playstationvr
Latest
Sony's 'Driveclub VR' is a PlayStation VR launch title
Sony will release a virtual reality version of Driveclub just in time for the launch of its PlayStation VR platform on October 13th. Driveclub VR will feature new tracks, including a city one (pictured above) and let players view vehicles from multiple angles while they trade paint. The news came on Sony's Japanese site, so it's not yet known if it will arrive with the PSVR in other territories (the blog post has now been pulled, so it may have been published prematurely). Interestingly, other details were tweeted by Paul "Rushy" Rustchynsky, a developer for Codemasters.
PSVR's 'cinematic mode' boasts a virtual 226-inch screen
No matter how big your TV might be, a movie theater screen will likely always be bigger. But with PlayStation VR you can simulate up to a 226-inch display using the headset's Cinematic Mode. Cinematic Mode, of course, is the feature that'll allow you to play traditional PlayStation 4 games without taking the helmet off. It's a bit like the virtual desktop apps we've seen with Oculus and Vive. A post on the Japanese PlayStation Blog outlines how it all works.
Jesus is coming... to virtual reality
Producers have been fretting about how to do feature films in VR, because the format doesn't lend itself to traditional Hollywood techniques. However, it's about to be used on one of the best-known tales of all time for Jesus VR -- the Story of Christ, slated to arrive in Christmas, 2016, according to Variety. The 360-degree, 4K film will work on all major VR platforms, including the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear and PlayStation VR. Produced by Autumn Products and VRWERX, it'll tell the story of Christ's life from baptism to crucifixion.
Intense music game 'Thumper' is a PlayStation VR launch title
Chalk up one more game available day and date alongside PlayStation VR. Drool has revealed that Thumper, its PSVR "rhythm hell" music title, will launch in sync with the headset on October 13th at a reasonable $20 price. As the developers put it, this isn't just a 2D game with virtual reality slapped on top. While regular TV gaming is an option, Thumper is built to create an "overwhelming sense of speed" when you're wearing PSVR. In short: if you take breaks, it may be less about VR queasiness and more about needing a respite from the game's relentless pace.
Last PlayStation VR pre-orders start on June 30th
Did you miss out on the first round of PlayStation VR pre-orders, but remain determined to get Sony's virtual reality headset on launch day? You have one last (official) chance to make it happen. Sony has reiterated that its final wave of American PSVR pre-orders starts on June 30th at 10AM Eastern, when you can snag the PS4 wearable through GameStop's website. The company is promising that stores will have units on release should you miss out, but let's be honest -- if you're an early adopter, you probably don't want to risk going VR-free come October 13th.
The 'Burnout' successor from Criterion Games is no more
Electronic Arts' E3 keynote last week featured an awful lot of soccer (football to the rest of the world), Battlefield and Titanfall, but no word on how developer Criterion's post-Burnout racing game was coming. That's because the team is occupying different pastures, according to GameSpot. An EA spokesperson tells the publication that the studio has "moved on from the previous project they've spoken about and aren't pursuing it." It was teased at E3 2014 during the company's media briefing and never heard about since.
'Batman Arkham VR' put me inside the Batsuit
Telltale wasn't the only developer that brought Batman to E3 this year: The folks at Rocksteady Studios packed the Dark Knight into their suitcases as well. Batman Arkham VR was a surprise reveal at Sony's keynote earlier this week and drew a huge round of applause when it appeared onstage. Once I strapped on a PlayStation VR headset (it's a timed exclusive to the platform this October), I could tell why the team worked so hard to keep it a secret.
E3 was secretly terrible for the future of virtual reality
After years of being teased with prototypes, developer kits and tech demos, it's finally happening: Virtual reality is on the cusp of going mainstream. Need evidence? Just look at the events of E3 2016. Over the past week, the first VR headset for a home console got a release date, and we caught a glimpse of virtual reality games from popular franchises like Star Wars, Final Fantasy and Batman. Better still, pretty much every major player in the industry (save for Nintendo) promised to support VR in 2017. On the surface, things are looking amazing. Dig a little deeper, though, and the situation just might be terrible.
'Tekken 7' is built for spectacle and spectators
The Tekken series has now reached its seventh major iteration. It's already in arcades, but at E3 2016, Bandai Namco confirmed an early 2017 launch date for both Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The game has evolved to include a gentler learning curve, more cinematic scenes blended into the story mode, as well as adding slow-down to those nail-biting final moments to make them all the sweeter. Oh, and a certain street fighter called Akuma. We asked Katsuhiro Harada, the outspoken producer of Tekken to explain the changes -- as well as the challenges of combining a pedigree fighting series with virtual reality.
'Here They Lie' made a nightmare feel safe on PlayStation VR
The advantage that horror video games have over movies is that you're an active participant in what's happening; you make what happens onscreen that much scarier. But playing these games in virtual reality instead of a 2-D screen is a different proposition: The display is on your face, and in the case of PlayStation VR, costs $400. Ripping the headset off and reflexively throwing it to the ground out of fright is going to be a very expensive mistake. That's why the team at Tangentlemen is taking a different approach for Here They Lie, a psychological thriller drawing from directors Stanley Kubrick and Terry Gilliam, and films like It Follows and Jacob's Ladder for inspiration.
'Resident Evil 7' in VR is a sweaty, puke-inducing masterpiece
I nearly tossed my cookies in the middle of Sony's media lounge at E3, while hosting a Facebook Live stream and playing Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on PlayStation VR. This wasn't a case of Nerd Flu or a bout of food poisoning -- I finally experienced the notorious curse known as VR sickness. For years I've been drifting from headset to headset without a care in the world, content in the knowledge that I didn't get nauseated while playing games in virtual reality. I'd read about people feeling queasy after playing Elite: Dangerous or Project Cars, but I never fully understood why it was such a big deal. Couldn't these people just chug some Pepto Bismol and get on with their immersive gaming experiences? Where did all these weak-stomached crybabies come from anyway? Crybabies, consider this my formal apology, courtesy of PS VR and Resident Evil 7.
PlayStation VR launches Oct. 13th
We already knew PlayStation VR was releasing in October, but now we know exactly when: Oct. 13th -- at least in North America. The headset will cost $400, but that doesn't include the PlayStation Camera, which retails at $60, or Move controllers (you can just use your DualShock, which is also motion-tracked via its lightbar if you have a Camera). Sony has promised 50 games will support the system by the end of the year. Follow all the news from E3 2016 here.
The first 'Star Trek' VR game arrives this fall
If you're a Star Trek fan, the odds are that your dream game (outside of a Holodeck) involves helming a starship as if you were really on the bridge. Well, you're about to get your wish: Ubisoft has teased Star Trek: Bridge Crew, the sci-fi series' first-ever virtual reality game. The title is set in JJ Abrams' Star Trek universe, and has you taking on the captain, engineer, helm or tactical stations of the remarkably Enterprise-like starship Aegis as it resettles what's left of the Vulcan population. Think of it as a very sophisticated VR version of Spaceteam -- you have to coordinate with the rest of your crew to explore the galaxy and fight off enemies.
The PSVR expansion to 'Volume' will debut at E3
Mike Bithell, the developer behind Volume and Thomas Was Alone announced a PlayStation VR expansion to the former last year. With E3 fast approaching, he's now ready to show the fruits of his labor to the masses.
Sony adds 'Tethered' to its PlayStation VR launch lineup
A gaming company called Secret Sorcery Towers has revealed that its lovely-looking Tethered will be one of the launch titles for Sony's Playstation VR. The company says it was influenced by Studio Ghibli animated films, and the game certainly has a delightfully quirky look, judging by the (pre-alpha) video, below. "We've been working with an incredibly talented concept artist called Espen ... and our art team have been tirelessly replicating his incredible concept pieces and bringing them to life in VR," the studio says.
'Ghost in the Shell' VR movie won't reach your phone
We have bad news if you were hoping to live out your anime dreams and watch a Ghost in the Shell VR movie on your phone: it's not going to happen. Production IG has revealed that Virtual Reality Diver will only be shown in 31 internet cafés across the Kanto region (Tokyo, Yokohama and nearby areas) this May. Reportedly, it just became too big and ambitious to offer as a mobile app. That's somewhat understandable given its 15-minute length (a 360-degree clip that long is going to chew up a lot of space), but it's bound to be frustrating if you were hoping to return to the classic series on a mobile VR headset.
Mayo Clinic might have the cure for VR motion sickness
Virtual reality systems are doing an awful lot to prevent nausea, but the fact still remains that some folks are going to get sick no matter how high the content's frame rate is or how low the latency. But Mayo Clinic might have a solution, Fast Company reports. The hospital has developed algorithms that, when paired with galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS), can trick the brain into syncing what you're seeing in VR with physical stimulation within a tenth of a second.
Pre-order your PlayStation VR core bundle at 10AM ET
Already have the camera and controllers you need to make full use of PlayStation VR? Your moment is at hand: as of 10AM Eastern Time today, March 29th, you can pre-order the PlayStation VR core system ahead of its October launch. Plunk down $400 and you'll get the headset, a demo disc and nothing else. Sony has warned that hardware is likely to sell out quickly, so you'll probably want to move fast if you're bent on trying the PlayStation 4's VR experience as quickly as possible.
Sony is open to bringing PlayStation VR to PCs
PlayStation VR is one of the more affordable advanced virtual reality headsets hitting stores, but it has a big catch: you need to own a PS4 (and a PlayStation Camera) to use it. What if you'd just like to try it with your computer instead? You may well get that chance. According to a translation of a Nikkei interview with Sony's Masayasu Ito, the company is "considering plans" to let you use PlayStation VR with a PC. After all, he says, the PS4 and PCs share similar parts (namely, similar processor and graphics architectures) -- it wouldn't be a big stretch to support both.
Pre-order the $400 PlayStation VR 'core' bundle March 29th
Despite Sony saying last week that its $400 PlayStation Virtual Reality headset wouldn't go up for pre-order, here we are hours before the $500 "Launch" bundle's pre-orders go live with news of when the cheaper, headline-grabbing bundle will be available for reservation. Phew. Come Tuesday, March 29th at 10 AM Eastern Sony says you can put your name on the list for the PlayStation VR core bundle at "participating retailers."
