Skip to main content
Entertainment

Sony PlayStation VR: What We Know So Far

Sony PlayStation VR: What We Know So Far
Sarah Atkinson
Writer and expert8 years ago
View Sarah Atkinson's profile

Due for official release on 13th October this year, Sony PlayStation® VR is set to be one of the most anticipated gaming releases in recent times. Described by its creators as a means of “experiencing gaming in an entirely new way”, PS VR dominated Sony’s latest E3 event last week at which the company unveiled a large portion of the titles that will be available upon the headset’s release later this year. But with just under four months to go until its arrival in the gaming world, what do we know about PlayStation VR so far and what news should we expect between now and its release?

Specifications

The response to the Playstation VR’s specifications has so far been overwhelmingly positive and looks very promising for the device’s gameplay. Priced at £350, the specifications are surprisingly competitive with the more high-end options offered by Oculus Rift and HTC Vive while being significantly cheaper and not requiring an expensive PC for gaming.

Within the headset is a custom-built 5.7” OLED screen that enables ultra-real 3D environments for completely immersive gameplay. There is much debate in technological circles regarding the superiority of OLED or LED screens in televisions and mobile phones, but there is an increasing belief that OLED screens are the better technology, particularly more effective in low-light environments, making this choice of screen for the PlayStation VR headset a wise decision. Further to the screen, the headset features a 360-deree tracking system that gives a seamless field of vision while a frame rate of up to 120 frames per second is more than twice that of most video games and thus offering an optimised, lifelike experience of your video game.

Playstation VR What We Know So Far

Revolutionary Stereoscopic Sound

As with the 360 field of vision, Sony have opted for 360-degree surround sound in the PS VR headset to provide complete 3D audio. The motion tracking system that monitors your slightest movements also allows for stereoscopic sound, meaning that if you turn your head towards a particular in-game sound, that sound will change as your proximity and direction moves towards or away from that sound. A built-in microphone allows users to communicate with friends during gameplay, but the system is also intelligent enough for your voice to become part of the gameplay where necessary; for example, if you find yourself within an eerie cave shouting for help, you will be able to hear your distressed voice echoing from the walls around you.

The Headset

The PlayStation VR’s headset is designed for prolonged gaming use with comfort clearly high on the agenda; This is especially true when compared with the chunky goggle designs for Oculus’s Rift and HTC’s Vive where the weighting towards specs evidently drew some focus away from comfort. The PlayStation VR headset is surprisingly light and comprises a quite simple single headband design with ergonomic rubber eyepieces that can be easily worn with glasses. The delightful comfort of the headset allows the user to forget you are wearing a VR headset, offering a more immersive experience in your game world.

Playstation VR

Not Yet Wireless

While jousting wirelessly around your living room might sound like fun (if not a little bit dangerous…), this will not yet be possible with PlayStation VR. Sony have indicated that they are working on making the headset wireless, but for now the device will be hooked up to a 5m cable—which at least means no need for charging!

Future Potential

Sony vice president Masayasu Ito recently revealed to Japanese newspaper Nikkei that PlayStation VR does have the potential to eventually be rolled out to PC.  In the interview, translated by Eurogamer, Ito explained that “The possibility exists [to roll out PlayStation VR on PC] since the PlayStation 4 shares many of parts with the PC. At the moment we’re concentrating on games, so I have nothing to announce at this point, but we’re looking to expand in a variety of areas.” Watch this space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GXvYexMoZY

The Games:

Along with announcing the official release date, Sony’s E3 conference saw the announcement that 50 games were confirmed for PlayStation VR. See below for a full list of the games that will be available, and click on the game’s title to see its official trailer.  

Title

Studio/Developer

Game Genre

Release Date

100ft Robot Golf No Goblin Sport Arcade TBC
Adventure Time: Magic Man's Head Games Turbo Button Platformer TBC
Ace Combat 7 Bandai Namco Flight Simulator Oct. 2016
Atom Universe Atom Republic MMO TBC
Adrift Three One Zero Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
Albino Lullaby Ape Law Horror Adventure TBC
Apollo 11 VR Experience David Whelan FPX TBC
Arizona Sunshine Vertigo Games FPS TBC
ARK: Survival Evolved Studio Wildcard MMO TBC
The Assembly nDreams Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
Attractio GameCoder Studios Puzzle TBC
BassDrop Hyperkin Laps Rhythm Shooter TBC
Batman Arkham VR Rocksteady Action Oct 2016
Battlezone Rebellion Sci-Fi Shooter Oct. 2016
Bebylon Battle Royale Kite&Lightning Party Browler TBC
Bound Santa Monica Studios Adventure TBC
Carpe Lucem – Seize the Light Application Systems Puzzle TBC
Chernobyl VR Project Reality 51 FPX TBC
Classroom Aquatic Sunken Places Stealth TBC
Cult County Renegade Kid Survival Horror TBC
Crystal Rift Psytec Games Dungeon Crawler TBC
Dead Bug Creek California Rex Adventure TBC
DEAD OR ALIVE XTREME 3 Koei Tecmo Sport Arcade TBC
Dead Secret Robot Invader Crime Puzzle TBC
Desert Bus 2.0 GearBox Arcade Racing TBC
Dimensional Intersection Nicalis Music Visualiser TBC
Disco Flux Solus Games Rhythm Shooter TBC
Distance Refract Arcade Racing TBC
Dynasty Warriors 8 VR Tecmo Koei Action TBC
Dreams Media Molecule Creation Tool TBC
Driveclub VR Evolution Studios Arcade Racing TBC
Eagle Flight Ubisoft Flight Simulator Oct. 2016
Earthlight Opaque Media FPX TBC
Eclipse White Elk Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
EVE: Gunjack CCP Games Sci-Fi Shooter Oct. 2016
Everest VR Sólfar Studios FPX TBC
EVE: Valkyrie CCP Games Sci-Fi Shooter Oct. 2016
Farpoint Impulse Gear Action Adventure TBC
Fated Frima Studios Fantasy Adventure TBC
Filthy Lucre Fabrik Stealth Action TBC
Final Approach Phaser Lock Interactive Strategy TBC
Final Fantasy XV Square Enix Adventure TBC
Futuridium EP Deluxe MixedBag Games Shoot 'em up TBC
Futuridium VR MixedBag Games Sci-Fi Shooter TBC
The Gallery: Six Elements Cloudhead Games Puzzle Adventure TBC
Gang Beasts Double Fine Party Game TBC
Gary the Gull Limitless Interactive Story TBC
Get Even Farm 51 FPS TBC
GNOG KO-OP Puzzle Adventure TBC
Godling Solfar Studios Puzzle Adventure TBC
Ghost Theory Dreadlocks Horror TBC
Golem Highwire Games Action Adventure Oct. 2016
The Golf Club HB Studios Sport TBC
Gran Turismo Sport Polyphony Digital Racing Simulation 16th November 2016
Gunship Battle 2 VR Joycity Flight Simulator TBC
Harmonix Music VR Harmonix Music Systems Music Oct. 2016
Hatsune Miku Project Diva X SEGA Music Oct. 2016
Headmaster Frame Interactive Sport Oct. 2016
Hellgate VR Hanbit Soft FPS TBC
Here they lie Santa Monica Studios Horror Oct. 2016
HoloBall TreeFortrress Games Sport Oct. 2016
Holodance narayana Music TBC
How we Soar Penny Black Studios Flight Experience Oct. 2016
Hyper Void N Framez Technology TPS TBC
The Hum Totwise Studios Survival Horror TBC
Hustle Kings VR VooFoo Studios Sport Oct. 2016
iOMoon Headtripgames Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
Job Simulator Owlchemy Labs Simulator Oct. 2016
JoysoundVR Xing Inc. Music TBC
Jurassic Encounter Supermassive Games FPX TBC
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Steel Crate Party Game TBC
Kerser Technolust Arcade Racing TBC
Kittypocalypse Bolvërk Games Strategy TBC
KÔNA Parabole Survival Adventure TBC
Loading Human Untold Games Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
Mars 2030 Fusion Media FPX TBC
Megaton Rainfall Pentadimensional Games Action TBC
Mind: Path to Talamus Carlos Coronado Puzzle Adventure TBC
The Musik Room Chrome Coda Music TBC
The Modern Zombie Taxi Co. Santa Monica Studios Arcade Racing TBC
Mortal Blitz Skonec Entertainment’s FPS TBC
Moto Racer 4 Microids Racing Oct. 2016
Nighttime Terror 2 VR Bits Top-down Shooter TBC
O! My Genesis VR XPEC Entertainment Strategy TBC
The Occasional Encounter UserJoy Technology FPX TBC
Omega Agent Fireproof Games Action TBC
Paranormal Activity VR VRwerx Horror TBC
P.O.L.L.E.N Mindfield Games Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
The Playroom VR SCE Japan Studio Party Game Oct. 2016
Playstation VR Worlds SCE London Studio Five Different Games Oct. 2016
Project CARS Slightly Mad Studios Racing Simulation TBC
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin Double Fine Puzzle TBC
Q.U.B.E.² Toxic Games Puzzle TBC
Radial-G Tammeka Arcade Racing Oct. 2016
RAW DATA Survios FPS TBC
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League Guerrilla Cambridge FPS Oct. 2016
Resident Evil VII Capcom Horror 24th Jan 2017
Rez Infinite Enhance Games Music Shooter TBC
Robinson: The Journey Crytek Sci-Fi Adventure Oct. 2016
Snow Poppermost Sport TBC
Star Wars Battlefront VR Dice Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
Statik Tariser Studios Puzzle Oct. 2016
Star Trek: Bridge Crew Ubisoft Sci-Fi Adventure Oct. 2016
Superhypercube Kokoromi Puzzle TBC
Super Stardust Ultra VR Housemarque Arcade Shooter Oct 2016
Summer Lesson Bandai Namco Communication Game Oct 2016
Surgeon Simulator Bossa Studios Simulation TBC
Synthesis Universe Olivier JT FPX TBC
Tactera E McNeill Strategy TBC
Tea Party Simulator 2015 Liens Power Up to the Maximum Simulation TBC
Tethered Secret Sorcery Strategy Oct. 2016
The Telltale Project Winking Entertainment Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
Technolust Iris VR Adventure TBC
Tekken 7 Bandai Namco Beat 'em up TBC
Time Machine VR Minority Sci-Fi Adventure TBC
Thumper Drool Rhythm Racing TBC
Thunderbird: The Legend Begins Innervision Games Puzzle Adventure TBC
Trackmania Turbo Ubisoft Nadeo Arcade Racing TBC
Tumble VR Supermassive Games Puzzle TBC
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Supermassive Games On-Rails Shooter Oct. 2016
Vanguard V Zero Transform TPS TBC
Vector 36 Red River Studio Arcade Racing TBC
VEV: Viva Ex Vivo Truant Pixel Survival Adventure TBC
Visage SadSquare Studio Horror TBC
VizionEck VizionEck Puzzle TBC
vTime Starship Group Social Network Experience TBC
Volume: Coda Mike Bithell Stealth Action TBC
Waltz of the Wizard Aldin Dynamics Fantasy Adventure TBC
War Thunder Gaijin Entertainment Flight Simulation Oct. 2016
Wayward Sky Uber Entertainment Puzzle Adventure TBC
Werewolves Within Red Storm Party Game TBC
White Day: Swan Song Rio Games Horror Oct. 2016
World War Toons Reload Studios FPS TBC
WRC 6 Kylotonn Racing Games Racing TBC
XING: The Land Beyond Lotus Interactive Puzzle Adventure TBC

 

Pre-order the PlayStation VR Headset today from The Hut with free UK and international delivery available.

Sarah Atkinson
Writer and expert
View Sarah Atkinson's profile
hutint