PSVR is now available: Should you buy it ?
Thursday, October 13th is a big big day for Sony, and for the videogame world in general, since the cheapest and most “ convenient” virtual reality headset is out. We are of course referring to Sony’s Playstation VR, out today for $399, with enough of a solid lineup to conquer the hearts of players. In this article, we will try to answer the tricky question that many of you are debating over: “ Should I buy Sony’s PSVR now ?”
The true price of the PSVR
First, the price tag that’s as “low” as $399 does hide a few things, if you are not equipped with the right accessories. As dumb and obvious as it may seem, we would like to remind you that you will, in fact, need a PS4 ( slim version is priced at $299) to play with the headset ( don’t laugh, a few have asked the question). But more importantly, you will need a Playstation Camera, without which the PSVR won’t be able to see you and will not work. The Playstation Camera is priced at $59,99 which brings the overall virtual reality price tag to $449. That’s if of course you deem the Playstation Move controllers unworthy of the $99,99 that are lying in your pocket, although we strongly advise you to purchase the PS controllers, as they play a key role in the immersion factor of the experience. Most PS VR games are playable with the regular controller, though.
In total, a solid Playstation VR experience on PS4 comes down to about $550, which still makes the Sony experience the most affordable VR experience on the market. At the cost of much weaker performances?
A “ revolutionary” Playstation VR technology?
Does “ most affordable VR headset on the market” necessarily mean “weakest performances on the market”? Not at all! We have been playing around with the PSVR for a few days now, and it seemed to us like the PSVR screen is one of the best on the market. It is very difficult to see the pixels most of the time, the design is flawless and so are the ergonomics. The only criticism we have is that the screen is blurry sometimes, but this criticism is also valid for the other VR headsets, since none of them are 4K compatible. However, as in every single new pieces of technology, the games are truly what matters.
The best games at launch so far
As the technology behind the PSVR seemed perfectly fine to us, we ought to turn ourselves to the lineup to decide whether it is worth it to drop close to $400. Let’s not beat around the bush, there’s clearly enough of an entertaining potential to keep the players busy for a while. In our opinion, Batman: Arkham VR , Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and REZ:Infinite will show you a different side of videogames. Some other big franchises like Robinson: The Journey, Star Wars, Call of Duty are coming to PSVR. Sony has also announced that over 230 studios are working to develop games on PSVR. An outstanding support from developers that will contribute to the success of the PSVR.
Motion sickness before your eyes
Last thing to know and that has rightfully not been highlighted by Sony is the fact that the PSVR ( just like any other VR headset) may cause you to experience nausea, vertigo, and headaches. We have for now tested about ten games on PSVR and experience those symptoms on about three: Here they lie, Driveclub VR and Scavenger Odyssey ( by far the worst when it comes to motion sickness). In spite of the technological advancements that the PSVR exhibits quite convincingly, some experiences are not enjoyable at all. Following this assessment, we really hope that every PSVR game will first feature a demo version on the PS Store so that we can test it out before buying it. Even though the nausea did not appear on a significant amount of games, we rightfully think it is a very important point for the future of the PSVR, and we find it odd that some games are given the OK from editor even though 90% of the gaming community responded that they experienced severe headaches or nausea playing those games.
Should you buy the PlayStation VR?
As a conclusion, we would say that, yes, the PSVR is worth your money. There are currently enough excellent games to enjoy the PSVR and many more to look forward to. Make sure you are well equipped in terms of accessories, and more importantly, make sure you try the games before dropping the money, because any amount of money spent on nausea and headache is surely regrettable. We will have you know finally that unlike more “standard” games, PSVR games sell an experience with a much shorter lifespan. This format suits this new way of playing as it maximizes the fun. Moreover, the PSVR can momentarily serve as a secondary screen in case your TV does not work.