PlayStation VR is a great piece of kit, but it needs a killer app if it's going to truly thrive

PlayStation VR is an amazing piece of technology, maybe the most impressive in the company’s history. I’ve demoed mine to non-gaming friends and they’ve been floored. Heck, one poor pal probably suffered minor cardiac shock. (Hey, blame PlayStation VR Worlds’ Shark Attack demo.)

Yet despite the strength of the core hardware, it’s hard to shake the feeling this amazing reality-altering headgear isn’t quite living up to its monumental potential. Clearly we’re not dealing with a PocketStation-shaped disaster (PS VR is only just coming back into stock after selling out almost everywhere), but neither has it captured the collective imagination quite like the sales-smashing console you connect it to.

[ShadowKnight]

Farpoint anyone??

[Neonridr]

jury is still out on that game, we will know more obviously next month when it drops. Fingers and toes crossed though, I have the bundle ordered. I want that aim controller so bad, I just hope other games support it down the road.

[S2Killinit]

Same here. Got it preordered, with the aim controller. Cant wait. Its been winning a lot of awards, im hoping its as good as they say it is.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Sony confirmed that they are working on other games for the AIM and that many games will support it.

[generic-user-name]

I know Brookhaven will be patched to support it. Hopefully Sony double down on it at e3.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Resident Evil 7 is the "killer app" on PSVR. It's truly spectacular on PSVR.

[Neonridr]

agree with you on that one. Personally I have always had a soft spot for horror games and coupled with VR it's a dream come true for me.

Glad to hear Sony has more plans for the Aim Controller..

[ILostMyMind]

I refuse to play it without PSVR. I want to shit me with fear.

[generic-user-name]

Werewolves Within, nobody seems to know about it but it's super super fun and unique. Cross play with all 3 VR headsets too. Anyone with a PSVR, at least watch some youtube videos, see how fun it can be. We need to support good games when they arrive and Werewolves is one of them.

[Neonridr]

yeah I have heard good things about that. One of my Rift buddies has played it to death and he enjoys it.

[Ron_Danger]

What's type of game is it? I've been really curious about it.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Farpoint pre-ordered.

PSVR does have potential and like the author says, it does need a few killer games.

[freshslicepizza]

well as long as its a peripheral and an expensive one at that who is going to invest in a killer app? farpoint looks good visually but it seems like yet another short game.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

sony would never allow its top tiered teams like naughty dog to invest in a psvr only title and that is what it will take for psvr to truly thrive.

[Goldby]

just imaging the lack of killer 1st party VR games for the Xbox Scorpio then... if sony isn't even willing to invest in their own product what chance does MS have of investing in someone elses

[freshslicepizza]

first off we have no idea what kind of vr headset support it will get. for all we know it may have oculus and maybe even thrive support. microsoft is using the xbox as a windows device, sony is still insistent on being closed off to everyone. taking a wait and see aporach is probably best seing as how sony has only managed to sell 900,000 units and have invested quite a bit so far in marketing it. if scorpio allows those devices then it will have access to an already pretty big library. i dont blame microsoft for being apprehensive until vr takes off seeing as how much they invested in kinect and look where that got them.

[Bennibop]

@Moldy you seem to make up stats constantly to suit your pro Microsoft /xbox agenda. The PSVR has exeeded Sonys sale projections and sold 900000 as of feb. It is also sold out still in many countries in particular in Europe.
Have you played Farpoint? or have you just randomly made up that the game is short.

[ShottyatLaw]

I'm betting you won't see much 1st party support other than Minecraft. The option to buy a variety of HMDs would be more of a selling point at this point that MS should push if true. Any killer apps will be coming from 3rd parties.

[Liqu1d]

Moldybread still trolling.

[ShadowKnight]

Moldybread making up stats again 😁😅

[freshslicepizza]

Read the comments in the video I provided.

[Goldby]

@moldy

Just read them. And? What's the issue with a 6-8 hour game?

Vive and rift have hundreds that can be beaten in an even shorter time.

A games length has no bearing on its quality. Journey is a high quality game that can be beaten in less than 2 hours and I would say its better in terms of quality than quite a few games released this gen. Including fallout

[freshslicepizza]

@Goldby
"A games length has no bearing on its quality. Journey is a high quality game that can be beaten in less than 2 hours and I would say its better in terms of quality than quite a few games released this gen. Including fallout"

thats all well and good and i liked journey but to suggest a game like journey is a killer app that would make psvr thrive is ridiculous. the article is talking about a killer app for psvr and we shall see if farpoint is that game soon enough.

[JackBNimble]

XboxMoldy here once again to trash a Sony product that he never has any intention of owning ever.

Hey Moldy, there seems to be a ton of Scorpio hype bs articles, why do you even waist your time in anything Sony related?

[IamTylerDurden1]

Why wouldn't they? Sony had Bend, Mm, Japan Studios, Guerrilla (Cambridge) and others invest in Vita exclusives.

Plenty of full games on PSVR. Try RE7, Rigs, Driveclub VR, Dirt Rally, Eve Valkyrie, Battlezone, Rez Infinite, Tethered, Starblood Arena, Bound, Super Stardust. Even Robinson is far from a demo.

[ILostMyMind]

You are an XBO user, you can not complain about shooting games.

[EddieNX]

completely irrelivant and too expensive

[Ron_Danger]

This article is about PSVR, not overpriced ports of games on the Switch.

[IamTylerDurden1]

You don't think Bomberman is worth $50 and Binding of Isaac $40? C'mon now, $60 for Just Dance! These are such consumer friendly prices... http://www.gamestop.com/nin...

Honestly, it's absolutely abhorrent the prices of some of these Switch games. $50 for Bomberman is outrageous.

PSVR is the least expensive of the big 3, Eddie.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Considering PSVR is the best selling VR HMD i'd say it's pretty relevant.

Funny that you are complaining about price when PSVR is actually the least expensive VR HMD of the big three. If you want to complain about overpricing you have plenty of material in the Nintendo Switch camp. Many Switch games are extremely overpriced and even upcoming multiplats are going to be priced higher on Switch than PS4 and xb1.

http://www.gamestop.com/bro...

[Pancit_Canton]

Just like the switch.

[Pantz]

Gotta love a naughty school girl playing VR in promo pic. As a SJW I approve.

[_LarZen_]

Resident Evil 7 is one. But it clearly need more then that. Hopefully Farpeoint will be something special.

[Bennibop]

Dirty Rally is another and Rez Infinite.

[GrimDragon]

I thought resi 7 was that app?

[generic-user-name]

It is. Honestly PSVR has a better lineup of games after 6 months than either the PS4 or Xbox in the same period.

[ObviousGoldfish]

Sony ought to rename it to Vita and let it follow the obvious path to failure.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Vita is pushing 20 million sold. That would be awesome for VR.

[ObviousGoldfish]

20 mil dumpster systems

[BSD289]

To be honest i think it's worth getting one just for Resident Evil 7 alone. It's insanely good

[Elwenil]

I have to say, after seeing Angry Joe's video preview of Star Trek Bridge Crew, I was pretty impressed with how that game turned out. Unfortunately PSVR doesn't have the hand controllers that PC does and players will have to deal with the lollipop controllers, but it still looks like a cool game for Star Trek and simulation fans.

[maybelovehate]

As long as you have never used Vive or Rift, PSVR is fine. But if you have used the other two for any period of time, PSVR feels very limited due to the poor tracking. Can't argue with the price though.

[Neonridr]

agreed, I have a Rift and will always go to that headset first. The Touch controllers truly are sensational. That being said, PSVR is acceptable for the price (although Oculus has slashed the price of their bundle so it isn't as attractive anymore, at least in Canada) and has some good games for it. We need more titles like RE7 and Farpoint though. Too many games like Batman or Tomb Raider which are just experiences or tech demos with not a ton of replay value.

Still, hopeful for the future of VR.

[Athos]

This is why I sold my PSVR. The resolution was horrible, tracking needed help, move controllers just arent up to snuff compared to my Rift and the Vive, wires everywhere, lens fog, I got rid of it. Again, I am impressed Sony got it to work at all with a regular PS4 but it clearly had to make sacrifices to do it. RE7 was well done but I felt it made the game tedious and enjoyed it more in a dark room on my large TV. DCVR was my favorite game even though it looks like ass, it plays great.

Glad I sold it, haven't missed it and think Sony will abandon it in a year. Good first effort, but not even close to being worth the money IMO.

[drunkenspy007]

So true, let's hope farpoint is successful. I feel like there's so much you can do with the technology, just need those games.

[modelgod]

@bennibop, I'm sorry put VR isn't practical at the moment. It's SSLLLOOOWWWLLLYY dying and the only ppl that's biting it are the Sony Fan boys just to say " oh look, am I cool yet? " no! And you never will be. Until either company pulls a Nintendo like move; where their is no huge bulky Headsets needed, just a nice pair of glasses, then it'll NEVER gain ground. It's too impractical, and I feel sorry for those who spent all that money on PSVR. it'll go the way of 3D, and 3D Televisions. Sorry!!

[Ron_Danger]

You forgot to write "fanboy rant over" at the end of your comment.

If you don't want to sound like a total fanboy, you might want to remember that Sony isn't the only company doing VR.

[generic-user-name]

" Until either company pulls a Nintendo like move... it'll go the way of 3D"

The irony.

[Kokyu]

PsVr has a few killer apps it needs a price drop.

[TardcoreGamer]

It's a piece of kit.