Sony
took to the stage yesterday during GDC 2016 in SF to show off the
consumer-ready version of its PlayStation VR headset. Well,
we now know that the PSVR will be arriving in October 2016 for $399.
This
places the barrier of entry for PSVR dramatically lower for gamers looking to
take a whack at virtual reality. With the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive priced at
$599 and $799, respectively, while also requiring pretty hefty PC builds,
PSVR has a real shot at being the headset to beat in terms of popularity.
The $399 price tag
notably doesn’t look like it includes the PlayStation Camera, which will be
required for gameplay. The camera is going for around $45 on Amazon at the
moment so it’s not a major cost though it’s definitely fair to assume that
while some users already have the device it will be an additional cost for most
PlayStation owners. Also not included are the glowing orb Move controllers,
though PSVR users will definitely be able to use the motion-tracked DualShock
controller that’s included with the system.
Who
you play with
There’s an inherently
isolating quality to putting on a virtual reality headset (at least in the
user’s immediate vicinity). An area where Sony holds a particular advantage
over PC gaming is in regards to command of the living room. To keep VR gamers
and console gamers engaged, PlayStation will be offering local multiplayer
thanks to what they call a “Social Screen.” It will allow the PS4 to power both
the TV and PSVR displays so someone with a PSVR headset can still sit on the
couch and play with their buddies.
What
you use
If you’re a dedicated
PlayStation gamer, you may already have everything you need to welcome the PSVR
into your home setup including the PlayStation Camera, which will act as an eye
seeking out the pair of Move controllers (or a DualShock 4) and the
LED-emblazoned PSVR headset.
What
you see
Field-of-view (FoV) is
one of the most apparent metrics in virtual reality headsets for achieving
immersion and presence. The higher the FoV, the less it looks like you’re
viewing content through a pair of goggles.
Sony has said that the
FoV of the PSVR is 100 degrees. The FoV for the consumer versions of Oculus’s
Rift and HTC’s Vive have yet to be publicly disclosed but rumor is they both
are somewhere in the 100 to 110-degree region. For comparison Gear VR’s
field-of-view is 96 degrees.
FoV surely isn’t
everything. Oculus and HTC could build 200-degree FoV headsets if they wanted
to. But right now, the key to building a top-of-the-line VR experience that
won’t leave users reaching for barf bags is also keeping frame rates above
60fps. Having both of those (FoV and high fps) right now will probably require
users to drop a few thousand bucks on a high-end graphics card, something that
won’t do any favors to an industry looking to drive user adoption.
How
it looks
PlayStation has the
advantage of knowing the system limitations of every one of its users, and is,
in turn, able to build a headset that maximizes the power of the PS4 system.
The PSVR will operate
at a constant 120hz refresh rate, a system level standard that is quite a bit
higher than the 90hz offered by the Rift and Vive. This refresh rate is
powering a 5.7″ OLED screen operating at 1920×1080.
Screen Door Effect
(SDE) is a fairly common term in VR that refers to the unsightly visible black
lines between pixels that make it appear as though you’re viewing content
through a screen. Sony claims that their subpixel screen design significantly
lessens visible SDE by having individual red, blue and green subpixels make up
each onscreen pixel.
What
it means for VR
There are currently
over 36 million PS4s out in the wild that are ready for VR. In addition to the
expensive upfront costs for the headsets and controllers, gaming on the Vive or
Rift requires a $1,000 PC build just to get fired up.
While the PSVR may not
initially offer quite as rich an experience as the other VR headsets because of
the system constraints of the PS4, it’s accessibility in terms of price and
available ecosystem give it some clear advantages that may land it a greater slice
of the market when the “VR Wars” turn less friendly.
(Source: Tech Crunch)
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