Support NeoGAF

[dragonyeuw]

I don't think the current economy supports a $500 add-on to an existing $400-500 device, even if every first party title had a VR mode, BC with PSVR1 titles and the like. It would tick a few more boxes and garner a little more interest but nothing that exponentially moves the needle.

And to add to the above, we're over a year into this things life and people have had the opportunity to get a sense of how Sony is supporting it and well.....for me they haven't sold me on the device in that sense. I say this as a former PSVR1 owner( it broke a few years ago),and having owned a Rift, Quest 1 and currently Quest 3. The latter perfectly suits my needs for PCVR as well as its own standalone functionality.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Nah that would just result in jamming badly-implemented VR into games that weren’t designed for it. It’d probably make people even less interested in VR. Not to mention pointlessly adding development time/cost when those things are already totally out of control.


And what would Sony gain? I don’t think Sony gives a shit about VR. Sony doesn’t even want you to buy a PSVR2. They’d rather spend all their effort making regular “ass on couch” games.

PSVR2 isn’t here to push VR gaming. Sony were just hedging their bets so they’d have a VR product ready in case VR became the next big gaming trend. Now that we know the answer is “no” they’re going to let it die.

The way they've treated PSVR2 leads me to believe they looked at something like Meta Quest 2 blowing up during the lock downs a few years ago, and figured the market would be ripe for their own entry a few years later. But by 2023 the market had cooled off but too much R&D had gone into it, so they released it and hoped third parties would carry it. At the least they could have repurposed their own first party legacy PSVR1 content to bolster the lineup but nope....

 

[nemiroff]

I think VR will always remain niche until the hardware becomes as small and intuitive to wear as a pair of sunglasses.
I find AR far more intriguing tbh.

That's fair. Not trying to dispute anything. But niche can be good though, some of us don't need the masses to validate our experiences. The interesting thing about VR is that it has slowly become sort-of a standard for seated experiences like flight and racing simulations. And in this niche VR has been taking a different direction than what you'd expect: The best VR headsets coming out these days are wired, big and they are using bulky aspheric glass lenses instead of pancake lenses because it provides a superior experience (f.ex. pancake/fresnel lenses block up to 85% of the light from the panels vs ~10-15% for aspheric...) despite the form factor.

 

[Boss Mog]

I would say the exact opposite. Wasting dev time specifically for a VR exclusive is just dumb, with VR2 even more so. No VR-exclusive I played would not have been possible as a VR-too game. For VR1 having it in mind was probably not possible. But VR2 should have been in all games in some capacity. At very least a 3D cinema mode. Or using the VR-controllers without the headset, ie. like Move games- bring back motion gaming! You could even assign a button to make the camera move with a hand gesture, kinda simulating some head movement. Or whatever. But VR design does imho not really exist if you are clever.
Edit: I remember the Soma dev said something like the only thing stopping their game to get a VR patch was that some effects were done as a 2D layer so would not be easy to translate to true 3D, required for VR. Seemingly this work was too much to do. But exactly those decisions should be made at the beginning. Include VR in the whole thought process and minor things might need to change, but you get a lot more suitable games immediately, as when limiting yourself to some VR-only BS. Sony would have to do it themselves though and also ask (with money) everyone to do the same. Just hoping on support was not enough.

The aim with only exclusives is failing- since bascially only GT and RE are VR-too and are praised- so pretending that it is the right strategy is from a business perspective just delusional. VR-too might not have helped much. Pointless what if scenario, but imho the cheapest way to get more games, interest and sales on the failing platform would have been broad VR-too support. Even before PC-support, or VR1 ports, or untethered, or cheaper price.

You completely misinterpreted what I said. I never said making VR exclusive games was better. I said that you can't tack on a cheap VR mode to a non VR game if you want it to be good, you're gonna have to spend time and money on it . Sony probably decided it wasn't worth it to do that for their first party titles.

 

[Physiognomonics]

PSVR2 would have sold much better if it had exclusive content on it. Something at the same level of Half life Alyx would have helped it immensely. PSVR2 needed something big and new to the platform (like AstroBot was on PSVR1), not some cinematic experience ported from 2D console controls.

 

[KuraiShidosha]

No. Nothing at this point can make VR hit the same numbers as regular consoles and PC, not even if the headsets were a pair of sunglasses that have insane visual fidelity and FOV. VR as we know it will never be anything but a niche and at this point in the capitalist corporate world we live in, I'm not sure it will exist much longer either. Valve have abandoned it, HTC seems over it, and even the Facebook numbers don't add up and it's sinking the company. Apple put out a meme product and it did horribly. They'll probably never release another one (I expect to be wrong on this one but I'll laugh if I'm right.) And at the end of the day for us gamers, the lack of NEW content is the single biggest problem with VR. Where's the sequel to Alyx we were basically promised? Where's the AAA awesome adventure games that would go so well with this tech? Why isn't there anything more interesting than shitty indie games getting released? Because it isn't profitable and the publishers know it. It's a sinking ship just waiting for the last few bubbles trapped below deck to finally break free and let this thing rest on the ocean floor.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

It would have sold a lot more if every Sony studio made something for it.

Too easy, why even bother making your old stuff work either!

Sony~

You want games?

We'll hook you up with the PC at some point, pfft, whatever, get outta here.

 

[Deerock71]

 

[Dr. Suchong]

That's fair. Not trying to dispute anything. But niche can be good though, some of us don't need the masses to validate our experiences. The interesting thing about VR is that it has slowly become sort-of a standard for seated experiences like flight and racing simulations. And in this niche VR has been taking a different direction than what you'd expect: The best VR headsets coming out these days are wired, big and they are using bulky aspheric glass lenses instead of pancake lenses because it provides a superior experience (f.ex. pancake/fresnel lenses block up to 85% of the light from the panels vs ~10-15% for aspheric...) despite the form factor.

Validated reality.
Now that would be something

 

[Wonko_C]

Most people just don’t want to put a headset on often if at all.

Forcing devs to design and develop around shoehorning VR into every game would be a terrible idea. VR would remain niche while games would be harder to dev and potentially effect the experience for the vast amount of gamers who aren’t interested.

My reasoning here is that when coupled with enough attractive software, most of these people would find the extra effort to be worth it.

At least thats my personal situation. Yes it's more work than just taking a controller and sitting on your couch, but the experience is proportionally rewarding, like learning to ride a bicycle: It's a hassle and potentially dangerous, but once you learn to ride it's totally worth it.

 

[tr1p1ex]

PS5 seems to barely have games as it is.

VR hasn't exactly taken off as it is either.

And the thing is ~$500.

 

[Boss Man]

Speaking as someone who already bought it and loves VR:

Console VR must be wireless.

It’s true that it’s lacking games, but I never even got tired of Gran Turismo or No Man’s Sky in VR. I got tired of setting up the VR system when I just want to sit down and play video games.

Also, PSVR2 is a step down from PSVR in terms of comfort, and I think that’s absolutely unforgivable. The primary focus of console VR should be comfort and convenience.

The console VR experience should be like putting on a pair of these and pressing a button to turn the console on like it’s just another controller.

I know this doesn’t exist yet with PSVR2 performance and price, but that’s what PSVR3 has to be IMO and if it doesn’t come out for 10 years then so be it.

In order to be successful it also needs to be the price of an expensive add-on, not a whole new console. With a $499 console, the VR system should cost $349 if it hopes to be adopted.

As an enthusiast I’m grateful for PSVR2 since I enjoy VR and don’t play on PC, but I just don’t think VR is really ready for consoles.

 

[Shifty1897]

IM MY OPINION this is the only way PSVR2 would have ever worked as a major platform. If they came out and said every first and second party title would either have full PSVR2 compatibility or a bonus mode created around PSVR2, I would have bought one. The dev cost would be extreme but how else are you going to sell a console peripheral that is more than the base console.

 

[FF:Enhanced_Reality]

No, this isn't the way to go. I have a PSVR2 and other than Horizon, the problem is the software isn't there to sell it.

I would die happy with a remastered port of Silent Hill Shattered Memories for the system, but it'll never happen. I love rail shooters but games like House of the Dead and Time Crisis aren't coming to the device. Alien Isolation never came to PSVR1, a port to PSVR2 and PS5 remaster would be incredible but it won't happen because SEGA thought that, commercially, it was a failure. But the upcoming Alien title looks interesting, though I know fuck all about it.

I still get motion sick really easy and the PSVR2 tech has not helped that. To be honest with you, the tech has a long way to go. Motion sickness is one thing. But I want a proper mode where I can play any game on it, where the camera is the headset. I want to enjoy the whole world, I don't care about 3D (actually I'd rather turn it off) but to be able to use it as an all encompassing projector screen would be incredible for games and media.

I just can't see it taking off now. I don't think there'll be a 3.

 

[Katatonic]

There's already a reasonable amount of of games for it including some heavy hitters with more announced so I don't really don't get the "it has no games" thing. I also don't think the wire is an issue.

IMO, the main issue is motion sickness caused by VR in general. Most people will have to build up their VR legs in order to enjoy it and most people ain't got time for that. At first, I couldn't play GT7 without instantly getting nauseous. My gf who loves rollercoasters and such had an easier time adjusting. It took me weeks before I could play without issues. They can make every single game VR and it will still be niche because of this. For most people, you gotta really want to use VR in order to overcome it's hurdles. Still worth it imo.

 

[EverydayBeast]

I advise console manufacturers to bundle vr with their consoles but that’s not how it works, but Wii provided its gimmick out of the box, discovering an accessory after the purchase doesn’t work.