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[nkarafo]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

 

[Beechos]

Would recommend going with pc and using the oculus as your vr display if you can afford it. You get access to the oculus store and can stream steam vr games from your pc all wirelessly.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Now that I have the money to buy it, it is out of stock in the store where I wanted to buy it (because of extended warranty deals with costumer card).
From what I've heard Kayak VR and Demeo are must haves.

(beware, this thread will be flooded by VR haters in little time. A lot of GAF users have a hate boner for VR).

 

[John Bilbo]

I would recommend playing Half-Life: Alyx.

 

[BigLee74]

Can confirm. First time I tried VR was on my boy’s Quest 2, playing Superhot. Wow moment indeed!

I knew I was in the middle of my garage floor, but was still frozen to the spot in fear when the game spawned me high up on a ledge.

 

[TheDreadBaron]

PSVR2 has a surprisingly poor selection of software. I think you’d have a better experience with a standalone Quest 3 with the option to connect to a PC down the line. Congrats, you’re arrived into the 80’s neon polygonal hyperspace future.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

I've only played what seems like some shitty tech demo at a local event, but it was awesome enough to make me believe in the fundamentals. I can only imagine what catered software designed specifically for VR environment could accomplish. I hope to decide to buy one at some point but was hoping the tech would come down since I'd really want two of them.

 

[Beechos]

Can confirm. First time I tried VR was on my boy’s Quest 2, playing Superhot. Wow moment indeed!

I knew I was in the middle of my garage floor, but was still frozen to the spot in fear when the game spawned me high up on a ledge.

That is still prob the best overall vr experience for me.

 

[nkarafo]

I've only played what seems like some shitty tech demo at a local event, but it was awesome enough to make me believe in the fundamentals.

Ι did play some demos myself as well. It was a while back though, must have been some first gen stuff. I remember the resolution being an issue but it still felt great.

The RE8 experience was something else. This time it felt like reality. I think the superior graphics/resolution played a huge part. Wandered around the house in the intro long enough to forget it's fake. Was pretty surreal.

 

[Matt_Fox]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

You're in the honeymoon phase. I'd personally recommend spending a bit more time in the headset before committing big bucks $$$ to it and swearing off traditional gaming forever more, as the shine 'of the new' tends to wear off. You don't want an expensive dust gatherer.

 

[nkarafo]

You're in the honeymoon phase. I'd personally recommend spending a bit more time in the headset before committing big bucks $$$ to it, as the shine 'of the new' tends to wear off. You don't want an expensive dust gatherer.

True. As much as i loved the visual experience, i can't say the same for playbility. It was a bit awkward to play/shoot. I never liked motion controls either way and even though these ones are far superior, it's still tiresome to play. And obviously the gear itself gets tiresome wearing it.

I'm sure some of the motion control parts could be toned down in the options though. I did disable some stuff like the eye tracking and allowed myself to turn left/right with the analog stick. Didn't have much time to experiment further.

 

[Matt_Fox]

True. As much as i loved the visual experience, i can't say the same for playbility. It was a bit awkward to play/shoot. I never liked motion controls either way and even though these ones are far superior, it's still tiresome to play. And obviously the gear itself gets tiresome wearing it.

I'm sure some of the motion control parts could be toned down in the options though. I did disable some stuff like the eye tracking and allowed myself to turn left/right with the analog stick. Didn't have much time to experiment further.

I only say this, not to be a curmudgeon because I like to evangelise about gaming but because I've been in your shoes.

I've had the wonderment and the honeymoon period, and then.... I've had the reality. Limited choices of game. Imprecise controls. Inferior graphics. Discomfort and exclusion from the world around. And barriers to play that make you less and less inclined with each passing week to pick up that headset.

 

[rocketleague]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

I had the same feeling on original psvr with a shitty arcade game I forgot its name but it being VR was so immersive an experience I never had before. Too bad the tech is too expensive to be mainstream anytime soon

 

[amigastar]

I recommend Star Wars: Squadrons on Sale for 2 bucks. There is certainly a wow moment when you inside a Star Wars fighter for the first time. Good stuff to impress people who never played VR before.
Anyways I go with VR on PC, seems the most reasonable thing to do. Big selection of games with good graphics (If you have the PC for that)

 

[Hollowpoint5557]

Skip the PSVR 2 and get a Quest 3.

 

[Evolved1]

I wouldn’t buy a headset without eye tracking. You think VR is magic? Just wait until you experience that as a control method. Otherwise, I say just jump in. PS5 is a good option and probably the easiest pain-free by a mile… but it’s a closed platform. Huge negative. Accept that you’re an early adopter and just jump in.

 

[Magic Carpet]

I wouldn’t buy a headset without eye tracking.

Eye tracking was nice BUT the PSVR2 used that foveated rendering that just made everything look blurry. On top of the Fresnel lenses that made everyhing hard to focus.
The PSVR2 was just too hard to enjoy the very being in the headset. Just the simple act of standing there looking around was work.

Putting on the Quest 3 and everything is in focus, not just that one spot you're directly looking at.

Quest 3 FTW. I finished HL Alyx and want to go back in again.

 

[Exoil]

You can't go wrong with either. PS5+PSVR2 or PC+PCVR.
Just beware that when you get into VR it can be hard to enjoy some genres of games on flat screens, e.g racing and first person shooters. Or in your case, the RE7,8 and 4 games. Great games on flat screens. But a whole other thing in VR.

And don't turn of eye tracking, if your headset got it, use it.

 

[Exoil]

Eye tracking was nice BUT the PSVR2 used that foveated rendering that just made everything look blurry. On top of the Fresnel lenses that made everyhing hard to focus.
The PSVR2 was just too hard to enjoy the very being in the headset. Just the simple act of standing there looking around was work.

Putting on the Quest 3 and everything is in focus, not just that one spot you're directly looking at.

Quest 3 FTW. I finished HL Alyx and want to go back in again.

That's not how foveated rendering works. What game did you try?

 

[Markio128]

Don’t worry too much about which headset you pick up because they all offer the same core experience. But I agree with the sentiment of your post, in that VR is where I find the majority of my gaming fun nowadays. It’s given me quite a few wow moments this year.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners 1 is my favorite VR game. Half-Life: Alyx is easily the most-polished VR experience, but the gameplay loop in S&S is the most fun I've had in VR.

VR is great, but some aspects of it remain inhibiting. Here's my VR wishlist:
1) No more controllers: all inputs are based on camera tracking of your hands/fingers/body
2) A headset that is light enough to forget you're wearing it
3) Crystal-clear display with full FOV
4) Frame drops/lag/hiccups must be imperceptible--the downside of the immersion gain of VR is that when you're taken out of the experience, it's exponentially more jarring

 

[Magic Carpet]

That's not how foveated rendering works. What game did you try?

Foveated rendering makes what you are directly looking at sharper and gets progressively less sharp as it goes out into the peripheral.
So yes it does work that way. It makes everyting outside of what you're directly looking at less sharp. On Purpose as designed.
Call of the Mountain was the game I played that used it and I wanted to turn it off. I don't remember if there was a setting or not.

 

[diffusionx]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

First of all this is exactly the same experience I had, it’s not something that can be conveyed through any means but trying it, but it is the first real step forward for vidya since 3D.

You have two choices a PSVR2 or Quest 3. Quest 3 gives you access to PCVR including the best VR game yet (Alyx) as well as standalone. There are some really excellent games that have come out recently like AC Nexus and Asgard Wrath 2. PSVR2 gives you access to the Sony ecosystem which is not as good as it should be (and not even as good as it was on PSVR1) but some excellent exclusives. There is a LOT of overlap between Quest and PSVR2.

Without a PS5 Or a PC… I dunno I still would probably recommend the Quest because you can play a lot of great games and always get that PC later.

 

[Exoil]

Foveated rendering makes what you are directly looking at sharper and gets progressively less sharp as it goes out into the peripheral.
So yes it does work that way. It makes everyting outside of what you're directly looking at less sharp. On Purpose as designed.
Call of the Mountain was the game I played that used it and I wanted to turn it off. I don't remember if there was a setting or not.

Well, then you've set it up wrongly because if the game supports eye tracked foveated rendering you aren't going to even notice it's being used until you try and turn it off and everything becomes blurrier. So no, PSVR2 does not use the foveated rendering that makes everything look blurry.
Village, GT7, No Mans Sky and Kayak Mirage are great examples of how you won't even notice it's being used unless you're watching the social screen of someone else playing.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

You can't go wrong with either. PS5+PSVR2 or PC+PCVR.
Just beware that when you get into VR it can be hard to enjoy some genres of games on flat screens, e.g racing and first person shooters. Or in your case, the RE7,8 and 4 games. Great games on flat screens. But a whole other thing in VR.

And don't turn of eye tracking, if your headset got it, use it.

This.

I own a PSVR2 and recently got the chance to play on Quest 3 (Arizona Sunshine) and tbh, PCVR is way overblown in comparison to PSVR2.
Unless you play both back to back, I don't think any difference is really that noticeable.

So it basically comes down to games libraries.
And even then, from what I've seen available on PC, it all mostly seems like typical VR experiences.
I'll give it to Asgards Wrath 2, which seems to be a proper full-fledged game, but it also seems pretty basic.

Granted, there's more VR games available on PC, but to act like it's the superior platform is reaching.

People should just look at what's available for each VR-device.

 

[Rudius]

I recommend both PSVR2 and PCVR.
On the PC you have more games, but you normally have to do configs and that can get annoying, even more so in VR. On PSVR2 you can just jump straight to the games.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Would recommend going with pc and using the oculus as your vr display if you can afford it. You get access to the oculus store and can stream steam vr games from your pc all wirelessly.

This x1000

 

[SilentUser]

I'm a massive VR fan. I own a PSVR2 since launch and there is no turning back: games are way more interesting in VR and I hope we will see many more hybrids games (Resident Evil Village, 4 Remake, NMS, Demeo etc). Here are some of my favorites PSVR2 titles, in no order:
Village, Demeo, Synapse, Red Matter, Resi 4 Remake, Moss, Switchback (it is fun to show to friends!), No Man's Sky, Light Brigade.
You can choose whatever headset you like or can afford, it will be great nonetheless. Tons of great games to play!

 

[FoxMcChief]

If you get the Quest 3 before the end of January, you get both Asgard’s Wrath games. The first game will require a PC though.

VR games tend to go on sale a lot more frequently on Steam than on the PlayStation store, from what I’ve heard.

 

[Romulus]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

After reading your posts here for years, I wondered if you'd ever tried VR. 1990s fps fans are typically blown away by it and compare it to those days in terms of that wow moment seeing Doom or Mario 64.

I've been using it for years and the wow feeling never goes away. It's never like the first time of course but still waaaay better than looking at a 2D TV screen.

Btw brutal doom in VR is incredible too.

 

[nemiroff]

Just be aware that no matter how excited you are right now, much of it will pass. It basically happens to most of us. The form factor of today's headsets is still too stupid to sustain the excitement on a daily basis.

But with that said, wireless headsets like the Quest, and headsets with pancake lenses already show a glimpse of the future to come.

 

[rofif]

As long as you keep playing real games (like hybrid games re4, re8, gt7), the experience is great.
For me, I always return to flat oled gaming but VR is genuinely fucking incredible. I am waiting to get psvr2 again when it's on sale

 

[TIGERCOOL]

PSVR2 has a surprisingly poor selection of software. I think you’d have a better experience with a standalone Quest 3 with the option to connect to a PC down the line. Congrats, you’re arrived into the 80’s neon polygonal hyperspace future.

You're in the honeymoon phase. I'd personally recommend spending a bit more time in the headset before committing big bucks $$$ to it and swearing off traditional gaming forever more, as the shine 'of the new' tends to wear off. You don't want an expensive dust gatherer.

I only say this, not to be a curmudgeon because I like to evangelise about gaming but because I've been in your shoes.

I've had the wonderment and the honeymoon period, and then.... I've had the reality. Limited choices of game. Imprecise controls. Inferior graphics. Discomfort and exclusion from the world around. And barriers to play that make you less and less inclined with each passing week to pick up that headset.

Foveated rendering makes what you are directly looking at sharper and gets progressively less sharp as it goes out into the peripheral.
So yes it does work that way. It makes everyting outside of what you're directly looking at less sharp. On Purpose as designed.
Call of the Mountain was the game I played that used it and I wanted to turn it off. I don't remember if there was a setting or not.

I say get whatever is easy for you. If you have a powerhouse PC and don't mind tweaking settings a lot, quest 3 sounds like a great option. If you have a ps5 and want a plug and play experience and don't mind fiddling occasionally with the sweet spot, go with psvr2. I promise you won't begrudge the catalogue if you're new to VR and jumping in as things stand now (I'm 10 games deep on psvr2 and eyeing plenty more when I clear my backlog).

The wow factor will fade regardless of platform, but I just bought a racing wheel for GT7 and have owned the PSVR2 since launch. I still love it.

YMMV as you can see with the quoted posts above, but wanted to offer an opposite take. I find the issues with the sweet spot, mura, and catalogue to be real but VERY overblown. Recommend an office chair for long play games like RE8, as you still have freedom of movement and get the comfort of sitting.

Have seen pancake lenses on my friends headset btw, it has definite advantages but I also missed the higher fidelity from foveated rendering/eyetracking and that OLED depth and contrast. There are always trade-offs.

Biggest gripe with VR for me is the barrier for entry limiting the number of friends I have to play online with

 

[rofif]

Just be aware that no matter how excited you are right now, much of it will pass. It basically happens to most of us. The form factor of today's headsets is still too stupid to sustain the excitement on a daily basis.

But with that said, wireless headsets like the Quest, and headsets with pancake lenses already show a glimpse of the future to come.

yes that's true. That is why I ALWAYS sell my vr headest after a month of use or so.
I even had some few times like Rift S... But I am of a new mindset that with hybrid games like re4 or 8, this thing is moving out of gimmick phase.
Shit like call of the mountain is never worth it. Real games are. And hybrid games are first and foremost - real, good games.

 

[Evolved1]

Foveated rendering makes what you are directly looking at sharper and gets progressively less sharp as it goes out into the peripheral.
So yes it does work that way. It makes everyting outside of what you're directly looking at less sharp. On Purpose as designed.
Call of the Mountain was the game I played that used it and I wanted to turn it off. I don't remember if there was a setting or not.

You cannot actually observe FR in the headset. Or rather, you can only directly observe the benefits. There's no middle ground on this. It's an either/or type of thing.

 

[CrustyBritches]

I love VR. It’s like a next-level arcade/Wii experience. My favorite game is Swarm, although it’s a bit older. Excited to read on the Quest thread that we’ll be getting a sequel. Fuck yeah!

 

[MadchesterManc]

Picked up Thumper on sale earlier. Really enjoy games like it (Polybius and Tetris Effect) where you can just zone out into the experience while playing

I recommend Star Wars: Squadrons on Sale for 2 bucks. There is certainly a wow moment when you inside a Star Wars fighter for the first time. Good stuff to impress people who never played VR before.
Anyways I go with VR on PC, seems the most reasonable thing to do. Big selection of games with good graphics (If you have the PC for that)

I'm surprised Star Wars: Squadrons doesn't get more props. Looks and plays great in VR, almost like it was done with VR in mind. I remember back when I first played it on a G2 the cockpit detail was amazing and the Tie Fighter missions were awesome.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

Well, if you go PC you’ll have your VR library grow. Great deals on VR game bundles, and way more games to choose from.

You go PS5…there might not even be another future VR device after PSVR2.

The easy route is Quest 2 or Quest 3, and just get the $20 PC cable for when you build a PC.

 

[poppabk]

This.

I own a PSVR2 and recently got the chance to play on Quest 3 (Arizona Sunshine) and tbh, PCVR is way overblown in comparison to PSVR2.
Unless you play both back to back, I don't think any difference is really that noticeable.

So it basically comes down to games libraries.
And even then, from what I've seen available on PC, it all mostly seems like typical VR experiences.
I'll give it to Asgards Wrath 2, which seems to be a proper full-fledged game, but it also seems pretty basic.

Granted, there's more VR games available on PC, but to act like it's the superior platform is reaching.

People should just look at what's available for each VR-device.

What? You played Arizona Sunshine and decided PCVR is not all that?
PC has Dirt Rally 2.0, Asseto Corsa (Including no Hesi), Flight Sim, DCS, HL Alyx, Half Life 2, Contractors, and tons of mods including stuff like Alien Isolation or the RE remakes.

 

[MarkMe2525]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

I haven't touched flat gaming beyond my daughter asking me to play party animals with her. VR is what my 9 year old self would fantasize about and now that it's here, it's all that I want to play.

My first headset was a PSVR followed by a Quest 1. While they were novel and fun, it was but an appetizer. The Quest 3 check so many boxes for what I wanted out of a VR headset. Standalone gaming has matured by leaps and bounds, and even consuming youtube and media is awesome in it. Idk, I'm rambling so I'll stop, but when you say "it's hard to go back" I feel you on that.

 

[KaiserBecks]

Get a Quest 3 now and go ahead and build a PC next year.

 

[R6Rider]

VR is indeed amazing. Quest 3 or PSVR2 are both great choices and will have exclusives, limitations, and features.

 

[drezz]

If you have a PS5 I'd recommend going with a PSVR2.

If you have a decent PC(With a good wifi router) I'd recommend going with Quest 3 and play PCVR(Not standalone, Standalone might have decent amount of games, but they are all Wii tier grapich vise) AND use the standalone part for GOOD Quest 2&3 Exlusives.

PSVR2 has the most immersive controllers of the headsets I've used, Quest 3 headset is great but not comfortable, but that can be remedy'd with accessories.

The "Honeymoon" phase is real, for me it has somewhat slowed down after a YEAR for me, with so many games to catch up on and 4 different headsets. Still going strong with VR playing, I think its just some few indi titles I've played "Flatscreen" since going all inn with VR.

 

[Gamerguy84]

Had my first proper VR experience today. It was RE8 Village on a friend's PS5 (i did finish the game on PC before). After 30+ years of gaming i think this was the first proper wow moment i had after seeing DOOM for the first time in 1994.

So yeah, i'm spoiled now, there's no going back. Playing on a plain screen is not cutting it anymore for me. I will have to invest in VR soon. I was going to build a new PC early in 2024 but i think a PS5 is going to be an easier and cheaper way to do this. What would you recommend?

It really is a woe moment isn't it?

Congrats whether you build PC or go with PSVR2. VR is awesome.

Also Quest 2 or 3 will give you instant gaming and nude movies.

 

[Aces High]

VR is amazing the first time you try it, but it has a very short honeymoon phase.

I tried out VR and immediately said "holy shit this is the future". Then I played games in which the camera moves forward just like it would do when you walk or run or drive something. It made me feel sick really quick and now I have zero interest to touch VR again.

My GF had the same problem. Everyone I know who owns a VR headset doesn't use it because the say you have to train your brain to not feel sick during VR and it's just an annoying thing to do.

If VR companies can't fix the problem with people getting sick from what is the most basic human movement pattern, VR will never be succesful.

I've never seen myself or other people go so fast from "holy shit this is the future" to "this is crap and I hate it". Also, my dog hated it when I used the VR headset. She probably noticed that it makes me sick.

@OP: Definitely get a VR headset with pancake lenses. I found it a million times more impressive than VR with fresnel lenses.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

What? You played Arizona Sunshine and decided PCVR is not all that?

That's not what I said at all.

 

[Techies]

This is what happens if you are thrown into one of the best VR games first, instead of a rollercoaster on google carboard without 6 dof.

 

[Ozzie666]

Rez, Tetris Effect and Beat Saber. Whatever system has those three, get that. It's the audio bombardment is amazing. Something to be said about just chilling playing rez and tetris, beat can get exhausting. Namco, Sega and others need to do some quick rail shooter ports. It's an expensive investment for little return, but it makes you wish it would explode and become more successful.

 

[LimanimaPT]

VR is really something. It's a shame that there isn't more investment in AAA games for it. When the investment is made, VR surpasses the non VR version by ten miles. They decided to make a Dead Space remake. Why not make it VR? What a waste.

 

[nkarafo]

This is what happens if you are thrown into one of the best VR games first, instead of a rollercoaster on google carboard without 6 dof.

First one i played was the Horizon VR game, friend said it's the best because it was originally made for VR. This one was Wii all over again. It felt like the casual motion control exclusive games, such as Wii Sports. Impressive visually, sure, but a shallow experience IMO. Plus i had to do the running gestures with my hands to move, which was silly. First thing i disabled, despite my friend trying to convince me it's better this way.

Then i played RE8, which i had already played before mind you. If i had to use the Wii as the metric, this was more like the Metroid Prime 3 or Silent Hill: Shattered Memories experience.

Frankly, i didn't care that much for the controls. If i played a game with a regular gamepad and used the VR goggles just for the visual immersion, it would be more than enough for me. Although i did like seeing my virtual hands in-game and grabbing things and looking at them up-close was great. But things like taking the gun from the holster, shooting and reloading was awkward.