Hardware & Technical The Sony VR Headset discussion thread

[Tom Sloman]

if there has been no official mention of plans to make PS4 Elite by May the 4th or Gamma release, then maybe I will consider getting a PC.

What are you talking about???? There HAS been an official mention. You've been told this already, even right in this very thread. They are NOT making ED for PS4. REPEAT, NOT MAKING IT. That's the OFFICIAL word. They have stated that once "the time is right" they will LOOK at other platforms. I expect it will come out one day, if the licensing isn't stupid and the hardware could offer a reasonable experience compared to the PC version, but don't hold your breath. That's likely several years away.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/fro...ringing-elite-dangerous-to-next-gen-consoles/

But I would have to insist on it being a complete system (not monitor) for £329 (cheapest I have seen PS4 at sale). It would have to be at least 3tflops of performance. Have 3GB+ of GDDR5. And AMD mantle or Directx 12 optimisation.

Now you're just being pedantic and making yourself look like a complete fool (or is that "tool", not sure). You are spouting off specs from a sheet that you clearly don't even understand, without even knowing why you want them. You originally stated your aim was to play ED, now you have changed it to matching a certain spec with no mention of what you want it for. Of course, there's no doubt AT ALL that an upper mid-range PC WILL BE BETTER for ED than a PS4. No question.

If you just want to match PURELY ON PRICE ONLY, as you appear to have totally changed your orientation to do, then you still will be better off on PC. But PRICE ONLY, okay... You need to add your first 20 PS4 games to the price, as well as the cheap office laptop for checking your emails and browsing, etc. for a reasonable total cost of ownership.

So, add up your PS4, cheap computer for other tasks and your first 20 PS4 games, OR add up a mid-range PC and 20 steam sale games, which is cheaper?

I am not saying to people don't buy the PS4. It's a great sounding machine and will certainly suit many people for their needs. But in terms of purely playing ED? No. In terms of purely total cost of ownership? No. And it's just ridiculous to keep ignoring everyone over and over and repeating the same old tired nonsense that isn't true.

 

[Sir.Tj]

Ok folks, I've left this thread to see if it went back on topic, the discussion is about the Sony VR not when or if ED will be released on other mediums.

This thread has seriously been derailed. Please get back on topic and stay there.

Thanks.

 

[Tom Sloman]

Ok folks, I've left this thread to see if it went back on topic, the discussion is about the Sony VR not when or if ED will be released on other mediums.

This thread has seriously been derailed. Please get back on topic and stay there.

Thanks.

To be fair, the thread was specifically about ED and whether frontier will support the Sony VR, when it was still thought possible there would be Windows support for the headset.

We've since had the announcement which, while it didn't preclude PC support, and even indicated it may come in the future, firmly set the current development focus on PS4 only and we've been told roughly what spec they are aiming for with it.

So, as far as supporting ED with the Sony VR goes, it's moot for now, as there is no current plans for convergence between the Sony VR and ED, but both those limitations may change down the road.

All around, it's probably good news for VR and good news for ED, regardless of any distractions and FUD from a certain poster.

 

[Frank]

I can't help feeling that there's a parallel here; the way the GamesCorps responded when they saw that the Wii motion tracker was popular.

Does anyone know if Microsoft's got any VR plans? Surely it would be quite a coup if the XBOne supported the Occulus Rift? Two platforms are better than One.

 

[Beachlight7]

Does anyone know if Microsoft's got any VR plans? Surely it would be quite a coup if the XBOne supported the Occulus Rift? Two platforms are better than One.

Sony VR isnt competing against 2v1. Oculus have said they are not supporting consoles. Microsoft are looking at their own system to compete with Sony VR.

 

[jabokai]

Sony VR isnt competing against 2v1. Oculus have said they are not supporting consoles. Microsoft are looking at their own system to compete with Sony VR.

I haven't read anything about Microsoft looking at VR but they'd be utterly mad not to. However, with the XBone being even weaker than the PS4 they've got to be considering other options, as much as it would annoy current XBone users, like an uprated XBone or something.

With Oculus now flat out stating that the resolution of CV1 will be better than DK2 (which is 1080p) and the refresh will be higher (up to 75Hz in DK2) there seems no way that the raw XBone could pull it off so I doubt a partnership between MS and Oculus could be on the cards. Again, unless MS do something major to/with the XBone.

 

[Slawkenbergius]

Doesn't Microsoft have another platform they could develop VR for?

 

[Frank]

I haven't read anything about Microsoft looking at VR but they'd be utterly mad not to. However, with the XBone being even weaker than the PS4 they've got to be considering other options, as much as it would annoy current XBone users, like an uprated XBone or something.

With Oculus now flat out stating that the resolution of CV1 will be better than DK2 (which is 1080p) and the refresh will be higher (up to 75Hz in DK2) there seems no way that the raw XBone could pull it off so I doubt a partnership between MS and Oculus could be on the cards. Again, unless MS do something major to/with the XBone.

Microsoft really are in a hard place. At the moment it's not easy to see the difference in the quality of the two consoles but VR will magnify that quite a bit. If they don't do VR people will say that's it because the XBOne's not powerful enough. If they do do VR then people will KNOW that the XBOne's not powerful enough

Are the programmers working on tricks like not using the full number of pixels on the display, or some technique to blur the less important peripheral pixels?

 

[Asp Explorer]

In all honesty - the XB1 has problems driving a single 1080 display, I cannot see it pushing enough pixels to make any VR solution feel immersive.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

I guess it would be completely impractcal for a couple of years but as the tec comes down in price i wonder if they could do a plug in - sort of like a superFX chip for the snes for VR use (maybe even game use?)

the way MS and sony dealt with multiscreen setups was to use multiple consoles and multiple copies of the game.

Obviously this is madness for jo average, but, I guess you dont need multiple dvd drives, and with so much memory on the consoles, perhaps a plug in which was essentially just the APU in a box, then the console could run 1 "eye" of the headset and the plug in could run the other eye.

I could probably also be used for twin screen gaming.

Just a thought, it would be 1 way to try to get around the weak specs of the consoles. (though obviously negates any price advantage the console has over pc)

(how this would hook up to the unit however I have no idea. I guess it would have taken some forward thinking in designing the console which I have seen no evidence so far). So now i have typed all that, i think i have just talked myself out of it being a possiblilty!!!

 

[Rog]

Within the lives of the current 'next-gen' consoles (10 years?), it is very likely that cpu/gpu advances will enable all the processing power necessary to provide VR to be embedded in the headsets themselves.

True untethered high-res, low lag VR.

 

[Beachlight7]

New Sony console expected 2018/2019.
What Sony should be planing is over specifying the Morpheus display so it can be used on PS5. This way would maintain its competition with Oculus.

 

[NeilF]

New Sony console expected 2018/2019.
What Sony should be planing is over specifying the Morpheus display so it can be used on PS5. This way would maintain its competition with Oculus.

Seems strange to predict technology 4/5 years from now? Screens are going to be 4/8 time higher resolution by then etc! ie: The Morpheus on the PS5 will not be the same as coming out soon.

 

[Beachlight7]

But it would be reasonable for Sony to make a 1440p display for Morpheus if the cost is not too much more, as it would offer some future proofing. Better than none.

Sony may do Morpheus 2, but at least v1 owners would be "ok" on a PS5, full compatibility and 1440p instead of 1080p on PS4. Same goes for having the Morpheus display capable of higher than 60hz.
I think the Sony and Oculus displays will be very similar.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

surely with the price of tech feefalling as it does, it would be mental to add tech into the V1 of the sony VR with a view of maybe supporting it in the future.
It will push the price of this iteration up for ps4 owners, and offer them no benefit.

in 5 years time what ever they release now will be obsolete, so I reckon it makes sense to release the best that the current hardware can support now, and then do a V2.0 when the ps5 comes out.

I suspect Sony will do with VR this gen what MS did with kinect last gen.

 

[NeilF]

But it would be reasonable for Sony to make a 1440p display for Morpheus if the cost is not too much more, as it would offer some future proofing. Better than none.

Sony may do Morpheus 2, but at least v1 owners would be "ok" on a PS5, full compatibility and 1440p instead of 1080p on PS4. Same goes for having the Morpheus display capable of higher than 60hz.
I think the Sony and Oculus displays will be very similar.

Agreed... But you can't help but feel assuming technology will still be applicable in 4-5 years seems odd.

In 4-5 years new displays may be available. Or indeed new hardware/chips to improve the experience.

 

[Rog]

New Sony console expected 2018/2019.
What Sony should be planing is over specifying the Morpheus display so it can be used on PS5. This way would maintain its competition with Oculus.

Got a link for the new console statement? How do you feel about your intended PS4 purchase while at the same time you're saying it's doomed to the knackers yard and Sony are already planning on replacing it?

What happened to the hardware magically upgrading as time goes on?

Anyway, Oculus and Sony are not in competition: Sony VR is PS4 only, Oculus is everything other than consoles.

There is no competition, no need for tribalism, everybody wins.

 

[Beachlight7]

It does magically upgrade over time. Through software, its brilliant and free.
New hardware every 5-6 years is a good time to re-invest a modest amount into getting better generational gap games. Since the 90's I have been getting consoles that get replaced, that is normal and expected why would I be disappointed? I look forward to the PS5 just as much as the PS4.

http://www.totalxbox.com/67214/the-xbox-two-and-ps5-should-arrive-by-2018-2019-says-ea-boss/




There is official competition with Oculus, Sony have stated this on record. They have said it is friendly.

You seem to think a person is born to either have a PC or PS4, and you think there is nothing you can do to change this? If Sony markets a great product, someone who may have gone for a PC and Oculus Rift, maybe persuaded to get a PS4 and Morpheus instead, Sony takes market share of VR, that is simple business competition.

 

[Asp Explorer]

People are born to choose as they please from whichever platform they desire that fits their needs, budget and preference. No one platform is better than any other, it's all a matter of taste.

Fanboyism of any flavour is simply silly and just reeks of playground puerility.

If the Sony VR is any good I might get one. If the Rift is any good I might get one. I'm not going to pick one and scream nonsense about the other because I don't have it.

 

[Tony Spaniels]

You seem to think a person is born to either have a PC or PS4, and you think there is nothing you can do to change this? If Sony markets a great product, someone who may have gone for a PC and Oculus Rift, maybe persuaded to get a PS4 and Morpheus instead, Sony takes market share of VR, that is simple business competition.

And visa versa

I disagree there. Its quite expensive for most to have both console and pc I would have thought. I would think Sony owners will end up getting the Sony VR, while pc owners will end up getting the Oculus for their pc. If there are people who have a PS4 and a pc then I'd say in the end the deciding factor will be which has the best VR experience.

People who dont have a pc nor a PS4 and and who are coming in from outside and arent really gamers would probably want the best vr experience for the size their wallet, and thats where you'll find the most competition. Although if Oculus release the CV1 before Sony they could take a large bite out of the that marketshare.

However I would imagine if they arent really gamers then they wouldnt mind also having a pc to play with as well, as opposed to a games console which before then they werent interested in owning (PS4 or XBone or otherwise).

But ultimately the majority of console owners will stick to the console based vr kit while the majority of pc owners will stick to the pc based vr imo.

All pure fun speculation of course!