PSVR2 - out now!

[Thor]

Just to illustrate it in game, I kept my head completely straight for this, and deliberately moved the car onto the kerb to show the rotation in action. 

 

 

[Uncle Mike]

I wonder if that's on purpose (to move the frame around you and maybe reduce travel sickness?) or just inadvertent.

[superfunk]

Sky News is concerned that your children may not be getting food to eat. 
 

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/new-530-playstation-vr-gaming-headset-launched-amid-cost-of-living-crisis-12820338

 

Personally, I bought my one with money I’d saved from not being able to buy tomatoes. 

[Eldridge Horror]

Has anyone had any stuck/dead pixel issues? I've got a tiny green pixel in the left eye, really only noticeable in dark scenes such as in Resi. Not sure it's bad enough to warrant a return

[Reynard]

Anecdotally, in this thread alone, how many are we up to now who've had issues, 4?

 

Couple of DoAs, one not tracking correctly and a dead pixel unit.

[Pug]

I had some dull in a small curved line and some orange pixels dead centre on the white eye tracking set up screen. Felt a bit "always me this shit happens to" but it seemed to fix itself as I never saw it again and I looked hard for it.

[footle]

35 minutes ago, Uncle Mike said:

I wonder if that's on purpose (to move the frame around you and maybe reduce travel sickness?) or just inadvertent.

you naturally move your head because of the forces when going round that kind of banking. You don’t have the forces, so if the world didn’t move it’d seem.a bit weird.

[Stanley]

32 minutes ago, superfunk said:

Sky News is concerned that your children may not be getting food to eat. 
 

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/new-530-playstation-vr-gaming-headset-launched-amid-cost-of-living-crisis-12820338

 

Personally, I bought my one with money I’d saved from not being able to buy tomatoes. 

Makes my blood boil that kind of journalism. Like as if launching the thing makes them (Sony) insensitive to all the people who can’t afford their heating and food bills. Perhaps write a piece about poverty and the Conservative government who caused this, or alternatively review the bloody product you’ve been given and leave the economics to Sony. 

[Thor]

1 hour ago, Uncle Mike said:

I wonder if that's on purpose (to move the frame around you and maybe reduce travel sickness?) or just inadvertent.

That's exactly what it's for. But I prefer it off.

[Strafe]

You can now buy the Dual Sense from Amazon and Game, I reckon in a month or two you’ll be able to get PSVR2 from other retailers too.

[Mike S]

8 hours ago, Reynard said:

Anecdotally, in this thread alone, how many are we up to now who've had issues, 4?

 

Couple of DoAs, one not tracking correctly and a dead pixel unit.

 

 

Remove one DOA from that list!

 

I had a fiddle with it again late last night as I was still cross and, amazingly and very pleasingly, have fixed it.

 

Yesterday somebody did suggest checking the security of the cable entering the headset which I did but assumed that was referencing the fixed cable adjacent to the headphone socket so had no joy. Last night I found a post on reddit which highlighted the PlayStation symbols covered block behind the headband as another cable entry point (along with other conflicting posts suggesting that was part of the adjustment mechanism or suchlike and that fiddling with it would void the warranty). I had a fiddle with that, did the USB C flipping thing again, and after a few such fiddles and reboots it started working!

 

Had an hour or so playing with it last night and am mostly impressed albeit with reservations. The screen, once the sweet post is found, is a huge improvement over the smeary, low res, roughness of the PSVR and, even though it is still a bit lower resolution than I'd like, the move to OLED and HDR has resulted in some pretty astonishing scenes in my very limited play. After a quick few levels of Rez which remains as great as it was on PSVR albeit with considerably improved visuals (the proper black of the OLED really makes Area X pop) and the unexpected bonus of the headset haptics, I went straight into GT7. 

 

I've never played a racing game in VR before and found it to be extraordinary and more than a little overwhelming in it's immersion. The feeling of being in a real, physical, space was quite uncanny which lead to some dismal lap times as I spent more time looking at the car interior and other cars/the scenery than the racing line. The light deserves special mention as it is quite something whether it be the bright sun playing across the dashboard or headlights of following cars washing the car interior with light - it is highly impressive. I managed maybe eight laps without experiencing any real discomfort too so that was quite pleasing.

 

This morning I tried Village but that didn't go quite so well.

 

Managed the tutorial and, once I'd ditched the manual reloading, got into the game proper but the movement really does not sit well with me at all so I quit after ten or fifteen minutes as I was starting to feel rough. I'll have to play with the controls/settings to find a more optimal method but suspect it is going to take a very long time to get used to the disconnect between being physically still whilst virtually gliding across rooms. It looks absolutely incredible though and the sense of being in a real place was quite unnerving - at one point I tried to rest the physical controllers on the bench in the firing range and was confused by not being able to feel said bench. I really didn't like the bits where I'm replicating real world behaviour too much though. Specifically, I had real problems with the reloading of the weapons and with holding the rifle and shotgun to my 'shoulder' in order to aim as the virtual hands just seemed unable to do what the real hands were telling them to (this is with fully charged controllers) which soon became very frustrating. As soon as I found the easy loading option things became a little more manageable but I then became irritated when trying to take medicine out of my pocket and open the jar. I find this sort of replicated physical interaction to be much more annoying than fun so will need to dig deeper into the menus and hope to minimize it. And this is just in the training area - I would not be keen on messing about with vague controls when needing to reload in anger. It's certainly promising and now has me quite nervous about the game as I was spooked enough by a static car in the garage without having hostile natives an monsters leaping out at me! I played Village in flat vision a few years ago but have almost entirely forgotten what happens as, to me, it was just another RE doing the usual things and I'm not really the biggest fan of the series but I am really hoping to get comfortable enough to be able to play this in VR as it seems like it is very close to being in a horror movie. 

 

So, yeah, early days but it's mostly a positive to very positive impression. On the downsides, I'm not a big fan of the feeling of wearing the headset and, even more so, with over ear headphones. As well as the isolation from the outside world being a thing, I am constantly aware of the weight and the feeling that my head is being pressured by all the gear strapped to it but, hopefully, that will wear off with time and the headset might become more invisible. It is also a bit of a hassle putting the headset on, then the headphones, then tweaking and adjusting to try and find the sweet spot as that can be tricky and feels like I am often missing the optimum a little. Then setting up the play area, then finding the controllers, etc. It's a relatively small barrier to play but one that I think will deter many from persevering.

 

Early days for me though so I'll try some more GT7 and spend a very short time in Village later. I've got thirty days to see if VR is for me so fingers crossed...

 

Mostly I'm just happy that I resolved the issue and have a working headset but it is a bit of a worry that the connection block thing could be loose enough to give the appearance that the unit was DOA. I wonder if the dead unit returned to store mentioned yesterday suffered the same issue albeit an even looser connection without even power getting through?. 

 

 

[Steven]

1 hour ago, Stanley said:

Makes my blood boil that kind of journalism. Like as if launching the thing makes them (Sony) insensitive to all the people who can’t afford their heating and food bills. Perhaps write a piece about poverty and the Conservative government who caused this, or alternatively review the bloody product you’ve been given and leave the economics to Sony. 

 

So, basically, nobody should sell or buy any luxury items (cars, food, clothes, holidays, etc)  during an economic pinch as some people are unable to afford them right now or something. Should all turn up at Kay Burley's house and tut when she reaches for anything that doesn't come from a value range of products.

 

Alternatively, people could just make decisions on how to best spend their money, that they've earned, themselves.

[Stanley]

News at 10, Apple releases an even more expensive version of the iPhone. 

[teddymeow]

@Mike SGlad you managed to sort it.

 

I watched a YT vid this morning by The Tech Chap and he mentioned something about the USB-C being removable from the visor part of the headset.

 

 

[cassidy]

So VR means I'm actually good at GT7.  

 

Got all gold on the first license and smashing through the races so far. 

 

Glad your headset is working though @Mike S 

 

A good habit I've gotten into is after removing the headset and going back in. I always do the adjust eye setup. A couple of seconds of subtle adjustments and you are straight at the sweet spot again. 

 

The included earbuds are pretty decent once you adjust the volume up, so much so I've only used the WH910's once. 

 

 

[Mike S]

2 minutes ago, teddymeow said:

@Mike SGlad you managed to sort it.

 

I watched a YT vid this morning by The Tech Chap and he mentioned something about the USB-C being removable from the visor part of the headset.

 

 

 

 

Yes, the cable can be followed from the headband part, over the brow, into the block connector that appears to have been loosely fitted on my headset. It seems odd that the USB-C from the console is hardwired into the headband which means any issue with the long, exposed cabling between the headset and console would lead to the whole of the headband section needing replacing rather than just the cable.

[Strafe]

@Mike S I know what you mean about the headphones, I have a pulse headset but use the ear buds because it’s less hassle. Rumour is that Sony are due to release wireless PS5 ear buds which would make things a lot easier I reckon.

[Omizzay2]

Anyone tried Tentacular or What the Bat?  Thinking of those as my next purchases - especially for the kids.

[Eighthours]

11 minutes ago, Strafe said:

@Mike S I know what you mean about the headphones, I have a pulse headset but use the ear buds because it’s less hassle. Rumour is that Sony are due to release wireless PS5 ear buds which would make things a lot easier I reckon.

Unfortunately I can’t get a good fit over the headset and onto my ears with my excellent Wx1000xm4 Sony headphones, so I’m using the very convenient ear buds that come with the PS VR2. I’d love a third party equivalent in better quality as the design of these is ace. However, the buds as they are, are fine. Not spectacular sound by any means but good enough for now.

 

Glad you fixed your headset!

[Mike S]

5 minutes ago, Strafe said:

@Mike S I know what you mean about the headphones, I have a pulse headset but use the ear buds because it’s less hassle. Rumour is that Sony are due to release wireless PS5 ear buds which would make things a lot easier I reckon.

 

 

I have some decent wired earbuds somewhere that I'll need to dig out as over ears add too much bulk and weight to an already laden head as well as sitting where the tightening band at the back is. 

[Mike S]

7 minutes ago, Eighthours said:

Unfortunately I can’t get a good fit over the headset and onto my ears with my excellent Wx1000xm4 Sony headphones, so I’m using the very convenient ear buds that come with the PS VR2. I’d love a third party equivalent in better quality as the design of these is ace. However, the buds as they are, are fine. Not spectacular sound by any means but good enough for now.

 

Glad you fixed your headset!

 

I have those same Sony headphones but they are too big so I'm using some slightly smaller Bowers & Wilkins but they fit quite snugly and mean I have to compromise wither their, or the headbands positioning. 

 

I'm reluctant to use the supplied in ears as I am going to allow myself the Sony thirty days returns window in order to see if I can fully acclimatise to VR.

[Stanley]

So pleased you got it sorted @Mike Salso I felt the unease of movement in Village and I’ve suffered in the past from VR sickness, but the good news is that after a few days I’m much better with it to the point I don’t think about moving now, it’s much more natural. I played games like Rez and Thumper to try and acclimatise myself and it definitely seemed to work. 
 

I feared it a bit at first, the PSVR 2 I mean, but now I look forward to putting on the headset and diving into different worlds. 
 

I’ve not tried the Pulse headphones yet because just using the VR headset alone gave me a feeling of being a bit closed in, at first anyway. I’m finding the earbuds you get ok though. 

[Ferine]

21 minutes ago, Eighthours said:

Unfortunately I can’t get a good fit over the headset and onto my ears with my excellent Wx1000xm4 Sony headphones, so I’m using the very convenient ear buds that come with the PS VR2.

Have you tried wearing them under the headset? I have a pair of XM3s and if I put them on first the halo fits around them fine. They are a bit hot for something like Pistol Whip, though.

[Reynard]

Ah, very pleased for you that you sorted it.

 

Felt sorry when reading you spent all that time yesterday f'ing around, after looking forward to spending your Saturday playing with it.

 

1 hour ago, Mike S said:

Remove one DOA from that list!

[geldra]

The way the usb c wire is done on this makes me wonder if there’s some kind of wireless solution planned in future? Wishful thinking I know. 
 

edit: OH MY!!! Pistol Whip is my fave looking game so far to highlight the difference in image clarity between this and VR1.  Wowzer. I know it’s a simple looking game but this versus something similar in VR1 (like Superhot) is night and day. 

[Dirty Harry Potter]

I think I have gotten around my abject terror playing any RE in VR..  RE 8 has really clicked with me and playing it on casual makes it far less terrifying. It feels more like a high tech ghost train ride that has some really nice gun stuff. 
 

If someone had asked young 1996 me what a 2023 version of Resident Evil might look like - it would be this. And it kinda blows my mind. 
 

Yes each new VR headset is iterative. But I think this might be the most playable headset yet for me. Roll on Half Life Alyx.

[geldra]

Hoooooooly fuck!!! I know it’s relatively old now but I think Pistol Whip may have just jumped into my top games ever list*
 

I held off getting it on VR1 just due to the wands not being all that great and I’m so glad I did. The accuracy of the new controllers and the haptics etc are rock solid in this.  (I love that you can tell you have an empty clip from the trigger feedback!)
 

It’s brilliant.  I’d recommend this to anyone who has just jumped in with VR2 and fuck it, just anyone who hasn’t played it before. 
 

Come on Namco and Sega, where are the Time Crisis and Virtua Cop VR compilations !?! (And HOTD etc etc etc)

 

*there is no real list, I’m old and I don’t keep a top 10 list updated anywhere. 

[Strafe]

Just had a few goes on Pavlov. It is quite tricky to get to grips with but very cool. 

[schmojo]

49 minutes ago, geldra said:

Hoooooooly fuck!!! I know it’s relatively old now but I think Pistol Whip may have just jumped into my top games ever list*
 

I held off getting it on VR1 just due to the wands not being all that great and I’m so glad I did. The accuracy of the new controllers and the haptics etc are rock solid in this.  (I love that you can tell you have an empty clip from the trigger feedback!)
 

It’s brilliant.  I’d recommend this to anyone who has just jumped in with VR2 and fuck it, just anyone who hasn’t played it before. 
 

Come on Namco and Sega, where are the Time Crisis and Virtua Cop VR compilations !?! (And HOTD etc etc etc)

 

*there is no real list, I’m old and I don’t keep a top 10 list updated anywhere. 

 

Keep an eye out for Crisis VRigade 1 & 2, assuming they get ports. They're close as damnit to VR Time Crisis, except you're actually launching your body behind cover.

[cassidy]

More GT7 witchcraft. 

 

Just had to move my head position in game. Cos the sun was reflecting in the dials in front of me and flashing in my eyes. 

 

Seriously wtf! How? 

 

I also realised my game settings meant I had more assists on than I thought. Now it feels like I'm working to win a race.