Sony Exec Admits PlayStation VR May Not Match Oculus Rift in Terms of Quality

2016 is poised to be the year that virtual reality really kicks off, as PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive are all scheduled to come out this year. Now, Sony Computer Entertainment vice president Masayasu Ito has spoken up to compare the PlayStation 4 VR headset to Oculus Rift, giving Facebook's device the edge when it comes to technical quality.

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

Bring the games!

In the end that will always be the winning factor

[Abash]

I'll still be choosing PSVR over any VR platforms as long as it is affordable. People have already been very impressed with what they experienced when getting hands on with PSVR, I doubt Oculus offers that much better of an experience that's worth spending hundreds more

[kraenk12]

Sony has unmatched support by game developers. I doubt the Rift or Vive can match that.

[WalterWJR]

Kraenk oculus has Samsung and Facebook on their side. It's not like they are going to have nothing to do on them. Oculus already has netflix for example which things like the ps vita never had in Europe or the 3ds at all. These companies have been preparing to launch vr for a long time now.

[Unspoken]

Who in their right mind thought PSVR would match the Oculus in quality? You would have to be pretty delusional if you can't accept the spec difference between the two. Glad this was cleared up by Sony. They are already throwing the towel in because they know the PS4 is underpowered. What were they thinking this gen and putting out VR at the same time?

Most of the developers are on PC so it's a win/win for PC space. Better specs and more support. You are in denial if you think otherwise.

Now let's listen to the fans say being underpowered is OK for Sony...

[Eonjay]

So today's scandal is that the PS4 isn't as powerful as a $1000 rig? I know some folks are anti console, but I challenge you to overcome your own pretentiousness.

@Unspoken
"They are already throwing the towel in because they know the PS4 is underpowered"

There is nothing in this world that will keep developers away from the PSVR and its potential install base. Not power and certainly not your opinion because PS4 is where the money is.

[freshslicepizza]

well now that so many are getting into pc gaming, thanks in large part to microsoft's shift to windows and less need for an xbox one, lots of people will have both options.

[Pongwater]

@Unspoken - You started off ok, but then threw in the towel with that comment.

OT - Never thought it would.

[AndrewLB]

@Eonjay

The PS4 isn't as powerful as a $350 rig.

https://youtu.be/Vvbo1x3D7k...

Or if you built it using all brand new parts, it would cost around $500 which is still less than a PS4. Yes, you read that correctly. It costs $49/year to play your PS4 online, and when you add that up over the lifetime of the console, it places the PS4 around $700.

[amiga-man]

PSVR will be perfect for me to dip my toes into the VR world, it will be the most accesable of the options available and will be a more than capable device to enjoy my first taste of VR.

My money is waiting Sony, just give me a date.

[remixx116]

@Andrew

You PC donkeys always forget about the main reasons why we game console.

Exclusives and easy access my friend, stop thinkingredients it's all about your precious power. Narrow sighted as hell.

There are some benefits to gaming console that PCWorld will never have.

[Eonjay]

@AndrewLB

This thing you linked to doesn't even run VR. You brought a potato to a VR battle.

Wait, what was your point again? You do know this article is about VR right? You know i am talking about a Rig that can produce a high-end PC experience. Thats what this out of context quote from Ito was about.

[thereapersson]

@ Unspoken

Throwing in the towel? You are ignorant and full of hyperbole!

[Realms]

Some people can't seem to get it threw their heads that they cater to different demographics. If you build your own PC and constantly upgraded it is safe to assume you have disposable income and can afford the oculus rift, for everyone else that wants to try VR Sony has an option at a much more affordable price assuming it will be less expensive than the rift which I believe it will.

[nowitzki2004]

@remix

"There are some benefits to gaming console that PCWorld will never have."

Like what?

[kayoss]

@unspoken,
By your logic Microsoft threw in the towel when they say number sold is not important?

[Kryptix]

Honestly, if the PSVR is more affordable, then it explains the lower quality. I don't expect a 300-400 priced electronic to be as good as 600. And as long as they bring the games and dedicated support, then it would do well.

[GordonKnight]

Has Sony announced the price of PSVR yet? I'm going to wait on VR tech to come down in price and the bugs to be worked out of it. It's going to be hard to wait for it to become affordable though.

[remixx116]

@nowitz

Like the exclusivesame that I was referring to in that very comment, price doesn't dictate my purchase, appeal does.

[detroitmademe]

Well said. As long as we get the games I'm in. I want high quality games to like gta and no man's sky not just throwaway games

[richie007bond]

Well your in for a huge disappointment then, PS4 is so under powered for VR its not even funny...watch this space

[Fin_The_Human]

Yes the games matter but when it comes to VR quality is very important.

You can't compare VR to regular TV or monitor gaming because in VR you are actually inside the game which is where graphics and performance makes the game that much more immersive and enjoyable.

[InTheZoneAC]

vr is no different than a first person game on your tv, only difference is that you have a much wider viewing angle in VR, that's it pretty much

[garrettbobbyferguson]

>Immersive

No, not immersive. It makes it less nauseating. I've tried the crappy VR gimmicks myself and playing them for longer than 10-20 mins left me feeling terrible.

[Sevir]

It's the same old argument. PC > Console argument.

PSVR will shine based on its one size fits all.

Consistent quality one platform... I'll take psvr.

[s45gr32]

I feel like PSVR may end up as a gimmick

[butchertroll]

If somebody thinks that PSVR can't produce good graphics, somebody should check Driveclub for PSVR :

https://youtu.be/CR9IAGlqm_...

[Condemnedman]

that was some bloke talking! how much of the game did they show?

[butchertroll]

Plenty of them :

Battlezone (Rebellion)

Driveclub VR (SCE Evolution Studio)

EVE: Valkyrie (CCP)

GNOG (KO-OP Mode)

Harmonix Music VR (Harmonix)

Headmaster (Frame Interactive)

London Heist: Interrogation (SCE London Studio)

London Heist: The Getaway (SCE London Studio)

Megaton Rainfall (Pentadimensional)

Playroom VR (SCE Japan Studio)

Project Kitchen (Capcom)

RIGS Mechanized Combat League (Guerilla Cambridge)

Rush of Blood (SCE Liverpool XDEV Studio)

Super Hypercube (Kokoromi)

Wayward Sky (Uber Entertainment)

World War Toons (Reload Studios)

https://www.reddit.com/r/pl...

Just search the videos on youtube for each game.

[Software_Lover]

Wait a minute. You're okay with choosing an inferior product, just as long as it has the games you like? Man that is a radical concept. /s

[Erik7357]

Oculus then.....

Valve showed off a portal demo with VR....obviously a big hint at portal 3 with VR support on pc ....ps4 couldn't run it to how they would want it to look.

You also have star citizen......imo you have the games you dreamed of that would be in VR for pc.

Dont know if no man sky is vr for ps4 but I assure you its vr for pc.

And any ps4 vr game will be on oculus if its any good....sony dosent really own any of these vr games, just getting indie devs making the vr games for pc to port it over to ps4....

[Nitrowolf2]

Well that statement is only stating the obvious and though he was asked to compare the vrs, in general that answers applies to pretty much anything console vs pc topic. He states that it won't match the quality of high end content, which in general is the same truth with what we have going on for game quality. Yes they can match it to a degree, but pc will always have a higher end spectrum when it comes to multiple things.

They're doing what's right I hope when they say they are making vr for the masses and not as some luxury thing that you'll have to sell an arm and a leg for.

I'm pretty excited for this, and I know a lot of people will say it's a gimmicks and won't work because of the past, we'll we've heard nothing but good from all sides of vr so far, and we are in the time where it's not some rushed device, no, it feels like time, and effort went into it this time around and we have much better tech

[ShadowKnight]

I believe everyone already knew that. He said "This is not for the person who uses a high-end PC. It's for the mass market." As long as its in 1080P I'm fine with it.

[Death]

The sad thing is 1080p is simply a resolution. Texture detail and quality is much more important. The focus on native resolution is absurd when compared to the things that actually make a difference.

[neoandrew]

Not if you will see pixels, 1080 for both eyes, not much, DK2 was 1080 and it was a disaster.

[kraenk12]

@neoandrew

The main problem with the DK2 was the screen door effect. The PSVR won't have any.

[SniperControl]

Nope, res is important, i have the DK2 which is a 1080p screen, during games if you focus, you can actually see the gaps in between the pixels, it's not so bad when playing games like Elite as it's mostly set in a dark environment but games like PCARS, you can easily see the pixels.

The only way to completely alleviate the "screen door" effect is to have a higher res screen, something like a 4K screen, however this comes with the downside of being mega expensive at the moment.

Give it a few years and i'am pretty sure next gen VR's will have 4K+ screens.

[PickAShoe]

the definition of fun is so different today compare to the past.

[Goldby]

@SniperControl

Playstation already stated the solved the screen door effect, and its not a 4k display.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

"If you just talk about the high-end quality, yes, I would admit that Oculus may have better VR," says Ito. "However, it requires a very expensive and very fast PC. The biggest advantage for Sony is our headset works with PS4. It’s more for everyday use, so it has to be easy to use and it has to be affordable. This is not for the person who uses a high-end PC. It’s for the mass market."

For anyone who's interested in what the "executive" actually said.

[SniperControl]

"It’s more for everyday use, so it has to be easy to use and it has to be affordable"

From that statement, it seems pretty clear that the PSVR will come in cheaper than the Rift's £600 price point, question is, how much cheaper?

Thanks for the full quote Hug, Helpful bubble to you.

[DivineAssault]

Of course its not and it wont be as expensive either.. A perfect mix of fun games and nice performance is all i want.. It doesnt need to be super powerful costing $700

[-Foxtrot]

If it's the first thing like this they are doing which has to find an audience then I'm not surprised they picked cost and mass appeal over high specs with a hefty price tag

[FasterThanFTL1]

Personally I will be getting the Steam VR, but I hope PlayStation VR does well as well because that will mean more overall support for VR from multi-platform developers.

[ninsigma]

I never expected it to. They've said it's supposed to be affordable so to keep the cost down they couldn't have it the same quality is the rift. Also considering the rift needs at least a gtx 970 to run, it's a no brainer that the psvr wouldn't be as powerful. Having said that it still looks awesome and like I said before, having different devices targeting different market levels is a good thing. Looking forward to eventually getting my hands on a psvr. Probably not at launch though :(

[butchertroll]

Well, that's expected. Nothing unknown.

[JackVagina]

In terms of raw resolution and framerate it wont hold up. PSVR does however have a few techniques up its sleeve like the special RGB panel and the frame reprojection to make up for the consoles lower specs.

[boing1]

Duh... Doesn't change a thing for casual consumer.

[asmith2306]

So you're telling me dedicated PC games and devices have more processing available to them than the equivalent on PS4... consider me shocked.

[WeAreLegion]

Exactly, but guess who's buying the Vive, Rift, and PSVR. Yeah. I can't wait for all three of them. I've tried them all and each of them freaking rocks. The PSVR may have limitations, but it holds its own incredibly well.

[sAVAge_bEaST]

? I don't understand why you get hate/"dislikes" for speaking the truth..

[WeAreLegion]

Well...you know how people are. And some just disagree when they see my username.

[Tsunade]

Oculus and Vive requires a very ridiculous expensive set up that I am not willing to pay. PSVR will bring to me a good VR experience at an affordable price and with a better development support for games.

[xtheblackparade]

Plus occulus has Facebook on its side, which brought us quality games like farmville and candycrush. It will be a hell of a job for Sony devs to keep up with that amount of heavy hitting.

[Pandamobile]

Facebook didn't make Farmville or Candy Crush.

[xtheblackparade]

Nope

[Narutone66]

You forgot the /sarcasm tag.

[xtheblackparade]

Lol

[Brisco]

Fun to use 4 times. Then it wil lay around, like my 3d glasses. Gimmick nothing else.

[amiga-man]

Brisco comparing VR to 3d shows how little you understand VR and the potential it offers.

[AgentSmithPS4]

The fun's over folks; he's labeled it a gimmick so we can just stop enjoying everything until he tells us what we can like.

[cd1]

Nice to hear some honesty from within the camp, we all know a high end PC can out-perform a console - it ain't news and we don't care!

I havn't tried any of the upcoming VR platforms but by all accounts PSVR does the job very well, i just hope it comes at a affordable price...and doesn't make me nauseous.

[AgentSmithPS4]

I almost want to projectile vomit in the faces of people that dream up issues with nausea. It's possible of course but it's rare based on all the data with PSVR. Humans are weak but even the weak can adapt in a short time, similar to sea sickness.

Just have some ginger ready if you're worried, or a drug, whatever, it's not the end of the world.

[cd1]

Nausea caused by video games is a real thing, a friend of mine experiences it from some 1st and 3rd person shooters even in 2D.

If you did decide to "vomit in his face" i'd just put Uncharted on, point him in your general direction and spin the camera!

[dennigo]

such clickbait

i've tried ps vr and oculus rift CV1 at gameforce antwerp,

for all their talk of resolution the screendoor effect was very noticible on oculus rift while on ps vr i only noticed it on white loading screen.

also the quality of the device felt better on ps vr with oculus there was no ventilation on my face

[AgentSmithPS4]

No comment on PC stuff but I'm pleasantly surprised with how good PSVR is for the assumed price (around $400). One of the best things about it is how comfortable it is, all without falling off when moving around. As long as the universe doesn't shaft me, I'll be getting it day one.

[1nemesis975]

I'am using oculus gear VR for Samsung smartphone and all i cant telling you is i'am quite happy within'and resolution is lower then 1080p.

[deanparadise]

Not shocking at all. It will be further compounded by advancing PC tech and the ability for Oculus and Vive to release even better versions annually if they choose. PSVR will be stuck in 2016 for it's lifecycle, and the gap in quality will start to increase as early as 2017 as PCs quickly become more and more capable.

PSVR will be like the Nintendo of VR. Probably some of the most fun and easily accessible games, but not graphical showcases.

[Fez]

Spot on. I think PSVR will be a lot of fun and a good entry level option but PC VR will be where quality is really pushed. PSVR is currently in the best position to popularise it and drive investment though.

[amnalehu]

Doesn't the PC already have a quality advantage over PS4? so why would it be any different for PC VR vs. PSVR? I already have a playstation 4 but my PC is not any where near being VR ready. and unless there are 2 or 3 games that absolutely warrant buy a new PC just to run VR I will be getting the PSV4.

[ThyMasterDebater]

So, The same as PC to PS4, and I still prefer my PS4 for the pickup and go factor.

[KentBenMei]

This is a disappointment. It better be dirt cheap, then.

[Eonjay]

Here is the actual quote

"If you just talk about the high-end quality, yes, I would admit that Oculus may have better VR. However, it requires a very expensive and very fast PC. The biggest advantage for Sony is our headset works with PS4. It’s more for everyday use, so it has to be easy to use and it has to be affordable. This is not for the person who uses a high-end PC. It’s for the mass market."

[KentBenMei]

Needing a good PC is definitely a downside to Oculus, and so from that perspective there is an advantage with PSVR, definitely.

[Taero]

So...a console can't output graphics the same as what we class as the 'cutting edge' of computing? News at 10, find out what our residents think of their water being wet at 10:05.

[DeadManMMX]

...duh. Who expects this? There's a reason you have to pay so much for those PC VR sets. Still if they can hit a sweet spot on price and fully optimize it with the PS4. Who knows what the possibilities are.

[Azzanation]

So now I'm reading power doesn't matter? Make up your mind fanboys.

Of course most of you will choose PSVR over PCVR,. same reason why gamers will pick an XB1 over a PC.

[ShadowKnight]

TBH I'm getting both so it doesn't affect me lol.

[Azzanation]

Hope it works out for you. I am a PC gamer mostly and I'm not getting VR. Ill be upgrading my PC though.

[amiga-man]

Or a PS4 over an xone.

[thisgamer503]

Or a sailboat instead of a donkey

[mogwaii]

I just hope it gets and can run no mans sky, thats all i want.

[uth11]

We've had the specs for months. We've known this. That's why we are expecting the PS VR to be the least expensive.

[UltraAtomic]

No one's going to buy vr, it going to be to Dang expensive.

[kenwonobi]

Because that'son PC. PC has always been more expensive and generally higher quality as a result.

[jwillj2k4]

Fragmentation will break PC vr. As long as there are games, psvr vs any other vr is ps vs xb1 remastered.

[Orionsangel]

Everyone's VR dreams are falling apart, lol

[level 360]

Probably if you own all ( PC and console ) most likely the Oculus, HTC would be more of your priority.

But think nothing can beat Sony for easy/affordable access and experience VR first hand with PSVR.

[iNFAMOUZ1]

haha they changed the title to not make the ps4 look so bad, the original title is, sony admits psvr is less powerful than oculus rift

[ShottyGibs]

I love how suddenly the fanboys are changing their tune acting all 'of course it's not as good as a $5000 pc'.

Ahh the goal moving is incredible. I mean a console that's library of games mostly pegged at 30fps is suddenly going to get 120fps in VR without any loss in quality?

No one points to the big elephant in the room which is input lag of having an external box interpolate frames to this extent. It even sucks doing it with movies, let alone games.

From someone that actually has a PS4 and a PC, I can unequivocally say the PS4 fanboys (not Sony ones) this round are the laughing stock.

[dcbronco]

Everyday use? Isn't it higher frame rate and image quality that makes VR less taxing on the eyes?

[VivaChe]

Sony is betting on its huge install base of PS4s being the clincher in the VR war. They might just be right.