Average Guy Reviews: PlayStation VR Impressions

Is Virtual Reality the future of gaming?
​~ by SL

Here at Average Guy Reviews we were ecstatic that Sony themselves were letting us try out their newest virtual reality rig... that my cousin went to GameStop to purchase, and then let me come over to try.

For those not familiar, the PlayStation VR launched this past week, with Sony entering the realm of the potential future of gaming, virtual reality. For those with a PlayStation 4, you are able to pick up this virtual reality headset for a measly $400 dollars, and $500 for those who do not already own the PlayStation camera or motion controllers. Compared to the other VR headsets currently on the market, this one is considerably cheaper, with Oculus Rift  and HTC Vive being priced around $800. That of course, is not including the high end PC you need to run it.

Continue on below to read about my hand's on time with the device and my opinion if this is something the average guy should invest in.

I arrived at my cousin's house, and there it was displayed in all its glory, the PlayStation VR. We wasted no time on introductions and booted it up right away. The VR works as any other secondary device does with a console. You boot up the game in the PlayStation 4, strap on the headset, which can be adjusted and tightened, so that your eyes are completely covered in the screen, letting no outside light in. Depending on what the game allows, you can use the normal controller, or 2 motion controllers. 

The headset itself is pretty light, so there is no worry you would strain your neck for having it on for extended periods of time. The one thing that does happen, since the device is pretty firm around your eyes, almost like a scuba mask, is after about a hour or so, your face does get sweaty. Funny thing is, Sony knew this would happen which is why they give a little cloth to wipe it up, if needed. I know my cousin is family, but I don't need his eye sweat when sharing the headset back and forth.

Whenever I thought of virtual reality, my mind always went to the experience of something like seeing a 3D movie. Now after playing, I couldn't have been more wrong! It feels more like you are inches away from a movie screen. The games don't pop out at you, or give you that feeling you will get hit by something, but it does fully immerse you into the game. We as gamers are programmed to just stare at a TV straight on, so I have to say it's quite the unique experience to be able to rotate 360 degrees, and continuously see the game.

Lastly, I wanted to add, that while I don't usually get motion sick, in general, during my time playing with the headset, I felt 100% fine. Other sites mentioned taking off the headset feels a bit strange, but for me, I didn't have any issues. My wife also tried out the headset and mentioned that the first few minutes did make her a tad dizzy, but she got used to it fairly quickly. If you do get sick from those sort of things, I would try to test it out first, to see how you feel.

The device feels great, but how are the games? I was luckily able to try out a few, which I will talk briefly about.

PlayStation VR Worlds

Danger Ball: Essentially virtual reality pong. Instead of using a controller, you use your head to knock the ball and try to score. The game itself is pretty simple, so I only see this as something you show off to people... "Hey, this is cool!".... but not something you will play all the time.

VR Luge: Downhill luge race, similar to danger ball, where tilting your head left and right helps you turn. The perk of being VR is just feeling like you really are racing through the streets, avoiding traffic, and being inches off the ground while doing so. There is not much else in terms of gameplay variety, just more along the lines of something fun to show off.

London Heist: The best out of the package in my personal opinion. This is an on the rails shooter, playing as a London street criminal, robbing banks, shooting up baddies, and being in epic highway chases. I almost compare this game to the old time crisis arcade games. Instead of stepping on a pedal to take cover, you are using your head in real time. The controls are also quite fun, because when using motion controls, you really do have to pick up ammo, and physically reload your gun. The game starts with you lighting a cigar, and I sadly had way more fun with that than I should have!

Batman Arkham VR:

This is a different kind of game than what you are used to, in the Arkham series. Gone is the excellent beat 'em up combat and open world. It's replaced with a detective mystery and using virtual reality to play with an array of Batman's gadgets. Right away, virtual reality embraces the "Be the Batman" with the opening sequence, getting to put on the suit first hand. The experience was very surreal and it's hard to explain how unique it is, without trying it for yourself. I only played maybe the first 10 mins, in about a 40 min game, but a few scenes were pretty entertaining (videos below). One hurdle VR will have to figure out is, for a game like this, how will they get the player to move? Batman is essentially just standing still and clicking a button to move to different areas, while the game takes place around him. Right now, this gaming experience feels so new that experience is fine, but over time, they will need to figure out movement without using a controller. Side note... Watch me fail to put together a puzzle in the 2nd video below!

Honorable Mentions: EVE Valkyrie and Drive Club VR

I only played a small slice of these 2 games, but generally they are the same concept and I feel this is where VR shines the most. Being able to sit in a cockpit, or the driver's seat, first hand is a great feeling in VR, mostly because you are so immersed in the world. Like earlier discussed games, Drive Club has you physically moving your head back and forth, to enable you to see cars behind you, while driving. It's so strange, but so fun! The same concept is in EVE, but replaced with a spaceship. I for one can't wait to see what they do for Star Wars with that same cockpit feel.

Verdict

..The PlayStation VR is very fun, and quite a unique experience, especially if you are a person like me, who has never done VR before. My wife even tried out a few games and said this is pretty cool! While fun, the games themselves aren't as complete as you would expect or like them to be. The launch titles of PlayStation VR tend to feel more like tech demos, or slices of what gameplay will become. These games are the starting point of what VR can do. If you like to have all the fancy new gadgets, and can afford 500 dollars, then go for it! Your friends will most likely want to check it out, and it's a unique experience you really have to try for yourself. If this takes off for the holiday season, like they hope it will, more developers, including AAA, will be hopping on board and making even better games!

If you are like me though, and can't afford the big cost of VR, then I would advise to hold off, either for a price drop or a more affordable version, as it becomes more standard in the market. It's fun to play of course, but within a year, the games and tech will progress to a higher level, which will make the value of the purchase more justifiable. Sony and Microsoft have tried numerous attempts to branch out of their consoles with, PS Move, Kinect, Motion controllers, and have all failed. I am very excited about the future of VR and how it can make games even more immersive! I hope we can look back and say this is when it all started...

Check out the photos and videos below of me trying out VR. Also a shout out and thank you to my cousin David for letting me try out the VR!