People must remember when you get the PSVR home. The experience should be better because you have to set it up and the big thing will be IPD(Interpupillary distance), you don't get to do this at tradeshows or these in store demos. They will have a software solution IPD set up, Vive and Rift IPD is manual and on the HMD, Sony solution is not. So remember that when you test out PSVR.
Nope it's probably not out of the tradeshow/store demo it's probably at a default IPD. When you are at home when you first start, just think of setting up your PS4 Camera to log you in with facial recognition, so the PSVR will have your profile built in through software and adjust the IPD to you each and everytime you use it or it may vary from game to game. I just think a lot of people don't realize this when they are giving impressions and fail to realize that the IPD is more than likely not ideal for use, when you playing these games. Maybe that blurry text or texture is a bit better when the HMD is tailored to you instead of a random number.
Wow thank you for posting this info! Ill take impressions with a grain of salt since some may hit the default IPD and get a sharp image, while others will not and get a disorted image.
I hope they used a software solution so that each user profile on the PS4 can have their own IPD set for when they take the headset, so there is less need to adjust physical settings on the headset.
Just tried PSVR for the first time on a tech show in Paris (it was the diving demo, with the shark). It was fine, but I wasn't floored. It does what you expect it to do, but basically still the same technology I tried in the late 90s (only less bulky, with nicer graphics and probably one tenth of the price ).
The image quality was fine for my standards (which aren't that high I must admit), a bit blurry but nothing distracting. I think the cage and the scenario didn't really help for immersion though,
when it moves while you stay still you disconnect yourself from the experience, on the contrary once the cage is ripped off I got a small feeling of vertigo while staring into the abyss.
I tried Eve Valkeryie at best buy today. The game was pretty fun, visuals were pretty good as well. At the beginning of the demo, before the action started, looking around the cockpit felt really cool. Once I got into the action though, i kinda forgot i was in VR. My focus was on the enemy ships I was shooting and i didn't really notice the effect of being in VR anymore, well other than the fact my entire field of view was the game, so i suppose there were less distractions at least.
Pretty excited to see what full game experiences people come up with for VR, but Eve wouldn't have sold me on VR if I were an average consumer who just strolled by and gave it a shot with not much knowledge of PSVR.
The Heist is probably worth checking out, especially since only GS has it and not BB. The Descent and Headmaster are pretty good for getting immersed with the surroundings as well.
The Heist is probably worth checking out, especially since only GS has it and not BB. The Descent and Headmaster are pretty good for getting immersed with the surroundings as well.
Hmmm will do, although I really dont like the setting for the Heist.
I really really hope more games are like Battlezone in that they force you to look around. It was really neat looking down at my radar, then over my shoulder to see where the enemy was. Or needing to look high up in the sky at the flying enemies.
EDIT: Im afraid games will just use a traditional hud and just use the head for aiming. Would love a mechwarrior game where you need to look to check your heating/ammo/radar/radio in different areas of the cockpit.
Wow. Heist is freaking awesome. The key here is the move. Just grabbing soda cans, your gun, reloading magazines and opening the car door creates this amazing level of immersion i have never experienced. The Valkyrie and Battlezone (tank) demos didnt have the same effect because you were playing with the regular controller and couldn't interact with the world at all.
It's odd because both Valkyrie and Battlezone have the coolest 3D cockpits i have ever seen. All those levers and meters and you can't interact with them?? Heist has shown you can easily use the move controller to grab things, throw them and even turn knobs. I really hope devs look at that and start using the move controllers.
There were like two other people there so i stayed and tried 4 demos in total. the shark one was super intense even though in the beginning i knew it was all just a game. I even tried to jokingly pet the shark at first. But slowly my mind started perceiving this world as real especially since i could turn around and see the shark circling me. Then it started ripping off the safety beams around me and i actually moved in my chair. the last part of the demo had me holding my chair because my mind thought i was going to fall off into the water. i knew it wasnt real but my mind just wouldnt believe me. Absolutely unnerving.
the graphics look terrible most of the time despite looking rather decent on tv. Heist looks like a PS2 game. Valkyrie looks PS3 quality but its a very poor demo. Do not try it. you dont even see what you are shooting at. you are just shooting at the crosshairs. its lame. play the Heist. it feels absolutely amazing. Then try the shark demo.
P.S The menu screen of vr worlds is insane. that was my very first experience with vr and i couldnt believe how i was literally just transported into the world. it didnt look like i was watching a screen. i felt like it was full 360 degree screen. interacting with the ball infront of me was absolutely thrilling. what a remarkable piece of tech.
Wow. Heist is freaking awesome. The key here is the move. Just grabbing soda cans, your gun, reloading magazines and opening the car door creates this amazing level of immersion i have never experienced. The Valkyrie and Battlezone (tank) demos didnt have the same effect because you were playing with the regular controller and couldn't interact with the world at all.
It's odd because both Valkyrie and Battlezone have the coolest 3D cockpits i have ever seen. All those levers and meters and you can't interact with them?? Heist has shown you can easily use the move controller to grab things, throw them and even turn knobs. I really hope devs look at that and start using the move controllers.
P.S The menu screen of vr worlds is insane. that was my very first experience with vr and i couldnt believe how i was literally just transported into the world. it didnt look like i was watching a screen. i felt like it was full 360 degree screen. interacting with the ball infront of me was absolutely thrilling. what a remarkable piece of tech.
Weird you didnt like Battlezone, I felt like I didnt need to touch the cockpit, it was enough to have to look around in order to use it. I really do need to try the VR worlds though the menu actually did look super neat.
Nice impressions. Thanks for sharing. <3 The dynamic of explaining it to your friend who hadn't tried it yet made for an interesting listen. Speaking of listening, since it's basically just the two of you talking over some semi-random trailers, you should think about putting an audio-only podcast on iTunes.
Just tried PSVR for the first time on a tech show in Paris (it was the diving demo, with the shark). It was fine, but I wasn't floored. It does what you expect it to do, but basically still the same technology I tried in the late 90s (only less bulky, with nicer graphics and probably one tenth of the price ).
The image quality was fine for my standards (which aren't that high I must admit), a bit blurry but nothing distracting. I think the cage and the scenario didn't really help for immersion though,
when it moves while you stay still you disconnect yourself from the experience, on the contrary once the cage is ripped off I got a small feeling of vertigo while staring into the abyss.
Regarding your spoiler, that's actually the expected behavior, assuming you're not affixed to the cage in some fashion. I suppose the illusion would be better if you were standing, but the stores seem to have strict rules against that. (I'm assuming it's the stores rather than Sony, because Farpoint.)
I really really hope more games are like Battlezone in that they force you to look around. It was really neat looking down at my radar, then over my shoulder to see where the enemy was. Or needing to look high up in the sky at the flying enemies.
Agreed, and that's why I'm a bit surprised to hear people complain that Valkyrie doesn't do a good job of encouraging it because the fixed field of view has always been my biggest complaint with flight simulators in the past. I was looking around plenty in Valkyrie, and my only real complaint was that the cockpit needed more glass, because I'd have preferred an even less restricted view.
EDIT: Im afraid games will just use a traditional hud and just use the head for aiming. Would love a mechwarrior game where you need to look to check your heating/ammo/radar/radio in different areas of the cockpit.
Wow. Heist is freaking awesome. The key here is the move. Just grabbing soda cans, your gun, reloading magazines and opening the car door creates this amazing level of immersion i have never experienced. The Valkyrie and Battlezone (tank) demos didnt have the same effect because you were playing with the regular controller and couldn't interact with the world at all.
It's odd because both Valkyrie and Battlezone have the coolest 3D cockpits i have ever seen. All those levers and meters and you can't interact with them?? Heist has shown you can easily use the move controller to grab things, throw them and even turn knobs. I really hope devs look at that and start using the move controllers.
Just to riff off of these comments a bit, I discovered that spatial awareness and muscle memory is a real thing in VR. In The Heist, you need to regularly reload your SMG with clips found in either the glovebox in front of you or in a duffle bag sitting to your right. The SMG chews through bullets pretty quickly, so you need to reload quite often. I quickly discovered that the hit detection for grabs is forgiving enough that I could reach in to the glovebox and grab another clip without taking my eyes away from the battle going on around me.
So I'd reload the SMG and start firing at the enemies. While firing, I could reach out blindly towards the glovebox and grab another clip. Once I'd exhausted the current clip and it auto-ejected, I immediately slapped the readied clip in to the SMG's handle and continued firing. It's a good thing they don't simulate barrel heating! lol They should have some kind of haptic feedback for when you've grabbed a clip though; I failed to grab one once, so after that I always peeked to make sure I actually got one, usually by holding that hand up in front of me to make sure it was really holding something. They should have a nice thud when you successfully grab a clip, and/or a continuous, little tingle while it's in your hand.
So yeah, regarding something like Mechwarrior, not only can you look around the cockpit to get a good view of your various displays, with some sensible UI design, you could even have a bunch of controls that can be operated blindly. That said, when it comes to actively piloting a vehicle, having an actual DS4 or HOTAS in your hands would probably be preferable, and it'd be difficult to easily transition between that and operating virtual controls in the cockpit. You'd probably need to supplement with gloves or something. /shrug
Really, I think devs should look in to using the tracking capabilities of the DS4 for 6DOF flight control, leaving the buttons, analog sticks, and touchpad for weapons and systems control.
P.S The menu screen of vr worlds is insane. that was my very first experience with vr and i couldn't believe how i was literally just transported into the world. it didn't look like i was watching a screen. i felt like it was full 360 degree screen. interacting with the ball infront of me was absolutely thrilling. what a remarkable piece of tech.
Yeah, it's pretty trippy. Not only can you reach out and touch the elemental spheres with your DS4, you can guide them around the room with the touchpad. There may be other tricks as well, but I only played with it a bit.
Regarding your spoiler, that's actually the expected behavior, assuming you're not affixed to the cage in some fashion. I suppose the illusion would be better if you were standing, but the stores seem to have strict rules against that. (I'm assuming it's the stores rather than Sony, because Farpoint.)
Luckily I was standing for the demo, so the effect was complete. The second part of the spoiler I meant as a positive, btw, just in case it's not clear. But it's also something that I expected to feel before getting to that point of the demo (and I looked on purpose in all directions to see if it worked), that's why I wondered if the cage itself wasn't blocking it.
I'd do Descent, Headmaster, and Heist, in that order.
Nice impressions. Thanks for sharing. <3 The dynamic of explaining it to your friend who hadn't tried it yet made for an interesting listen. Speaking of listening, since it's basically just the two of you talking over some semi-random trailers, you should think about putting an audio-only podcast on iTunes.
We actually do have an iTunes, but we were getting zero feedback and couldnt track views well. Youtube got us more views and much more interaction, and its just more fun.
Also I dont really like realistic art direction in games so The Heist is not my sort of thing.
Just got back from trying this out at a nearby Gamestop. The Sony Rep there was really nice and since there wasn't anyone in line for a while, he let me try as many Demos as I wanted.
I first tried PS VR at PSX last year and I was blown away. But there, I was wearing contacts, so I was wanting to try it with glasses here. I had zero problems with wearing glasses and actually found it more comfortable that way. On to the games!
London Heist: I had played the PSX demo of the "heist" itself, so this was the highway shootout. Unfortunately, the move controllers were not working so I could only use my left hand and not reload. I just messed around and tossed soda cans and magazines at the driver and opening the door. It was as immersive as the other demo so I look forward to the full game.
Eve Valkyrie: This was by far the demo that really gave you both a sense of scale and motion. Doing barrel rolls and other maneuvers really made your stomach dip. I loved looking around to see where other battles were going on and trying not to crash into any of the larger ships. The launch part was just incredible.
BattleZone: This too was really immersive. It felt like the tank scenes from the first Tron movie and controlled very well. I liked the variety of enemies too. Very clean graphics and the little preview that shows the other zones was really cool.
HeadMaster: This was more goofy than I thought it was going to be. I really wanted to do the crazy test at the end! I really felt like I could control where the ball was going.
All in all, I am so glad I was able to get a pre-order in. I will be buying entirely too many games at launch now. 3 long months between now and launch! Thank you for reading my impressions!
Luckily I was standing for the demo, so the effect was complete. The second part of the spoiler I meant as a positive, btw, just in case it's not clear. But it's also something that I expected to feel before getting to that point of the demo (and I looked on purpose in all directions to see if it worked), that's why I wondered if the cage itself wasn't blocking it.
Yeah, I was mostly addressing the first part. lol But actually, I felt Ocean Descent gave some of the best sense of presence, and I attribute that mostly to the cage. Having the parallax effect as you lean back and forth and look around really helps to reinforce the feeling that you're there.
We actually do have an iTunes, but we were getting zero feedback and couldnt track views well. Youtube got us more views and much more interaction, and its just more fun.
I think they are demoing at the same location near me this weekend. I may drop by tomorrow to try out Battlezone or The Heist (if they have it set up).
Glad you liked my impressions. Also Im pretty much dying to play RIGS, REZ, Bound, and pretty much everything else that is notrealism centric and unavailable to demo.
Got to try it today at a Best Buy near me. Luckily it was only me and two other guys so I was able to demo two things before leaving. I tried out Eve Valkyrie and Battle Zone, both which were extremely fun. I was actually surprised at how much I loved Battle Zone over Eve Valkyrie, but that might have also been more due to the fact that you're not really in any danger in that demo, whereas, you're getting shot at and dodging shots in Battle Zone.
I first want to comment on the comfort factor. My god, I barely felt this thing on. It's super light, and I like how the focus is on your upper forehead, rather than glued to your eyes. The tracking seemed spot on too.
If there was one thing I was slightly disappointed in, it was the resolution. Now, I've never actually tried Oculus or Vive, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I will say that trying to read the various text on the screens that were in the cockpit was near impossible. That's not to say that the game's didn't look incredible, they still did, for sure, but I wouldn't say they were 100% sharp. Maybe that was a user error on my part, I'm not sure.
Either way, pre-order justified and thank god I didn't get motion sickness.
As for those talking about a mech warrior game using Move to manipulate cockpit controls, i would like to see a steampunk setting where the controls are large and easy to move around as needed. Slow moving mech. Maybe even multiplayer battles.
There's supposed to be three within 30 minutes of me. One within 15 minutes so I went there yesterday and nothing.
My biggest question with VR and more specifically the PSVR is, does it really feel like you're in the space of the game/app or does it feel like there's just a big screen in front of your face?
Thanks! I found out I'm a not a great writer (I have a poor way of writing out long thoughts on games), but a decent speaker, so less time on gaf, more time talking about games and recording it.
EDIT: In other news Vive is showing in stores as well.
There's supposed to be three within 30 minutes of me. One within 15 minutes so I went there yesterday and nothing.
My biggest question with VR and more specifically the PSVR is, does it really feel like you're in the space of the game/app or does it feel like there's just a big screen in front of your face?
It feels like you're really in the game. During The Descent there is a point where the shark attacks the bottom part of the cage and my instinctive reaction was to raise my feet off the floor to keep it from biting my legs off.
There's supposed to be three within 30 minutes of me. One within 15 minutes so I went there yesterday and nothing.
My biggest question with VR and more specifically the PSVR is, does it really feel like you're in the space of the game/app or does it feel like there's just a big screen in front of your face?
I never tried this but I tried the Vive at E3 in the Doom demo.
In the 2nd level I was up high on this tiny platform up really high where I could barely move, I was locked I was terrified to even turn around for the fear of slipping off lol. It was so immersive it was scary.
I doubt you get that feeling with a screen wrapped around your head ha.
I tried Eve Valkeryie at best buy today. The game was pretty fun, visuals were pretty good as well. At the beginning of the demo, before the action started, looking around the cockpit felt really cool. Once I got into the action though, i kinda forgot i was in VR. My focus was on the enemy ships I was shooting and i didn't really notice the effect of being in VR anymore, well other than the fact my entire field of view was the game, so i suppose there were less distractions at least.
Pretty excited to see what full game experiences people come up with for VR, but Eve wouldn't have sold me on VR if I were an average consumer who just strolled by and gave it a shot with not much knowledge of PSVR.
I just had pretty much the same experience. It was a lot of fun and I loved the sensation of speed as you first launched the ship, but once the actual combat started I was looking forward where I was aiming so it wasn't as noticing as when I first got in.
I just had pretty much the same experience. It was a lot of fun and I loved the sensation of speed as you first launched the ship, but once the actual combat started I was looking forward where I was aiming so it wasn't as noticing as when I first got in.
That's why I think The Descent is one of the best demos for VR, because it lets you appreciate the sense of presence without all of the distractions of actual gameplay. lol
I wonder if sony would be willing to make business deals to design amd manufactur headsets for the other vr platforms. Put it under the TV group. It's probably not profitable enough though.
Now that you reminded me, I can't believe Sony is actually gonna make a profit out of every PSVR sold without software. They really did something amazing with their design to actually make money on both hardware and software.
I wonder if sony would be willing to make business deals to design amd manufactur headsets for the other vr platforms. Put it under the TV group. It's probably not profitable enough though.
If/when VR catches on and becomes reasonably standardized, Sony-proper will start making headsets just as they do TVs. Samsung et al will surely do the same.
I just had pretty much the same experience. It was a lot of fun and I loved the sensation of speed as you first launched the ship, but once the actual combat started I was looking forward where I was aiming so it wasn't as noticing as when I first got in.
When I played Eve I was looking left, right, up and all around trying acquire new targets and see what was around me. But yeah if you just look straight the whole time you're not going to get much out of VR. I think it may be something people will have to teach themselves how to do, after playing traditional video games all their lives.
I just had pretty much the same experience. It was a lot of fun and I loved the sensation of speed as you first launched the ship, but once the actual combat started I was looking forward where I was aiming so it wasn't as noticing as when I first got in.
Maybe ace combat or other flight sims will encourage that more. If you're in a spaceship that can turn on a dime there isn't much need to look around, but in an aircraft that takes time to change direction it can be useful to tack a target while turning. Basically padlock view but with your head.
Yes each eye receives a slightly different image meaning true stereoscopic vision. Unlike 3D movies though you get a true scale of everything, it's not like looking at a 3D movie on a frame. In some games you can see your DS4 or Move controllers and they look exactly like they do in real life, right size, scale etc.
Just tried eve Valkyrie. Looks really rough. Sensation of immersion dissipated really quick. Not ready to fulfill vr dreams. Might cancel preorder I don't know
Just tried eve Valkyrie. Looks really rough. Sensation of immersion dissipated really quick. Not ready to fulfill vr dreams. Might cancel preorder I don't know
Had a chance to play Vive today...... this probably isnt the thread, but Vive made me seriously consider plopping down 2 grand to own it. Its just in another league. Literally any issue I had with PSVR or Oculus was completely fixed with Vive, although PSVR comfiness is top tier.
Side note Oculus is going to be left in the dust. I have no idea why anyone would choose Oculus over Vive if they had a capable PC. And everyone else is going to grab PSVR.
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