscopic 3D

 

[RoboPlato]

Problem is that 60fps must be rock solid for this to be working, which for AAA games are very, very rare on consoles.

And yes, PS4 is generally strong enough for OR, just not strong enough for AAA games with OR.
You will never see big budget game with OR support on consoles.

Multiplatform games, probably not. First party exclusives however could definitely happen.

 

[Byakuya769]

Good write-up, but I'm growing tired of speculation. Hoping that Sony shows its hardware soon. But people (namely myself) should keep in mind that Sony isn't trying to raise money from outside investors and isn't a start-up. So showing off product that isn't near finished will be harmful because they won't get the benefit of being a young darling full of promise.

 

[androvsky]

There's also the story of Eve Valkyrie, which is essentially a dedicated VR space combat game. For a while, the developers were demoing it on Oculus Rift but weren't confirming that the game was in fact coming out for the Oculus Rift. It's also worth noting that the Eve publishers have a decent relationship with Sony through the PS3 exclusive Dust 514. As of CES, Valkyrie is confirmed to be launching with Oculus Rift support, so I'm not sure if something happened there.

Also, the War Thunder developers just before the PS4 launched mentioned they support head tracking on PS4 through the PS Camera, and they said they'd happily support any other relevant accessories that happened to come along, a pretty clear hint at VR support.

The Eve Valkyrie supporting Oculus Rift and the fact that OR is now using a very hard to source custom display makes me wonder if Sony's dropped their internal model and are just going to work with OR for a common headset.

 

[KungFucius]

A 3D viewpoint rendered on a single 1080p screen doesn't require twice the processing power of a non-3D viewpoint on the same 1080p screen. It's significantly less than that.

I am confused by this as well. I thought OR was going to do 2, 1080p screens but it is not, it is one screen. Is it wider than a normal screen with more than 1920*1080 pixels? How much more computational power does it take to render two stereoscopic half screens than it does to render 1 full screen.

 

[S¡mon]

It has to power both screens (if they are using stereo imagery) so the capacity would effectively need to be double what it currently can do. No, the PS4 is unlikely to be powerful enough.

The PS4 is sufficiently powerful. Heck, the PS3 was sufficiently powerful for 3D gaming (have you seen Uncharted in 3D?)... but if you told that to anyone back in 2006, you would also be told "No, it won't be able to do 3D... ever. It's not powerful enough."

Oculus Rift is on record saying neither console is powerful enough.

I don't want to ruin the dream, but Oculus Rift will be in direct competiton with both the Xbox One and the PS4. Competitors are unlikely to praise products of the competition.

 

[Kuro]

What if Sony's VR solution involved an onboard GPU to split the image in two without a performance or visual quality hit? This would make the VR headset more expensive but it would be worth it.

 

[KKRT00]

Multiplatform games, probably not. First party exclusives however could definitely happen.

There were only two exclusive Sony games that run in 60fps on PS3, Gran Turismo and Wipeout, so i doubt that it will happen, although GT is the one game that could possibly supporting it, because Yamauchi likes such stuff.

 

[Durante]

What if Sony's VR solution involved an onboard GPU to split the image in two without a performance or visual quality hit?

Impossible. You can't run the kind of connection bandwidth/latency required to communicate with a GPU over any external connection, particularly not with consumer technology.

If they want to do VR on PS4, they should focus on creating custom experiences which make the necessary concessions in assets and effects in order to hit rock-solid 60 FPS with good IQ.

 

[Skeff]

There were only two exclusive Sony games that run in 60fps on PS3, Gran Turismo and Wipeout, so i doubt that.

There was no driving force behind aiming for 60fps though. If there was a VR headset then there would be motivation to dip the graphics and go for 60fps.

Your reasoning here is seriously flawed, It's like me saying I didn't go into my local town centre to have a beer. There is no pub, someone builds a pub and now you say "no one will go drink there only a couple of people used to drink in the town centre"

If you want to make any observations of framerates then perhaps you should consider the unlocked framerates on sony first party games and the recent AMD developments on freesync and how freesync will be available on older AMD hardware, such as APU's.

 

[ghst]

PS4 is easily powerful enough. Does a handful of slightly toned down effects and AA instantly drop a game's AAA status?

What a weird thought.

true stereoscopic 1080p is much more demanding than standard 1080p. many elements will require a second render pass, FoVs will need to be wider, the framerate will have to remain solidly over 60, response times will have to be unlike anything consoles have had to deal with before. even without these caveats, the PS4 is having a hard time going much past 30fps on modern engines.

people with PCs far more powerful than PS4s have no delusions of grandeur about their rigs and have widely acknowledged that when the oculus rift lands, a new GPU will likely be a mandatory expense for an optimal experience.

sure, the PS4 could handle some extremely pared down titles in VR, but why would sony go hard in pushing a technology that they can only facilitate a hopelessly compromised vision of?

 

[KKRT00]

There was no driving force behind aiming for 60fps though. If there was a VR headset then there would be motivation to dip the graphics and go for 60fps.

Your reasoning here is seriously flawed, It's like me saying I didn't go into my local town centre to have a beer. There is no pub, someone builds a pub and now you say "no one will go drink there only a couple of people used to drink in the town centre"

If you want to make any observations of framerates then perhaps you should consider the unlocked framerates on sony first party games and the recent AMD developments on freesync and how freesync will be available on older AMD hardware, such as APU's.

Past generation Sony exclusives had 3D as a driving force and they still did not used 60hz, even though 3D enabled titles would benefit from that.

 

[Man]

They will be rendering 2x 960x1080 (or 2x 1280x720), not 2x 1920x1080.

 

[EVIL]

Reading up on VR the past couple of years, following great minds like Michael Abrash and John Carmack, I have serious doubts that VR is a smart move for the PS4 right now. They both talk about such highend hardware needed for good VR that it instantly cuts out the PS4 out of the race.

This doesn't mean VR on ps4 isn't possible (if you scale down graphics low enough you can easily meet the insane requirements), but everybody who expects Sony to inject some magical sauce into the hardware and simply "optimize" PS3 and PS4 games for VR is delusional.

We are talking about 120fps on a low persistence OLED (to eliminate strobing) at an ideal 4k resolution with high end AA and 16x Anisotropic filtering. The type of games that can be done at those specs are games like doom3, or HL2. If you go higher up the game generational ladder, then you need to lower device specs, which makes the experience worse like (tons of blur and judder because you then lack a low persistence OLED screen) or lower FPS so your head motions cant be translated as acurate ingame causing nausea and motion sickness, Lower resolution so everything becomes less detailed and you get a screen door effect.

I'd hate to say it but VR on the PS4 is simply not something that should be on the cards if you have any hopes of VR making it big. You need an infinitely scalable platform like the PC that raises the bar in performance every month to make VR evolve and expand. Its so early in the VR days that you need these things to mature before you expose it to a mass audience like those available on consoles. Fully expect VR on the PS5 and the next Xbox one but for now it should stay on PC to evolve. (you don't put unbaked bread on the counter for customers to buy)

The reason they mention mobile is because people expect game that graphically look like doom3 on a mobile device, and the platform also raises the bar in performance every month because of the ton of new mobile devices that become available for android. Its why oculus said they will only support android and not iOS since iOS is again a pretty much locked platform with yearly updates in hardware.

 

[Abounder]

Wii Sports graphics + VR is enough for a niche library. In order to attract casuals the price and marketing needs to be right. People need to know about VR and they need to be able to afford it for themselves and the 4 player parties

I'd imagine that development costs for VR specific games would be cheaper than full-fledged HD games because you'd need less detailed art, even if they're more minigame than AAA game

What I want is a Roger Rabbit kind of game that mixes both the real world and animated, but that sounds more like a AAA experience

 

[JawzPause]

Good post. I can't see it being $200, it'll probably be $300+ and won't be as good as oculus rift.
For VR to be successful on consoles they'd probably have to build the console around it. The PS4 VR will probably sell decently but not enough to be considered a success.