PSVR

[Airwave]

I bought my PSVR before ED launch in hope that ED would support it at some point. PlayStation had a long wait for ED after the X-Box launch of the game. After 2 years I thought maybe they are adding PSVR for the PlayStation release. PSVR owners know and accept reductions in quality, that is not a reason to not do PSVR.

 

[iadesdragon]

Don't forget you also need a steady 60 FPS for those two images (which PSVR 'upscales' to 90 fps IIRC). My PS4 rarely hits 60 fps in ED, and it's not uncommon for it to dip to 20 or even 15 fps at times.

Sony DEMANDS you do a steady 60 FPS in VR because it is common understanding that a framerate well beyond what your brain handle and especially a steady one will reduce the effect of motion sickness. Not to long ago everybody was happy if he even had 30fps stable on any PC and a lot of people cried I need 60 to reduce my motion sickness ( yes in these times wenn first person shooters had been exiting stuff like VR a lot of people got motion sick! ) bit guess y either stopped playing or got used to it

i really prefer a solid 30-40 FPS over peaking 10-60.... no matter if in VR or not

 

[iadesdragon]

I think we need to be patient for quit a while since the Port to PS4 is different compared to XBox. The Dev’s had to add support for GNM and PSSL as well since Orbis OS does not feature DIrectX wich is the common graphics API for PC/Xbox. As can be seen on the OSX Version of Elite usually the early ports only support features of the API that are somewhat similar on all versions. For Optimum performance it would be recommended to use GNMX on the PlayStation but as with Metal on OSX this is more of a Bare Metal Interface wich is a lot ore complicated to use then GNM wich has it’s similarities to OpenGL / DIrectX.

on this end all of us should be lucky that FDev confirmed another demanding game for the PS4 wich will add resources to the Cobra porting Team that will eventually be responsible to optimize the performane for thenPS4 platform in general.

For VR support itself live is similar complicated. On PC all rendered Images have to be process trough the API of the Google as well ( lens correction algorithm ) and the feedback has to be computed also ( head tracking etc. ) wich has different API’s as well ( wich seems to be quite a pain with PSVR )

Hardware performance wise, if you add in all factors doing VR is not that much harder ( extra calculations and rendering overhead will be compensated by reduced resolution tomquit some extend ) so most of the pefromence that might be missing is in the API’s and Graphic portion of the Game engine. Even with a team of 70+ developers on Elite I would guess that only like 5-10 are actually working on the hardware support for Cobra on PS4 ( Wich we all know has it’s issues ) once they have soreted that out we can hope that a small portion of that team is able to look into the VR porting as well.

Other VR games on the PSVR usually use a Cross Platform Game engine like Unity or Unreal or CryEngine. These are developed by companies that have the primary intention to sell the engine so they have the pressure to get VR done right by not only one but a dozen of actual and upcoming games.

Another Example (bad one) is WarThunder. Same thing, small company, one product, PS4 Port from PC. Graphics Performance on he PS4 lags as well as the game does not really support the hardware well. VR promised for PSVR release but still... nothing! To many to does on their list...

But given that Elite is one of if not “the” reference for VR Gameing in generall i’m Positiv VR support is quit high on David’s To do

this been said I personally would be more than willing to buy a special VR Add On for Elite on PS4 even if it’s as expensive as the base game just to support then Development!

 

[glasgow-space-cadet]

look, lets get one thing straight before i start, i love psvr, i love all vr, it really is the future of gaming, and i cannot tell you how jealous i am with people lucky enough to have a rift and super-charged PC to play elite in VR, but............ we should be honest with ourselves. PSVR just makes it and no more, it is literally making the basic grade and no more than that.(i dont class mobile VR as VR just bull, i am talking full on, max expierience) have any of you played a VR game on a high end VR PC, then played it on a PS4? errrmmm the differences are just too much. arizona sunshine is just one that comes to mind recently, it like going from a ps4 game to a ps2 game, yes yes, i am still immersed in the expierence but it looks like crap, and because i know what it CAN look like from the PC version, it just ruins it for me.

people say about battlefront and the cod mission or even eve etc, they look great, but this is only being pulled off because they are so short, psvr simply could not handle a full game at that level. i can assure you, no one wants elite in VR more than me, but i do not want a dumbed down version, that looks like crap and it basically a fraction of the base game. why would you want that? just because it could "maybe" be done does not mean that it should. i am afraid we will not and should not see psvr elite this gen, it should be strictly done next gen with ps5 and psvr2 where it can be done properly and without limitations.

It is possibly not as bad as this but similar, when i was a kid, i used to love playing double dragon, shinobi, final fight in my local arcade, i then went home and loaded up the same games on my zx spectrum 128k, it was the same games, but not the same experience, it was a poor mans version, a shadow version. i cannot tell you how sad that used to make me feel , elite and other high end titles like gta5 would be the same on psvr(not as bad, but the feeling would be the same)

 

[iadesdragon]

people say about battlefront and the cod mission or even eve etc, they look great, but this is only being pulled off because they are so short, psvr simply could not handle a full game at that level.

are you aware that this is absolute technical nonsense? It can handle a twenty Minutes Level but note one that is longer then that? If you fly more then some hundred clicks without a border it will freeze? What do your expect to happen? The PSVR starts burnign? I played Robinson’s for hours without pause rest assured it does not start to burn nor does the graphcis degrade all of a sudden or the PS4 overheats or whatever you are thinking of.

if I understood it right you are walking to work because you where allowed to sit in a Ferrari once but cannot afford one? Having an BMW M5 would not do because you know the Ferrari is better? Pardon me if I do not get the point

Unreal VR E3 Award this year, by the way did go to...

[video=youtube_share;k-yHN1x-syY]https://youtu.be/k-yHN1x-syY[/video]


looking forward to this one

good games, no matter if VR or not, do not go along then rails of hardware you know...

and if if you are comparing stuff do not mix apple with pears, take the same game and compare that on the different platforms... you might be surprised

https://www.polygon.com/2016/4/22/11487114/playstation-vr-eve-valkyrie

 

[Steve Zodiac]

I feel like we're all shouting at a brick wall here.

The reason we're all on here speculating about the possibility of PSVR support is due to the fact that Frontier said that it was something they were looking into. If they hadn't said that, and if Mr Braben hadn't followed up with a similarly vague comments on the subject, we wouldn't be arguing about whether Elite on PSVR is even possible.

So it seems to me that the questions that are in need of answering are as follows:

1: Is it even possible to get it running on PSVR at a sufficient quality?
2: How much work would be needed to get it running on PSVR at a sufficient quality?
3: Is there enough incentive for Frontier to do the work to get it running on PSVR at a sufficient quality?

We don't know the answers to these questions, only frontier do.

So, this is my impassioned plea to Frontier: For the sake of all our sanities - PLEASE can you provide some kind of clarification on your statements regarding PSVR support? As I've said before, we will completely understand if it's not happing - you don't even need to tell us why. But it sucks to be kept in the dark like this, and given what you've said thus far, we're all more than a little frustrated by the lack of further information on the subject.

 

[Star Tsar]

​Forget VR for now for it does not even run correctly on base standard hardware ie PS4!!!

 

[Old Duck]

​Forget VR for now for it does not even run correctly on base standard hardware ie PS4!!!

Agreed

 

[Steve Zodiac]

​Forget VR for now for it does not even run correctly on base standard hardware ie PS4!!!

*Sigh*

We KNOW its a demanding game and a non trivial matter to run in VR at a sufficient level of quality. You may well be of the opinion that it's never going to happen - and you're welcome to that opinion.

But the actual developer of the game has said that they are looking into it. And so, there are those of us that are gonna need something more substantive than a suggestion from some forum user that we should "forget it" because they reckon it doesn't run correctly.

With all due respect, you don't have access the necessary information to make this statement. Unless you know something we don't?

 

[Brother Sabathius]

It would be interesting to see how well Elite would run on the PS4, if the graphics were set to Low.

I recently got a VR headset on PC, and since my machine is not far above the minimum spec, I wasn't sure if it would work very well. Surprisingly though, it is OK when run on VR Low quality settings (instead of high/ultra that I usually use). Part of the problem, I feel, is Sony. It would probably be easier to get PSVR to work on the PS4 Pro, but Sony won't let you do that, it has to work on all PS4s or you aren't doing it.

Graphics quality would need to be right down at Low, and as others have said, it needs to be running at 60fps as consistently as possible (FR drops are HORRIBLE in VR), but even that low detail level is amazing in VR. The immersion level goes off the chart and I don't really notice the reduced detail until I go down to a planet. It's something that I really hope FD can make happen, because it's awesome!

 

[Steve Zodiac]

It would be interesting to see how well Elite would run on the PS4, if the graphics were set to Low.

I recently got a VR headset on PC, and since my machine is not far above the minimum spec, I wasn't sure if it would work very well. Surprisingly though, it is OK when run on VR Low quality settings (instead of high/ultra that I usually use). Part of the problem, I feel, is Sony. It would probably be easier to get PSVR to work on the PS4 Pro, but Sony won't let you do that, it has to work on all PS4s or you aren't doing it.

Graphics quality would need to be right down at Low, and as others have said, it needs to be running at 60fps as consistently as possible (FR drops are HORRIBLE in VR), but even that low detail level is amazing in VR. The immersion level goes off the chart and I don't really notice the reduced detail until I go down to a planet. It's something that I really hope FD can make happen, because it's awesome!

Indeed. Sony (understandably) doesn't want to split their user base, so unfortunately everything has to work to a reasonable degree on the base PS4. We're stuck with that for the moment.

But even taking that into account, one of the most impressive early experiences I've had with my PSVR headset (running on a base PS4) is Battlezone - the graphics of which could be described as very low detail (the tanks you're fighting are low poly texture-less shapes), but it doesn't really matter due to the immersion of VR; it's still fun as hell and it still looks great.

Whilst I can fully appreciate that the simulation that is happening in the background of Elite Dangerous is far more complicated than anything that is going on in Battlezone, I think it still illustrates that high detail textures and 3d models are not necessarily vital to create a sufficient level of immersion. Providing the display resolution and the framerate are good enough, you can still get a feeling of presence – even if the graphics themselves look like they fell straight out of the 80’s.

And as I've said before, whilst I don't know the first thing about game development, I am aware that there are plenty of tricks and workarounds that clever developers can utilise to get things running at a suitable clip. I for one would be happy enough playing Elite in VR with flat shaded primitive shapes for ships if that's what it takes. I grew up playing Elite on the Acorn Electron for heaven’s sake.

But again, all I’m trying to say here is that our ongoing speculation is just that; speculation. At some point, we really need someone from Frontier to come out and tell us what’s up. Hopefully one day, perhaps not too far in the future, they will.

Fingers still crossed!

 

[Star Tsar]

*Sigh*

We KNOW its a demanding game and a non trivial matter to run in VR at a sufficient level of quality. You may well be of the opinion that it's never going to happen - and you're welcome to that opinion.

But the actual developer of the game has said that they are looking into it. And so, there are those of us that are gonna need something more substantive than a suggestion from some forum user that we should "forget it" because they reckon it doesn't run correctly.

With all due respect, you don't have access the necessary information to make this statement. Unless you know something we don't?

Mr Zodiac it makes most sense to ensure this fine game can run correctly on the bog standard PS4 first then implement VR! No?

 

[Steve Zodiac]

Mr Zodiac it makes most sense to ensure this fine game can run correctly on the bog standard PS4 first then implement VR! No?

Mr Tsar, I agree that Frontier should try their hardest to get this fine game running as "correctly" as possible (whatever your definition of "correctly" is) on the bog standard PS4. And so rather than simply "forgetting it" (as you suggested we should do in your previous post) perhaps we should wait for someone who knows what they are talking about to shed a little light on the current PSVR situation.

I'm glad we agree!

 

[YoBuck]

Mr Zodiac it makes most sense to ensure this fine game can run correctly on the bog standard PS4 first then implement VR! No?

Its never been perfect on PC either but the VR is still there and a great experience.

 

[Old Duck]

To make everyone happy, the process of bringing ED to PSVR would very likely improve 'base' PS4 experience. This is one of the reasons I hope Frontier can bring 4K to PS4 Pro, because even though I don't own a Pro or 4K TV, I believe that whatever optimizations they make to the base code will likely improve the experience my a PS4 Slim as well.

 

[YoBuck]

To make everyone happy, the process of bringing ED to PSVR would very likely improve 'base' PS4 experience. This is one of the reasons I hope Frontier can bring 4K to PS4 Pro, because even though I don't own a Pro or 4K TV, I believe that whatever optimizations they make to the base code will likely improve the experience my a PS4 Slim as well.

Question Duck: why does the pro hold no interest for you?
off topic but asking as I've seen you say this before. Is it a value for money/upgrading thing?
for me I upgraded and am happy I did, not trying to get you to go for it. Just genuinely interested as to why you are happy on the slim?

 

[Old Duck]

Question Duck: why does the pro hold no interest for you?
off topic but asking as I've seen you say this before. Is it a value for money/upgrading thing?
for me I upgraded and am happy I did, not trying to get you to go for it. Just genuinely interested as to why you are happy on the slim?

Originally the Pro was marketed for people who want 4K, but I'm very happy with my current 1080p display. Most games I play on my Slim look amazing, so right now the only reason I would buy a Pro is so ED can look better, and I'm not ready to spend $400 on ED.

There is also the issue of power consumption (which is a big deal for me), so I'm waiting and hoping that Sony eventually releases a PS4 Pro Slim at a reduced price someday. Then I might upgrade

ps - I picked up my Slim around this time last year (Black Friday) for about $200, which is half the price of the Pro. Yeah, I pinch pennies, too.

 

[YoBuck]

Originally the Pro was marketed for people who want 4K, but I'm very happy with my current 1080p display. Most games I play on my Slim look amazing, so right now the only reason I would buy a Pro is so ED can look better, and I'm not ready to spend $400 on ED.

There is also the issue of power consumption (which is a big deal for me), so I'm waiting and hoping that Sony eventually releases a PS4 Pro Slim at a reduced price someday. Then I might upgrade

ps - I picked up my Slim around this time last year (Black Friday) for about $200, which is half the price of the Pro. Yeah, I pinch pennies, too.

Good enough, sorry for off topic

 

[Mr Cynical]

snip/ Providing the display resolution and the framerate are good enough, you can still get a feeling of presence – even if the graphics themselves look like they fell straight out of the 80’s.

I would pay some money for a psvr version of elite in wireframe models.

Make it happen Lloyd 7

 

[MrSilent]

I would pay some money for a psvr version of elite in wireframe models.

Make it happen Lloyd 7

me too, Im hoping to buy the psvr unit tomorrow, (for skyrim mainly) but if they could release a psvr version of ED it would definitely make my year