I've twiddled an Xbox controller at my desk while wearing a beautifully designed headset with a multi-billion-dollar social network behind it. I've dedicated an entire room and a $1,200 PC to the closest thing we have to a real holodeck.
After years sampling these VR extremes, it's hard to see Sony's PlayStation VR as anything but straight down the middle.
The new offering quite simply splits the difference on those stratified headset hardware extremes. For about $800/£500 as an "all-in" price (and much less if you already own the $350/£250 PlayStation 4 and/or the $50/£39 PlayStation Camera), you get a much fuller VR experience than what you can muster with just a cell phone and a cheap holster.
Compared to a top-of-the-line PC, though, virtual reality powered by a three-year-old living room console comes with some compromises—though not as many as you might think.
Right out of the box, my initial impression of the PlayStation VR was that it's exceedingly comfortable. That impression has now endured through many, many hours in the headset. The key is the unique headstrap design, which rests the bulk of the headset's weight on a heavily cushioned semi-sphere sitting on the front of your forehead. A solid, cushioned headband circles over the ears and down around the back of your head in a ring that can be stretched to easily fit anyone. That ring snaps back to attach snugly in place once it's tucked comfortably under the back of your skull.
With all that in place, the actual virtual reality display slides in and out in front of your eyes on a groove mounted to the forehead assembly, allowing for easy and precise focus. Only the thin, flexible light guards actually make contact with the front of your face, putting minimal pressure on the sensitive areas around your eyes and nose. As a fringe benefit, this sliding display makes it quite easy to put the headset on over glasses. It also means the display is easy to slide away temporarily for a quick glance down at a cell phone (or the room around you) without the need to take the entire headset off.
Headset specs
| Headset weight | 610 grams (1.34 lbs, excluding cable) |
|---|---|
| Display | 1920x1080 (960x1080 per eye) full RGB panel |
| Refresh rate | Up to 120Hz (90Hz on many games) |
| Field of view | ~100 degrees |
| Controllers | DualShock 4; PlayStation Move controllers (required for some games) |
| Head Tracking |
Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis
gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer). Requires PlayStation Camera.
|
| Audio | 3.5 mm audio jack on cord, built-in microphone |
| PS4 connection | 143x36x143mm Processor Unit integrating HDMI, USB and power connections. |
| Included games | Demo disc with 18 titles |
| Price | $400/£349, ($500 in US-only bundle with required Camera, two PlayStation Move controllers, and PlayStation VR Worlds game) |
Source - arstechnica
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