Sony Playstation VR: news & review of the virtual reality headset

Summary

• Features of the PlayStation VR headset
• Price and availability of the Playstation VR?
• An already sublime prototype
• Experimentation phase for content
• Virtual reality for the general public?
• Sony PlayStation VR: a social experience
• The headset, but not only: accessories for the PlayStation VR headset
• Multiplayer games for PlayStation VR
  • The RIGS
  • The Deep
  • World War Toons
  • Job Simulator

On the occasion of the Tokyo Game Show which is held from September 17 to 20, the Japanese brand Sony has decided to surprise its world, with some surprising announcements. The virtual reality headset has indeed been renamed, and some new features are to be noted. Update on Sony's PlayStation VR headset!

Sony Playstation VR: news & review of the virtual reality headset

After enjoying the trade fair dedicated to video games that took place in Germany to reveal its entry into the world of virtual reality, the Japanese company Sony has remained very mysterious about its future projects. If his participation in this event was marked by the launch of its famous, she surprised her fans by not showing up at the long-awaited GamesCom, the European Fair which was held at the beginning of August in Cologne.

While rumors circulated about the main competitor of the Oculus Rift, Atsushi Morita, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and Asia, decided to hold a special press conference on September 15, 2015. Just before the Tokyo Game Show, which to be held in the Japanese capital from September 17 to 20, this gathering was supposed to put the dots on the i's when it comes to new things. Thus, the turns into A name change that partly answers the public's questions.

Already present on the stand Playstation de l'E3 2014, this prototype should now be a little more accessible to the public. Indeed, some demos and titles will be playable with the headset during the Tokyo Game Show. However, as if to keep a certain dose of secrecy, the president of the Asian group did not dwell on the subject for very long. So forget the official launch schedule for this new gadget. However, he blurted out that a priori it is almost finalized but still requires some additional adjustments. An announcement that the internet community welcomed without surprise, so much was the name expected.

Helmet Specifications PlayStation VR

If Sony has decided to embark on the manufacturer wants to put the small dishes in the big ones. Indeed, the PlayStation VR is designed to offer the player a feeling of immersion allowing them to live new interactive experiences, which they cannot find on any medium. Created for play with playstation 4 (hence the new name undoubtedly), the first models should allow the player to discover the games under a totally different angle. In terms of technical features, the PlayStation VR prototype has a sleek and lighter design. The two-tone black and white lacquered structure contains blue light diodes with a Playstation logo on the side. It has a 5.7 inch OLED display with 18ms response time. Its resolution is 1920 x RGB x 1080 (960 x RGB x 1080 per eye). Each pixel on the screen has green, red, and blue sub-pixels. This technology makes it possible to obtain a clear image, even on the move. The set can run games in 120 FPS to ensure perfect fluidity.

The viewing angle of this helmet is 100 °, so there is no black border around the image. To optimize the fluidity of head movements in the game, it is equipped with 9 LEDs. These are tracked by the PlayStation and coupled to the gyroscope and the accelerometer. Finally, PlayStation VR is compatible with 3D audio to have 360 ​​° sound, but also up and down. This also makes it possible to broadcast the game being played in the headphones but also on a television set. Only downside, the presence of the wire which was the subject of the written criticism in the High-Tech section of the Nouvel Observateur. It is possible that we walk on it when we play. We then hope for a wireless version to optimize the sensation. Once put on (and adjusted), the PlayStation VR headset however offers an extraordinary dive into a virtual world. Turn your head to the right and the vision will follow, upwards and the gaze will move. All without any latency and with an impressive naturalness.

Price and availability of the Playstation VR?

While a name change for the virtual reality headset was more or less expected, the biggest questioning concerns the price of this PlayStation VR. However, none of the officials have mentioned a price yet. They said that we still have to wait until the product is almost finished. By the way, the release date has filtered: le PlayStation VR de Sony sera available en 2016. A date more than vague therefore, but which implies that the impatient do not have much time to wait before putting on the famous product. While some claim that the release is scheduled for the first semester of next year, it turns out that Sony's headphones will be released in October 2016.

Since then, opinions have multiplied concerning the probable price of this virtual reality headset from Sony. While the main competitor of PlayStation VR, namely the Oculus Rift, is announced at a price of around 350 dollars, a leak from the Belgian division of Sony made fans jump to the ceiling. Indeed, a few days ago, a price of 300 dollars was mentioned. Information that Atsushi Morita could have reversed at the press conference, which he did not. So, voluntary gray area, forgetting or confirmation? The answer should not leak ... Moreover, as the use of PlayStation VR will require a Playstation 4, console sold 438 dollars approximately, the bill will rise for those who do not already have one.

In the end, Sony announced that the price of the headset will be a maximum recommended of 399 €.

An already sublime prototype

In prototype state, no one can deny that the design of this Japanese helmet is attractive in itself. It already turns out beautiful as a finished product. However, we do not know if its superficial side tried to hide a complexity of adjustment. In general, those who have tried it have noted that its handling is tricky. The adjustment of the head circumference and the level of advancement of the screens seem a little difficult without the help of others. It allows a natural immersion to the user. On the accessory side, for some games, keeping a controller in your hands is recommended. For others, Playstation Move controllers are required. If some players reported feeling dizzy or nauseous after taking an intensive Oculus Rift test, the PlayStation VR headset got much more positive feedback. The testers testified that they had optimized sensations as if they were actually in the game. Indeed, with the headset, the feeling of space in the virtual environment takes on its full meaning.

Experimentation phase for content

Sony was still very evasive in terms of content. At the Tokyo press conference, the firm presented a few demos, sequels and even spinoff games, such as the very surprising which boils down to a multi-person shooter set in the series universe. By the way, or even have been announced.
In addition, the PlayStation VR was only one topic during this conference decidedly very instructive. Indeed, the brand wanted to seduce developers to convince them to create games for its platform. However, Anton Mikhailov confirmed that the rules of the game will be differents before promoting asymmetrical gameplay since it is a matter of considering a gamer equipped with a headset and other joystick players. In short, he implied multiplayer game development depending on the model of which will have to be compatible with these virtual reality glasses. A trailer has even appeared on the internet. The future game Summer Lesson on PlayStation VR has indeed unveiled a little more its secrets by revealing some gameplay scenes. For fans, more information should reach you shortly, the game being testable at the Tokyo Game Show.

Virtual reality for the general public?

To get to the heart of the matter, a Director of Sony's Research and Development department named Richard Marks took over. According to him, the design of the PlayStation VR has a particular purpose: make him a mainstream object. Nevertheless, the success of this project will still result from the company's ability to meet 6 challenges mainly of a technical nature namely sound, sight, control, content, movement tracking and ease of use. handling.

For sound, it is an essential element in the user's immersion. Apart from realism, spatial precision is also essential. In the matter, equipped with 60 virtual speakers arranged all around the user, the PlayStation VR is able to simulate the human ear. It allows the user to precisely perceive the origin of a sound.

For the image, it is clear that high resolution as well as high frame rate are essential. However, we must not forget that Sony already has a solid experience in the optical field. This could therefore be an advantage that will make the difference.

To confirm the quality of this PlayStation VR virtual reality headset, it must have optimized motion tracking. To do this, Sony decided to use the same technology as that of PlayStation Move. But the firm used more suitable sensors: 360 degree rotation and 1000 Hertz. The helmet is also equipped with a accelerometer and gyroscope.

According to Sony's research and development teams, it is the precision of the control that is the most difficult part. It is a harder challenge to overcome. Within the virtual universe, the PlayStation Move which offers a usable space of 3 m3 will serve as a base for the controls.

The stated objective is to offer users a helmet which is very easy to handle. To do this, the firm's engineers avoid imposing tedious and repeated settings. Rather, they offer an approach. This makes it easy to remove and replace the helmet to move from one experience to the next smoothly. Otherwise, the design emphasizes comfort, and more particularly for repetitive or prolonged use.

About the proposed content, Sony intends to limit the use of headphones to video games. Indeed, the brand is already developing internally several projects related to these glasses (around 30 games) while attracting many external developers. In the meantime, she is doing the PlayStation 4 is the best place to make a grand entrance into the world of virtual reality.

Sony PlayStation VR: a social experience

To stand out from the competition, the Japanese firm relies on the multiplayer experience. In addition, she already has experience in multiplayer games. Its Sony PlayStation VR headset has a social screen feature that shares the screen signal with that of a television set. Thus, the experience will not only be lived by the one who equips the helmet but will also be shared with other people. And that's not all because these people will not necessarily be held as simple spectators. Asymmetric play foresees the possibility for them to interfere with the world in which evolves the wearer of the Sony virtual reality glasses.

Those who are not equipped with the headset will have less virtual experience, but will be able to visualize the same images as the one wearing the glasses. This would allow a better understanding vis-à-vis helmet users and thus a better social relationship between the different gamers.

Sony executives then seek solutions to optimize this involvement of other players around a single helmet. In the meantime, they are considering the development of several asymmetric multiplayer games that will facilitate the interaction between PlayStation VR players and other people. via a Dualshock and a television or using a smartphone and tablet application. As usual, the managers of the firm do not yet communicate information about these ideas.

But Sony is not, however, the only designer who wants to set out on this path involving other players. Several developers including those of the Oculus Rift are also in the process of developing asymmetric multiplayer games.. These new game systems are set to emerge constantly in the world of virtual reality. It is a market that must still expand in order to be able to be refined over time.

The headset, but not only: accessories for the PlayStation VR headset

At trade shows Sony attended, headphones weren't the only product that caught the eye. The firm also presented other demonstrations with accessories. Those who were there got to try out the game involving a prototype dummy gun topped with a PS Move. Oculus VR is betting on the Xbox One gamepad from Microsoft while Sony is turning to a different accessorization, even if the Dualshock controller will inevitably be there.

Multiplayer games for PlayStation VR

In addition to the demos designed by Sony developers, some have responded to the call made by the big firms. Several multiplayer games were then presented. Among them, many adapt well with the playstation vr headset. Here are a few examples:

The RIGS

During the presentation of the PlayStation VR prototype, the designer also presented RIGS. It is a multiplayer shooter developed by the studio of Guerrilla cambridge. It will be dedicated exclusively for the PS4 and will be also compatible with PlayStation VR headset. It is a game that opposes two teams of three players from each side and the wearer of the glasses will be the pilot of a mecha.

Beyond the multiplayer dimension, the firm also displays competitive ambitions with this game. In view of the current frenzy for electronic sport, it must serve as a framework at official tournaments. According to Andrew House, manager at Sony, we will have enough to imagine the concept.

The Deep

This is one of the first technical demos presented with PlayStation VR. It is an application which puts the user in a cage in the middle of the seabed. The exterior decor is made up of marine animals such as sharks. According to Sony officials, The Deep will not remain demo but will become a full-fledged game that will be presented to consumers.

World War Toons

This game colorful first-person multiplayer with authentic graphics will fit with PlayStation VR headsets but also with Oculus Rift. It is the company Reload Studio which develops it in collaboration with the franchise with Call of Duty. They have raised more than $ 2 million for their projects dedicated to virtual reality.

Job Simulator

Imagine a world where all of humanity would be deprived of work by more efficient and productive robots ? Would lovers of the open space and the coffee machine break also be transfixed with these brilliant activities?

Don't panic, the developers ofOwlchemy Labs, known for their keen sense of video game absurdity, have prevented this nightmarish situation with the launch of Job Simulator. Presented at the Playstation Experience, this game invites you to play an office worker, a cashier or even a chef to experience the typical days associated with these trades in total immersion.

However, do not expect must be a model employee : using the Playstation Move which will allow you to simulate your hands, you can give free rein to your imagination to disturb your colleagues in their tasks. So advice to amateurs or professionals of the paper ball throwing, This game is made for you !