Why I suggest Getting The PlayStation VR At Launch Over The Oculus Rift And HTC Vive

Gareth at Skewed and Reviewed has posted an opinion piece looking at why he believes that the PlayStation VR is the better option at launch for gamers looking to get into the VR gaming world. The article looks at the cost of the Oculus and HTC Vive as well as the fact that many gamers may need to update their video card in order to play.

[littlezizu]

Common 299$

[Garethvk]

I have seen 300-375 on Amazon for a good one.

[freshslicepizza]

pretty dumb explanation,

first he says this in the article,
"told him based on the cost of a decent video card to play VR on and the cost of the units, you are in for close to or over 1K depending on what you purchase and you still have not even selected your first game."

this is true. then he goes and says this,

"While a price has not been announced for the Playstation VR, we have heard reports that it will be “console” priced. I took this to be between $399 and $599. If it is on the higher end, it is in keeping with the cost of the Oculus. The difference is that for him and many other gamers, that is the only expense they will have to go to VR as if they own a Playstation 4, they already have the required system hardware and will not need to worry about updating their video card or system to enter the VR world."

if they already own a ps4? well what if you already own a gtx 970 or greater? you can't assume one and not the other. you need to factor in the price to get into both from the ground up and getting into oculus will run at least $1,200 if you go by their basic requirements. for psvr we have no idea but it will no doubt be cheaper but also less capable since you will have a far more powerful pc that does more than just plays games.

his bias kicks in even more here,

"for me it seems like a no-brainer for any gamer who would need to update to go the Playstation VR route and wait for the price of a needed video card, the Oculus, and the HTC Vive, to decrease before making their purchase."

why when we also have no idea what the price of psvr will be?

"This also has the added bonus of allowing a user to see which format is becoming the most dominant, has the best game support, and functionality. Since we know that Sony has a large catalog of games coming for their system and hopefully some older games like Alien Isolation will be supported, it just seems to me like the wiser investment for many would be the Playstation VR."

we don't know that and last time i checked alien isolation is also on the pc.

[jb227]

@moldy

Sure we don't know the price of PSVR yet but it would have to be upwards of $900 to be even close to the price of a full Oculus package and closer to $1200 to be as pricy as a Vive setup.

The point isn't that the PC route is somehow the wrong way to go, the point is that if anyone is interested solely in gaming in regards to VR, the PS4 route will be the easiest & cheapest way to do so...that much is basically a foregone conclusion.

We know that you aren't necessarily excited for any Sony product or software, that much is obvious, so it is kinda funny to see you call out someone else's bias when yours has been kicked in for quite a while now.

End of the day there are many games that'll only be available on PSVR, and many other media experiences (mainly just porn) that'll only be available w/ Oculus or Vive. Either route is up to personal preference, but for gaming related purposes it is very easy to recommend the PSVR route, whether or not you are willing to admit its viability as an option.

[freshslicepizza]

jb227
"Sure we don't know the price of PSVR yet but it would have to be upwards of $900 to be even close to the price of a full Oculus package and closer to $1200 to be as pricy as a Vive setup."

i already acknowledged that, this isn't what i was bringing to attention.

"The point isn't that the PC route is somehow the wrong way to go, the point is that if anyone is interested solely in gaming in regards to VR, the PS4 route will be the easiest & cheapest way to do so...that much is basically a foregone conclusion."

again that isn't what i was referring to. i don't disagree with what you are saying, i am questioning his comparisons.

"We know that you aren't necessarily excited for any Sony product or software, that much is obvious, so it is kinda funny to see you call out someone else's bias when yours has been kicked in for quite a while now."

horizon looks great, i have made several comments about that game. same with uncharted 4. same with bloodborne. i have never once said the ps4 is inferior to any other console. so don't turn this into some console wars. if you feel slighted because the pc can offer a greater experience so be it. now once would i say the ps4 is a waste of money. i do question psvr because of past practices from sony and how they treat peripherals.

"End of the day there are many games that'll only be available on PSVR, and many other media experiences (mainly just porn) that'll only be available w/ Oculus or Vive. Either route is up to personal preference, but for gaming related purposes it is very easy to recommend the PSVR route, whether or not you are willing to admit its viability as an option."

that is far too early to tell about who will have better software. you also pose no counter-argument as to psvr offering a better experience. we all know vive offers the most immersive experience but at a cost but like most things if you want better things expect to pay more.

psvr may get more penetration out there due to entry cost and the ps4 selling so well but again that doesn't prove it's the better option.

[Garethvk]

@moldybread you really need to watch what you call bias. I am #1 a PC gamer. It is my format of choice and I do the majority of gaming on that system. I am getting the PS VR first as I think it is a better system for the price we assume it will be. Simply my decision.

If you would read, it is about people who do not own a GTX 970 and are in the debate as to get a new card or the PS VR.

Yes AI is on the PC and again, we are looking at the cost if you do not have the hardware of 1K to update versus the cost of the PS VR and if needed 39.99 for the game on PS4 which will still come under a 970 card and a HTC or Oculus.

[freshslicepizza]

@Garethvk
"If you would read, it is about people who do not own a GTX 970 and are in the debate as to get a new card or the PS VR."

does it say those who do not have a powerful enough pc and need to upgrade to the new card that ALSO have a ps4? it is assuming the same person looking to upgrade their gpu also has a ps4 and wants to decide which path from there they should go. which is what i am talking about. perhaps it is you my friend who needs to read between the lines.

[jb227]

@moldy

Sorry for bringing console preferences into it but hen you called Gareth out for his "bias" I feel like you kinda brought that on yourself though..beyond obvious things that are nearly undeniable for any gamer like the perceived potential quality for games like UC4 & Horizon, I just tend to see you harshly criticize most Sony news. I've never seen Gareth criticize other brands even if he lifts up the Sony platform from time to time. At the end of the day the most important thing to keep in mind is that he has gotten hands on w/ all of these headsets in multiple instances. Just out of curiosity, have you tried them all yet? I haven't tried any myself but from the previews you can't really discount Sony's attempts as they seem to be pretty in line w/ the other guys while having their own actual advantages in some areas.

"that is far too early to tell about who will have better software. you also pose no counter-argument as to psvr offering a better experience."

As far as who will have better software, sure it is early but going solely off of developers in place, Sony simply has more quality first party & third party devs working on console style experiences. I see VR as being a microcosm of the landscape of gaming as we see it today. There are PC exclusives but they tend to be more niche & varied, whereas console gaming is a breeding ground for the kinds of AAA experiences that the entire medium has been built around. Sure there are some that would prefer PC output just like there are some that prefer PC gaming in general. I don't see some scenario in which gamers switch sides here, gamers who enjoy consoles would most likely stick to those for the VR scene, and gamers that prefer PC would do the same. We are seeing the same thing panning out w/ QB at MS, and that holds true there, just because there is a PC option that doesn't necessarily mean the console option is somehow now obsolete & pointless just because PC will have better performance & push more pixels. Also in general for the entire history of gaming, the biggest & most lauded games have started on consoles or can only be experienced there because these are boxes made w/ that specific purpose whereas PCs are all purpose machines. For now PSVR is geared more solely towards gaming than Oculus or Vive, and Oculus & HTC simply don't have the stable of first party devs that Sony does. Sony benefits from having all of those games studios to focus on developing solely for their hardware. My entire counter argument is exactly that, and it isn't speculation, it is just raw facts & data on first party studios that are confirmed to be working on PSVR.

At this point we can wildly speculate on anything, sure maybe Oculus buys 2 dozen first party studios tomorrow made up of the cream of the crop in the gaming industry, but that is purely speculative...Sony has that infrastructure in place here & now.

"better" is relative really... Some may prefer the utility of something like Oculus & be willing to spend more but PSVR seems like the safer choice for the person more interested solely in gaming & not wanting to break the bank while having the highest potential for unique experiences for gaming. PSVR obviously won't have the technical specs that the other guys have but at this point right now what matters to me in regards to VR is gaming, and Sony has more concrete potential.

[ShadowKnight]

More like $399

[Garethvk]

We are talking for a 970 card right?

[littlezizu]

I want it $299 as it is always higher price in my country, for example Currently PS4 is 75% more(36,000rupee or close to $499) in my country than in US(btw X1 is 100% more). So if $299, it will be under $500(inflated price) in my country

[Free_Fro]

If you're serious about VR you'll get a powerful PC. . . .to handle Oculus or Vive. Open support in the PC environment..

Versus VR on an underpowered console..Better than nothing I suppose. .

I looked forward to comparing the quality of VR content on PC versus PS4s

[Garethvk]

I have used all 3 at PAX Prime most recently and they looked similar but were different in execution. The Sony games were fun, but more scaled back like heading a soccer ball into targets and such. There was also the duck and cover fire and using the PS Move to explore drawers, load a gun, fire, and such. The HTC one was great as you could walk around, manipulate objects and such.

The Oculus had a great space flight game which was about as close to being in a star fighter as one can get. Wide range of view, detailed settings, debris coming at you and so on.

[ginsunuva]

Oculus and PSVR have same field of view.
Vive has 10 degrees more.

[Poli_Games]

Dude you got Smartphones that can do VR. Underpowered console... Some people do not have over a grand to throw at a gaming rig. Then another 600- 800 bucks to toss at VR.

[jb227]

Going by your own logic, if you are serious about playing Xbox One games, you'll get a powerful PC. Pretty sure I've seen plenty of people recently arguing the benefits of the ease of use & ecosystem available in a console in regards to MS' recent moves, but somehow those arguments are now baseless?

The PSVR has the added benefit of being released by a dominant software developer, and all of its connections...a rolodex literally crammed full w/ all of the best games developers in the industry.

May get more frames & better resolution on the PC but if you are solely into VR for the quantity & quality potential solely related to unique games, the PSVR isn't only the cheapest option, it is also the best option.

[kenwonobi]

Can't go wrong either way. There is two options. Go PC or add it the PS4.

[ABBAJESUS]

I wait for good under $500 vr-headset for pc. I'm not in a hurry.

[Corpser]

It's not just the vr hardware, problem is psvr needs to run on ps4, the recommended specs for PC vr are 2-3x more powerful than ps4, psvr will be running games in much lower settings that's a given

[kaizokuspy]

I'd be happy if it was compatible with rocket league camera. I'd buy vr just so I could turn the camera in those style of games at least.

[MasterCornholio]

You also have to take into account that Sonys headset renders at an inferior resolution as the other two. So it would require such a high specced system to run well.

PSV isn't a clone of Oculus or HTC Vive. The system requirements are quite a bit lower.

[nitus10]

When looking at resolution you really have to look at what the human eye can see. For a 1080p 6" or 7" display it is very difficult if not impossible for most people to discern individual pixels especially if there is a moving display. Look at at 1080p mobile if you want proof.

What is more important is for the refresh rate of the screen to be 120Hz or higher which will comfortably from a human perspective display moving images at 60 fps up to 120 fps.

[Relientk77]

It will probably be the cheapest

[Eamon]

I didn't think I'll ever be saying this but it is up to the Playstation VR to save the VR market. The recent announcement of Vive's price was very disappointing.

Which normal consumer is going to fork out $800 for what is essentially a risky gamble? Also, developers need more VR sets in households in order to make a profit from their titles. If there are hardly any people owning a VR set, then what's the point of developing a game for it?

I really is nonsensical for HTC and Oculus to price their VR products so highly. You need much more forward thinking than just being scared of a business flop. VR needs a real market in order for it to be successful. If you price these products too high, you aren't building a market, you're killing it.

That's why only pVR can save VR. If it's reasonably priced, it could sell very well. After all, buying a PS4 is a lot cheaper than buying a powerful PC to run a Rift or Vive.

[Garethvk]

It is like the who issue of 3D movies for me. During the worst part of the economic downturn, studios asked cinema chains to pay for costly upgrades to the new 3D tech. The cinema chains balked so that is how the 3-5 dollar extra cost came up. We will give you a standard and a 3D version of the film and those who want 3D pay extra and you can use that to cover your costs. Ok then studios need to make sure we have plenty of 3D content. Issue is, studios gave them 2D movies converted in a lab which was well below shot on 3D quality and many consumers balked saying 3D is not worth it not always aware they were not getting true 3D.

So with VR you will have some games that will be regular games that support VR and you will have VR only games. They know the early adapters like the folks at Microsoft will run out and pay whatever for the new tech as they can afford it. The issue as you so well stated is that most consumers are not going to pay that high a price for VR and will take a wait and see approach to see if the price comes down, which games are available, and if the technology takes off. I wonder if it would be fair to say that some may not last if they do not change their prices a couple years down the road.

[gamerz]

This is very true and you already see it in the current VR demos. Some utilize VR's unique experience giving you something interesting. Others are no different than any other game, just with a 3D screen attached to your head - i.e. no meaningful head-tracking, etc.

There's only been a small handful of excellent 3D movies while the rest are like you said, post-processed enhancement of 2D films. Since VR rigs will probably be even less popular than 3D televisions (initially), it seems reasonable to predict the same will happen with VR content.

[ONESHOTV2]

I would be one of those crazy people i dont work 2 jobs for nothing

[Poroz]

I am going to wait a year. If the games and now music are being released broken, with the intent to fix. I rather just not put the frustration there to begin with. I will be watching and hoping for the best.

[Garethvk]

I think you speak for many consumers with this one. I know Oculus said that the price will lower after the first wave but I think a year for many is a good window to see if the price drops, what quality the games are, and how many people have gotten onboard. It is likely understating but if you are set for VR and your friends are not, it may diminish your enthusiasm if you are used to playing online with them. Yes there will be other to play with, but if you have a core group, that is another factor.

[rainslacker]

I'll wait for the compelling content myself. If compelling content starts coming out, and it's selling, then VR's future is probably secure enough to invest in it. I'll likely get the PSVR, because all I would need is the headset, and I just prefer consoles over PC's. So, it's up to Sony to make sure that there is compelling content that would make me want to get the device.

I have access to Occulus at work, and am working on tools for it even, so I get to play around with it a lot, and it's a lot of fun when I can take the time to try out other people's work....but PC gaming just never appealed to me that much, and the current content, while entertaining, isn't enough to make me want to drop that much money on it.

GT in full VR would be a good starting point for me, because I am willing to invest a lot in a good racing set up for the wheel and seat alone...the VR would just add the level of depth that I always found missing from a racer.

[UltraNova]

Exactly, PSVR + a good racing wheel, my trusty single couch and GT or/and Driveclub is why I'm on board, plus I wouldn't mind trying to escape an angry T-Rex...

[fanboysmackdown]

VR will cost me jack shit because I'm not interested in this retarded fad. How's that for a Screwed and Rebuked opinion article?

[Garethvk]

What will you do when VR only games that you want to play come out?

[Zoombael]

your attitude is retarded. VR is the future. everyone who rejcts it is retarding himself.

[Zarock]

If PSvr will work on PC games then I'll buy It only, otherwise I'll get them both.

[SpiralTear]

Sony actually has the library to make VR a worthwhile purchase. If they can keep the price low enough and release enough compelling software at launch, it'll do well enough. Rez is already a big advantage.

[DethWish]

When you factor in the fact that PSVR will have less developer support (in the long run) and probably a shorter life time as well (unless they make it work with the PC), the choice is not as clear anymore.

I myself will probably get an Oculus or Vive, once the price has gone down enough for me to justify it.

[Garethvk]

I think with 30 million plus systems and growing they will be there as long as Sony can move enough PS VR units.

[DethWish]

Yeah I'm not worried there will be NO developer support, I'm just saying the PC will have more.
Anyone can download Unity or UE4 for free and make something, and a lot of people will.
There will be many many gems coming, for both platforms, I think :) I guess I'm just worried PSVR version 1 will become outdated quickly.

[sereal_killer]

@deth

I am getting a psvr cause i have a ps4 and rarely game on pc.

The way i see the dev situation is: if a game is good enough Sony can try and get it on psvr but there is almost no chance that a sony dev will release a game on pc.

I know psvr won't be as good as vive but from what I've seen it is good enough.

[Black0ut]

For starters it's going to be more cost effective along with it being a quality product IMO (Sony make nice bloody hardware). I reckon that's a good enough reason for more interest behind the PSVR as better price points are almost always what brings more people in.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Well if there is no PC support, that completely rules out the PSVR for me. The only real reason I can see to get it over the competition is that it will probably be cheaper but even so, how much cheaper will it be?

[Lamboomington]

Device doesn't compete with either the Rift or Vive.

If you're a PC gamer, there's no point getting a PSVR lol. If you're a PS4 gamer, you're going to get a PSVR anyway.

[kenwonobi]

PSVR is the way to go for me. It's for sure to have a few interesting titles. Probably movies. It'll be a blast either way. I'd love to own either the Rift or Vive as well if I could.

[Deeke]

The PSVR will likely be limited to just gaming, whereas the Rift and Vive open up a whole galaxy of entertainment options.

I'm not sure of Sony is going to use the PSVR for anything other than PS4-powered video games.

Then there's the lower-end hardware that's powering the PSVR. The PS4 isn't even powerful enough to run VR on its own, so the PSVR comes with a processing box that not only splits the image but boosts graphical power.

The PSVR will be cheaper for a very good reason. If you're serious about VR, you'll want to consider a HTC Vive. If you want to just use it for casual gaming, go with PSVR.

[kenwonobi]

I don't see why not. The virtual reality helmet would work good with their movies. It'll work on YouTube as well. Probably apps. Right off the bat I think you'll be surprised how much it has to offer besides videogames.