Is the PS4 Powerful Enough for Virtual Reality?

Push Square: "Many people often ponder whether the PlayStation 4 is powerful enough to offer a competent virtual reality experience – especially with the recommended specs for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive being so high. But having gone hands on with PlayStation VR a few times now, we're happy to report that it does genuinely offer a comparable experience."

[ApocalypseShadow]

Of course it is. The gamers who lie to themselves that it's not powerful enough are just fooling themselves. If Google cardboard and Samsung gear VR can create a sense of presence with cellphones, then surely PSVR can create a sense of presence in VR.And the guy in the video tells it like it is:

It's not the best VR experience
It's the most inexpensive of the three offerings of VR.

BUT IT WORKS.

It will have issues early on. But I've seen PC VR games that look rough early on. It's the developers that have to step it up and find solutions just like they found solutions in making 2D,3D and motion games. It's a process just like any other game development.

But some early PSVR games look great and should play great. The fact that it works on the base PS4, it's already being demoed at Best buy and GameStop and journalists, developers and gamers who tried it, already say it works. And some aren't even PlayStation fans. They may balk at the initial price which is understandable. but they come away from it impressed. Just type in PSVR impressions on YouTube and you'll see regular people enjoying the demos at the store.

Can't wait to get mine.

[darthv72]

I tried it at best buy and it was certainly fun. No doubt there will be some pretty creative games that showcase what this tech offers. It is a serious jump from the early days of arcade VR that I experienced.

Like you said apoc... it works and that is what should matter most. It can only get better the more it is experimented with and experienced by individuals.

@apoc, what you just described would be cool if they were to bring home back. Using the psvr in home and walking around and going to the bowling alley just seems natural. I always felt home had allot of missed opportunities and with psvr maybe... just maybe they can bring that back and really experiment.

[Cindy-rella]

Yes it is. From what ive seen and played on psvr i cant wait to get it first day

[Master of Unlocking]

Home with VR, interesting...

I'll never understand why Sony shut down Home, they used to make tons of money with that. One would think they would've shut it down on the PS3 only because they were porting it to the PS4, to entice users to move to their next system, but Home is nowhere to be found even on the PS4, so what's up with that? There were dozens of millions of happy Home users like myself and, even though it never really lived up to what I hoped it would be (I was naive with the copyright content side of things), I still had a very good time with it during all these years, even though it always remained in the state of Beta, lol. It was like an internet forum, but in 3D with lots of playable games and a pretty fleshed out party gaming app.

I really don't get it, just bringing it back the way it was on the PS3 on the PS4 with exactly the same visuals would allow them to eliminate any loading time and it certainly would be better than nothing.

Oh well, just file that under "I" for "Incomprehensible Sony decisions", in the same sorter where you have the "shutting down the studio that developped Wipeout HD" case, or "shutting down the beloved devs of the beloved Motorstorm series" case, decisions motivated by reasons even an expert who knows his way around Area51 and what really happened in Roswell in 1947 could never wrap his head around.

..gah, I'm feeling HOMEless again... :(

[BrandanT]

I think VR would be something that the PlayStation wouldn't run optimally unless it cut out all the background applications.

[starchild]

It really just comes down to what exactly you are trying to do in VR. Any modern gaming device could run SOME kind of VR experience, it's just a question of at what level of visual quality we are talking about.

For example, on PC with the Rift you don't actually need a GTX 970 to run many less demanding VR games and apps, but if you want to play the more demanding VR games at full quality you definitely need something like a GTX 970.

[Artemidorus]

Sounds like you know the answers, apply for a Sony job and see how far you get

[Kiwi66]

In response to the edit at the bottom of your 2nd comment, it could just be that people simply don't share your view about psvr nothing more and how do you know that it isn't a mix from all sides , so if a dev says they aren't interested in psvr what camp would you put them into

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Anyone who has tried PSVR already knows the PS4 works well with it.

[2pacalypsenow]

It has to be, I don't think Sony can afford for VR to be unplayable on PS4 after claiming that it does.

[Timesplitter14]

of course PSVR will work on the regular PS4. VR could technically work on a PS2, and does work on mobile phones right now..

It's just that the non-Neo PS4 VR will be extremely limited in terms of graphics. It can't afford to be limited in performance instead, because it's VR

[rainslacker]

From what I"ve seen, the games seem to be about on par with early generation PS3 titles or late gen PS2 titles. Some are a bit better, some are a bit lower, some are rudimentary, some are complex. It really depends on the game, but for the most part, I can say that I haven't seen any that are god awful in appearance, and if they aren't graphically advanced, the graphics seem to at least fit the application and overall presentation.

Performance wasn't really a factor, as Sony has set a minimum standard for what can be on the system, which will affect the graphics depending on the complexity of the game.

But it's certainly playable, and it looks just fine, so long as you aren't going into it expecting something super high end, and aren't so tightly wound over it having to be the most immaculate thing ever.

And all this was on the stock OGPS4. Anyone that says otherwise is willfully ignoring all the evidence and first hand accounts to the contrary, or is placing exceedingly high standards on what is acceptable.

[_LarZen_]

"Is the PS4 Powerful Enough for Virtual Reality?"

Yes.

[MasterCornholio]

All the PSVR previews were running off PS4s right?

So I guess the answer is yes.

However NEO should provide a better PSVR experience for those who want it.

[Razuel]

This year: yes. Next year, or the one after.. doubtful.

[Goldby]

But but...

What exactly will change in a year? That wont allow the psvr to be played on ps4?

[senorfartcushion]

No hence the Neo

[DLConspiracy]

I think it comes down to what you want to enjoy or experience. Games can and will work on the PS4. It's just whether you are a stickler for advanced graphics or not. I'm sure the games will be fun as graphics aren't everything. Personally, I'm waiting awhile to see what happens with VR on all the headsets. There is no way I am buying 3 headsets. I will wait and see a year or two once they have rooted themselves more and have a larger time with developers and more of an offering of games.

[GNCFLYER]

Umm yes. Or they wouldnt put it out there...

[ONESHOTV2]

no i dont think so the minimum requirement for VR is a 970 if the PSVR is going for high settings then it would definitely be a no. i would like to ask anyone what's the point of getting a VR headset if you can't run the games at their highest settings i wouldn't waste my money if i know my system can only push VR at the lowest settings what fun would i get out of that ? maybe the NEO will help PSVR a bit that's if it even has the power of a 970.

[kneon]

You sound like you've never tried VR. The sense of immersion you get in vr doesn't really depend on the fidelity of the graphics. Even very rudimentary games can suck you right in to their world.

[rainslacker]

I really don't get the argument that people keep saying it's not capable, or that the games look like crap. I mean, some of the games aren't the bee's knees in terms of graphics, but crap is overstating IMO, and it certainly is capable since we have numerous first hand accounts that it works, and one could go to Best Buy and use it to prove that.

It's like people are willfully ignoring all the game play videos that exist for the PSVR games as if they don't exist to try and asset that the system is just barely capable, when numerous games have been shown to range from looking decent enough, to looking quite good. Sure none would be on a PS4 level in terms of graphics, but if that's what you expect, then go play on a $1200-1500 PC.

PSVR is what it is. It works. Games look fine if you aren't too stuck up about graphics. It's been proven. It's a fact. Deal with it. PS4 is getting a VR solution that doesn't require a new console purchase.

[cd1]

Its pretty simple mate - Jealousy.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

I would ask the PS4 NEO

[WelkinCole]

Of course not. All those demos that early access users been playing and getting overwhelming good feedback are actually running on the PS5. Sony time traveled and bought the PS5 back for PSVR.

[Tobsesan]

My Phone can handle it, so yea it is.

[Ulf]

Sure, just not VR on the same level as a PC, Scorpio, or Neo.

Pretty sure you get what you pay for, in this regard.

[OB1Biker]

Im pretty sure you can play VR on a PS4 at a much higher level than on a Scorpio until that thing becomes something else than a 'project'

[blanka4545]

yup of course and check out the psvr demo its amazing go Sony!

[Artemidorus]

Sony seem to think so, you know the creator's of it......

[OB1Biker]

haha
Its more a rhetorical question since we all know PSVR works perfectly on PS4. Another rhetorical question would be Is PSVR really VR? maybe ;)
Thing is of course all the trolls will show up and drop the mask here :P

[Dan_scruggs]

No. That's why your gonna need to buy a PS4K. But Sony is intent on letting everyone find that out when it's too late.

[JackBNimble]

So you think Sony is going to will fully mislead the consumer into buying a product that they claim work with ps4 but in fact you need the ps4 neo?
That sounds a lot like false advertising.
I don't think Sony would be so blatantly stupid, do you?

[Yetter]

For shorter 15 minute experiences it will work just fine. Sony said thats the experiences they are targeting with PSVR. Full 20-30 hour VR games, I don't think the PS4 will be able to keep up

[Aenea]

Yeah, it might burn out or something!

What is this nonsense? Why would it not work suddenly when the game is longer? Of the 3 headsets it's the most comfortable one, besides show me a 20-30 hour VR game on the Rift or Vive...

VR games are going to be short no matter the headset used, long AAA games will surely come in the future but not right now, devs need to test the waters, see what is fun and what works in VR, hence the short 'experiences'...