• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Demo PlayStation VR at Select Best Buy Stores (Every weekend through December)

Maligna

Banned
I had the opposite reaction, where in I put the helmet on and saw the menu and thought,"That's what it looks like? Oh man, I'm going to be disappointed aren't I?"

Then the Heist demo started and I was like, "Holy crapdhht adjjfdfghRF vgshy fg h!!!!!!!" *Geeks out*
 
I got a chance to have a second go on the PSVR yesterday at Best Buy. I played Eve and Super hyper cube. I had previously played The Shark Demo and battle zone a month ago.

Eve was just Meh. The visuals seemed must more muddy then any of the other PSVR games I've played and the controls weren't the best.

But Super Hyper Cube was fucking legit! The game play was very fun and challenging. I think the way the game encourages you to look around objects really sells the VR aspects of the game unlike Eve.

Super Hyper Cube is now on my day one buy list.
 
Super Hyper Cube is now on my day one buy list.

Agreed, it's fucking awesome take on hole in the wall plus tetris, I love it.

People should really stop playing EVE Valkyrie as their first title and try Battlezone and SHC those two are the real sellers, if you are at GameStop Heist and Headmaster are more fun there.
 
I had the opposite reaction, where in I put the helmet on and saw the menu and thought,"That's what it looks like? Oh man, I'm going to be disappointed aren't I?"

Then the Heist demo started and I was like, "Holy crapdhht adjjfdfghRF vgshy fg h!!!!!!!" *Geeks out*

Wow, I'm surprised. Always good to hear people are stoked about PSVR, but it was so disappointing playing The Heist. The graphics weren't very good, the image quality wasn't too hot, and it wasn't fun to play. Shooting with the Move controllers didn't feel good either. I would be bored of that game after 20 minutes.
 
Is there any word on store demo units coming to the UK yet? I have PSVR preordered for release day from Game but the only demo I've tried was a 360 degree race car demo using one of the Occulus branded Gear VR headsets. It was okay but I really want to try a game to see the visuals, 3D and hopefully immersion. Otherwise I may cancel my order as it's a lot of money to drop on something I may subsequently decide I'm not impressed with.
 
Finally got around to playing this at my local bestbuy and I'm super impressed. I went with eve Valkyrie and I know most here would say this is the weakest demo, but if that's weak then god damn I can only imagine what the others are like. My girlfriend had no intention on playing this but while I was playing the rep convinced her to try the shark demo. Now my girlfriend is casual with games at most, but she took that head gear off and immediately wanted to go in half with me on one. Yeah it was a tad blurry, but I was so damn immersed I didn't think about it after 30 seconds. I'm sold, and if the ps4 pro makes it better count me in on that too.
 
I got to play Battle Zone and Eve this weekend and it was great! It was my first hands on with PSVR and I really enjoyed it. I might go back to try out another demo. I can't wait for my unit to ship!
 

ffvorax

Member
Gonna try me too in Italy this weekend! Can't wait!

I'll post my impressions too... I never experienced any VR, so I'm very curious about it.

But one question... looks like the PS Camera is not included in the VR, so is Sony going to ship a new cargo of these? (it's like impossible to find it anywhere... also online only at high prices)
Or maybe hey will sell a new version with the visor coming out?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I understood that the PSCamera was needed to use it...
 

F4r0_Atak

Member
Gonna try me too in Italy this weekend! Can't wait!

I'll post my impressions too... I never experienced any VR, so I'm very curious about it.

But one question... looks like the PS Camera is not included in the VR, so is Sony going to ship a new cargo of these? (it's like impossible to find it anywhere... also online only at high prices)
Or maybe hey will sell a new version with the visor coming out?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I understood that the PSCamera was needed to use it...

Well, the Core Bundle doesn't have it since this one was aimed for Playstation enthusiasts, those who already the Move controllers and the PS camera. Although, the Launch Bundle comes with it and two Move controllers and the game PS VR Worlds.
 

ffvorax

Member
Well, the Core Bundle doesn't have it since this one was aimed for Playstation enthusiasts, those who already the Move controllers and the PS camera. Although, the Launch Bundle comes with it and two Move controllers and the game PS VR Worlds.

Mmm ok maybe this "launch bundle" is specific for some stores, because is the first time I heard it... I already own 2 moves, I need the camera...

Fun facts: buyed camera for PS2 & PS3 to support, but they never really used it... so didn't buyed for PS4 and now I need it... lol...?
 

androvsky

Member
Gonna try me too in Italy this weekend! Can't wait!

I'll post my impressions too... I never experienced any VR, so I'm very curious about it.

But one question... looks like the PS Camera is not included in the VR, so is Sony going to ship a new cargo of these? (it's like impossible to find it anywhere... also online only at high prices)
Or maybe hey will sell a new version with the visor coming out?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I understood that the PSCamera was needed to use it...

Sony's putting out a new camera model that has all the same specs, but it's in a round shell instead of a square one. It might be why the old one is hard to find right now, it should get easier when it ships.
 

ffvorax

Member
Sony's putting out a new camera model that has all the same specs, but it's in a round shell instead of a square one. It might be why the old one is hard to find right now, it should get easier when it ships.

Nice, I didn't know that!

Just checked now on the internet and saw the new design... well not a fan of the old one, but neither of this one... XD

Now if I'll buy all this, I need a way to make all the wires magically disappear or my wife will kill me... (or just complain a lot about all these wires that make the room so ugly and in disorder...)
 

Mikey Jr.

Member
I had the opposite reaction, where in I put the helmet on and saw the menu and thought,"That's what it looks like? Oh man, I'm going to be disappointed aren't I?"

Then the Heist demo started and I was like, "Holy crapdhht adjjfdfghRF vgshy fg h!!!!!!!" *Geeks out*

Haha, me too.

At first when your in that room where you have to adjust focus, I was like "uhhh, this doesn't seem great".
Then you get transported to the car, and your like "holy shit!"
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Am i the only one that doesn't want to go so i can experience it at home for the first time?

*raises hand*

I tried it out to make sure I wouldn't vomit instantly in my home versus GameStop/BB lol :) although I guess any issues it can be returned pretty easily.

And hype. Through the roof.

If I throw up, then I'll throw up everyday until my body gets used to it lol.
 

hwy_61

Banned
Anybody try the HTC Vive and PSVR? I'm curious how they compare. I just tried the Vive at the MS store and was blown away dude.

They have this demo where you're underwater and a fuckin whale just swims by. And it's RIGHT FUCKING THERE.

I'm gonna try PSVR at a GameStop this Thursday and I'm really excited to see how it is.
 
Am i the only one that doesn't want to go so i can experience it at home for the first time?
I mean this would have been me, if I hadn't tried it a bunch of times before they started doing the whole public kiosk deal. Having played multiple PSVR demos at events, I HAD to go try out some more demos. The thirst is real.
 
Anybody try the HTC Vive and PSVR? I'm curious how they compare. I just tried the Vive at the MS store and was blown away dude.

They have this demo where you're underwater and a fuckin whale just swims by. And it's RIGHT FUCKING THERE.

I'm gonna try PSVR at a GameStop this Thursday and I'm really excited to see how it is.

This guy tried both, if you wanna hear his impressions.

link
 

AlexIIDX

Member
Am i the only one that doesn't want to go so i can experience it at home for the first time?

Idk, I wasn't about to drop 400+ on it without even trying it. I have a GearVR but I still wanted to get a small taste just to make sure I thought it was worth it. Luckily it totally was. But getting it day one only to be disappointed would suck.
 

bryanee

Member
Am i the only one that doesn't want to go so i can experience it at home for the first time?

If I was invited to an event to try this out I would decline. I've been waiting forever for this and I want to experience it at home for the first time. That being said I am concerned with motion sickness lol but if that happens I'm fairly confident I could sell it for what I paid for it.
 
He says that the Vive will set you back $3k. If you buy one of those big ass alienwares maybe.

Yeah, a few disagreements with his comments in the video:

1. He overestimates the cost from scratch for the Vive
2. He oversells the PSVR "roomscale" tracking - it's rather limited and a different experience than the Vive
3. He oversells responsiveness of the Move controllers
4. He undersells the ergonomics of the Vive controllers
5. I experienced head tracking lag on 2 different occasions with the PSVR that made me motion sick - this may have just been a poor setup or something, but it turned me off
 

hwy_61

Banned
Just got back from my local GameStop!

- The headset is really, really comfortable. Hats off to Sony for nailing that.

- Unfortunately, the demo they're running does not include any Move controller games, which was really disappointing. I mean half the fun and wonder about PSVR (for me anyway) is getting to use the move controllers!

- I'm not sure how to explain this, but the image looked fuzzy. Like noisy? I kept adjusting the goggles, and half way through the deep sea demo I think my eyes just got used to it or something.

- That deep sea demo is dope as hell. When the cage starts swaying it felt like standing at the edge of a skyscraper. Even though I was seated it felt weird. I loved it.

- I also tried out the soccer demo, which was really cool.

It wouldn't be fair to compare my experience with the Vive, as the Move controllers were a no show. The other thing that sucked about my PSVR demo was that it was in a fucking GameStop. I kept asking the Sony rep to turn up the headset volume, but even then I could still hear that stupid reel they run on max volume in the background.

I need to use that thing in a dark and quiet room. That's the optimal environment for me.


VR's the real deal, man. Believe the hype.
 
OK. I was at EGX today and managed to get 4 goes on PlayStation VR.

The hardware first. I've got to say it has definitely improved since I first tried it a year ago. It's still just as light and comfortable as before, but the screen door effect has now all but gone. The combination of 3x sub pixels and top tier lenses are certainly doing their job. The only time I got a hint that you are inches away from a 1080p screen is when looking at large block of light, plain colour. Even then, it's a very fine grid and you probably wouldn't notice if you were engrossed in a game. One thing to note, you do need to ensure you have the headset properly positioned on your head, though. If you have it slightly too high or too low the image becomes very blurry. Get it central, and it's crystal clear. Response times for the headset are flawless. Move your head around and the screen updates perfectly. The reprojection also means everything is smooth as silk and images retain their cohesion as you look around the scene - no blurring and no double images. Last year I wore contact lenses to play PSVR. This time I wore glasses and the headset fit just fine.

Onto the games then.

First up, Battlezone. A neon drenched FPS with you seated inside a tank. You really get a feeling of being in that cockpit. It certainly achieved a sense of presence as I felt compelled to stretch out my legs and fill the virtual space I was in. Look over your shoulder and you can see the seat you can feel supporting you. Lifting the DS4 in front of your face to see it floating in virtual space cements the experience. It really is a lovely looking game, both in terms of design and technical achievement. That being said, the image overall did look rather soft. Presumably the game is running below 1080p, but for me it didn't detract from the overall experience. Gameplay wise it was a solid experience, with no cause for criticism. Essentially it follows the same control mechanisms of any other FPS. It was, of course, only a short demo so I couldn't comment on longevity or replay value, but I certainly enjoyed what I experienced.

Next up, Tethered. A strategy game where you play God to the "Peeps" that inhabit floating islands. From your vantage point on top of a cloud you can peer down on your underlings and tether them to tasks and resources throughout their Island to help them survive. The Islands are beautifully realised with an incredible sense of solidity and I found myself fighting the urge to reach out and touch them. To find them jobs to do, you survey the land in front of you by not only moving between the clouds to get the best vantage point, but by moving your head to look under and around objects in the game world. You can even lean in to take a closer look. Overall its beautiful, with buckets of charm. Occasionally though, the low resolution does make itself known. Small characters wandering into the distance on large maps can sometimes become a blob of pixels. It's easily fixed by switching viewpoints, but it's a small distraction in an otherwise glorious looking game. And although its not really my kind of game, I can see fans of God Sims getting a real kick out of this.

Then onto Farpoint, which in many ways totally blew me away. As in holy f**k, I've never felt so exhilarated playing a game before. You play the game with the VR Aim Controller. An evolution of the PS3's sharpshooter, It looks like some plumbing supplies with a glowing ball on the end. But when in the game the 1:1 tracking means it transfers perfectly to the weapon your holding. The feeling of looking down and seeing your virtual avatar holding the weapon you can feel in your hands, complete with gloved hands and space suit, is uncanny. The shooting mechanics are completely natural. You just aim and fire as you would if you were really doing it. You can even lift the gun to your face to look down the sights. You traverse canyons, caves and mountain ledges using one of the analogue sticks on the Aim controller. The discord between me and my virtual self felt a little strange at first, but I soon settled in and never felt the dreaded motion sickness. Then the action started as huge spiders (and bigger ones and then even bigger ones) started to attack. And it was incredible. It was tense, suspenseful and action packed in equal measure, Blasting these creatures as if you were really there was incredibly satisfying and got the adrenaline pumping. It gave me a real buzz. Graphically this was actually pretty strong. Aside from some shimmering edges there wasn't really any detriment from running in VR. In fact, it was so good the prospect of PS4 Pro running this game at double the resolution instantly sold me on an upgrade there and then. That's gonna be magnificent. As a short demo Farpoint nailed it for me. How much story, strategy or variation will be built into the game remains to be seen, but what I played was simply stunning.

Last up was Windlands, a conversion of the Indie game already available on PC. Visually it was more simplistic than the other games, but that meant a nice, crisp, high resolution image with little in the way of jaggies, that stands up well to its PC counterparts. The object of the demo was to find your way through the levels using a pair of grappling hooks to swing between the trees, spider-man style. Like Farpoint, this game relies on open first person movement, but unlike that demo, this required lots of fast, frantic movement and lots of spinning around (at least it did for me because I was shit at grappling). The result was a less than comfortable experience. I never felt sick, but I felt hot and slightly disorientated for the first time. As much fun as swinging through the trees was, I wouldn't recommend it with a hangover.

So overall I enjoyed my further time with PlayStation VR and my pre-order is secure. As we've always known they would, graphics do take a hit. But as a trade off for the level of immersion delivered, it's a worthy sacrifice and one that can mitigated with PS4 Pro if it really bothers you. 3 weeks to go. Can't wait.

EDIT - just want to say a huge thanks to the guys from Rebellion, Secret Sorcery and Psytec for their hospitality and willingness to chat to gamers. They really are passionate about what the do.
 

Shoeless

Member
So overall I enjoyed my further time with PlayStation VR and my pre-order is secure. As we've always known they would, graphics do take a hit. But as a trade off for the level of immersion delivered, it's a worthy sacrifice and one that can mitigated with PS4 Pro if it really bothers you. 3 weeks to go. Can't wait.

Very thorough write-up, it's all encouraging stuff.

I wouldn't worry too much about the performance hit, this is generation 1 stuff. It wouldn't surprise me if a PS VR 2 for the PS5 makes itself available next generation with a 4K display in it. 4K makes a lot more sense when the screen is inches from your face.
 

kyser73

Member
Thanks for the impressions FF!

First comments I've seen about Tethered too - I thought God games would translate well into VR.
 
Last up was Windlands, a conversion of the Indie game already available on PC. Visually it was more simplistic than the other games, but that meant a nice, crisp, high resolution image with little in the way of jaggies, that stands up well to its PC counterparts. The object of the demo was to find your way through the levels using a pair of grappling hooks to swing between the trees, spider-man style. Like Farpoint, this game relies on open first person movement, but unlike that demo, this required lots of fast, frantic movement and lots of spinning around (at least it did for me because I was shit at grappling). The result was a less than comfortable experience. I never felt sick, but I felt hot and slightly disorientated for the first time. As much fun as swinging through the trees was, I wouldn't recommend it with a hangover.
Holy shit I didnt know this was coming to PSVR. I remember watching node play this on youtube and being sad I wouldnt get it on PSVR. You've made me so happy. Holy fuckkkkkkkk

3 WEEKS LETS GO
 
After trying PSVR with Eve Valkyrie last week (first time with PSVR and first time trying EV), I really wish I would've tried one of the games which utilize the move controllers. I'm tempted to go back to Best Buy tomorrow to try one of the other demos.

Eve Valkyrie was the first game I played in VR that used a standard controller for input. I was super impressed with the visuals the PS4 was capable of in this game. As for the game itself I think I'm now of the opinion that VR without roomscale or without using tracked controllers just isn't as impressive. Not saying the game was bad, in fact it was very fun, but I could see myself having a similar experience playing that game on a normal screen.

My hands on time with a Vive demo unit really opened my eyes to the fact that that type of experience (roomscale, tracked controllers) is where VR shines best. If I were to get a VR setup, it would be to play these types of games.

As for the hardware itself, I actually thought the PSVR and Vive were equally comfortable, though PSVR worked best with my glasses. I'm an owner of a GearVR (with S7E), while it's visuals can't match PSVR, I think it's field of view might be slightly larger - hard to say without a side by side comparison though. I

I think Sony has a good product on their hands, hopefully devs continue to push new and great VR experiences.
 
Top Bottom