PlayStation VR is a nice idea. Bringing what appears to be prohibitively expensive VR technology to the masses makes fans happy, but after demoing a number of titles at GDC 2016 I would advise anyone thinking about PlayStation VR to think again. It’s in a bad spot. Not as good as the high-end VR and priced way higher than the low-end stuff. In my experience, PlayStation VR has been more Samsung Gear than HTC Vive.
That comparison matters. If you’ve enjoyed Gear VR and want that fun mobile experience with console strength behind it, PlayStation VR would be a good buy. It’s gimmicky and it’s going to have some fun stuff. But if you really want a Vive or Rift and just can’t afford it, getting in the ballpark with a $500 Playstation VR set-up isn’t going to feel like a wise investment because it won’t come close to giving you the immersion you’re fantasizing about.
Honestly, if it weren’t for my amazing experience using the HTC Vive I would have had much lower expectations for PlayStation VR. But after using a natural, intuitive VR system the PlayStation VR seems a lot less impressive. The biggest setback is that PlayStation VR relies on controllers and buttons for movement. This is standard video game stuff, but after using a system where all I had to do to crouch was, well, crouch, heading into a demo where crouching required buttons was underwhelming.
Moving around the virtual space is also an issue. More expensive systems do a good job tracking where a person is in the space, and HTC’s lighthouse sensor system and wall detection mean you can actually walk around (a bit) and feel immersed and engaged. The PlayStation VR demos I did all had me using one move controller to point where I wanted to go and the other controller to warp myself there. This lilypadding gets tedious, as does fumbling for the strafe buttons. The motion feels hydraulic. Press a button to go left. Press another to go forward. Aim a laser and press a button to turn.
I’d be more comfortable with the classic dual analog in my hands, but that’s not very immersive. And you’d obviously get used to the Move controller over time, but it makes me wonder if having a legion of console-minded devs at your disposal could be less an advantage than it seems. If there are buttons to be pressed a lot of mechanics will be set to pressing them. The Oculus Touch and Vive controllers are a lot simpler and in the disorienting VR space, that matters.
So what’s my point? If you don’t have the cash or the hardware to get an Oculus or Rift don’t settle for PlayStation VR this year. First impressions are important, and you’re likely to walk away (as I have) underwhelmed. Until GDC 2016 I considered VR to be “the Big Three” - Sony, Oculus and HTC - but now I’d call it “the Big Two.”
