Real Talk By: Mike Reeves

I’ve had some time behind the helm of my Playstation VR, here’s my review.

Tracking: I heard horror stories about the VR tracking system when it was first tested.  But after some more recent reviews, I saw that the tracking was no longer an issue.  Still, I was skeptical.  There was no need, the tracking is spot-on! Low light, back light, over exposed? Doesn’t matter.  This thing has followed me all over the play area without as much as a single jump or dramatic shift in perspective.  Over time, the position will stray slightly, but, that is fixed by simply re-centering yourself in the play area and holding the calibrate button.  In 2 seconds you’re back.

No Screen-Door Effect! This is probably the number-one reason I really like this VR system over the others available.  It’s a single 1080p horizontal screen, unlike Vive and other’s 2 1220 vertical screens.  Feel like you’re getting the shaft with 1080 instead of 1220? Think again:

Rift and Vive: 2 displays x 2 subpixels x 1080 x 1200 = 5,184,000 subpixels

PSVR: 1 display x 3 subpixels x 1920 x 1080 = 6,220,800 subpixels

As more games slowly migrate from Steam to the PSVR store, I can see people putting down the Vive and buying the PSVR for resolution alone.

Playability: Though, there are not many games that have been specially developed for the PSVR yet, the current selection is pretty good, considering they only released on the 13th. PSVR Worlds is a lot of fun and a great way to see the capabilities the system has.  Batman Arkham VR is amazing.  Seriously. There are no words. For $20 it’s a steal.  I can’t even describe how cool it is.  I mean, you’re Batman for God’s sake! Also, there’s a couple shooter/horror games out there as well.

The big question: Would I pay $800 for the launch bundle if I hadn’t of won it? Not yet.

Why, you ask? Game selection.  When I buy a system, I want games.  Not the promise of games.  I mean, if they said “Here’s the PSVR! Check out what we’ve got so far, but remember next year we release Red Dead Redemption VR. “That’s great, but I’d probably wait until next year to pick it up, by then I’d have coupons or there would be a price drop, and the game selection would be much larger.

The Verdict: Play it if you’ve got it.  Play a friend’s if they’ll let you drop by. (We’ve had many over just the watch them play the “Shark Encounter” on PSVR Worlds.) Wait for more Steam Store migration or PSVR exclusives before dropping the big money on the system.  Otherwise, you’re paying big bucks for a gimmick and a few hours of entertainment before asking “okay, what next?”

@PlayLegit #PSVR