Hm. The breakout box doesn't surprise me, I would assume the headset itself is relying on some hardware within the PS5 itself, since they were clearly developed in parallel and the original PSVR also needed a breakout box itself. I bet they could have solved it in software, but maybe there's some type of hardware security also at play. Plus I can see how they'd rather avoid all the RMA from people just plugging the headset to random USB-C ports and being frustrated when it doesn't just work. It's an old school way to handle it, but at least this way they know it'll work.
The missing features are... more interesting. At a glance it makes sense, in that no PC VR game has support for headset rumble or triggers with variable resistance, to my knowledge. Is there a PC HMD with HDR support? Or any games that use it?
So on those and the eye tracking you'd expect no games would take advantage of it out of the box... but does this mean they are disabled at the driver level and no upcoming games can support it either? Or would it be possible for them to enable that down the line for maybe their own ports or, say, Capcom ports later on.
I'm surprised we're this far, honestly. This is a desperation move at best. The PSVR 2 is a funky-ass HMD compared to what has become the standard for this space. Still wired, unusual choices for displays, super unique features... a minimum baseline to meet SteamVR standards makes some sense, it's just surprising that they aren't leaving some of their feature set out there as an option for devs later on, since that seems like it would encourage more third party PSVR content on PS5.
Still, better than having a paperweight. Even with just the basic features, the PSVR headset should look nice enough and get you most of the way to a full PC VR experience. If you have a gaming PC and only have VR through your PS5 this should significantly expand your options. Although I suppose if that's you I have serious questions about why you went that way instead of getting a Quest 2 when Meta was just giving them away, like everybody else did.
Yeah, it's a nice feature that the PS5 seems to use primarily for performance. I do wonder why it's turned off here and whether there is a standardized way to report eye tracking in VR to relevant middleware they could be tapping into instead. I genuinely don't know enough about the technicalities of all the overlapping VR platforms to tell.
Although I suppose if that’s you I have serious questions about why you went that way instead of getting a Quest 2 when Meta was just giving them away, like everybody else did.
I can only speak for myself, but the answer is easy. Meta and Zuck can get bent. You’re required to have a FB account to run it and I’m not doing that.
For me personally, I dislike Meta strongly enough that the Quest was never an option.
I already had a PS5 and have a couple of digital VR games Sony have away a while back, plus there’s a few more I have been interested in. But until now the library was so restrictive that I could not justify the price tag for a PSVR2.
The only other option I considered was the Valve Index. I like Valve a lot and I’m sure it’s great, but at this point it’s 5 years old and would be 2x the price of the PSVR2. Not being comparable with the PS5 for those couple of free games plus exclusives in interested in like Horizon is a minor setback as well, although it’s not a huge deal and Horizon might come to Steam anyways. Also I would have to upgrade my PC a couple years earlier than I would otherwise- my RX580 is mostly fine now, but I don’t think it could handle VR.
I hear you, but for a budget rig something's got to give. If it's any consolation regarding Meta, they used to bleed money every time they sold one of those, so you wouldn't have done them any favors. I don't know if the balance is less crazy for them these days.
You make a good point in that holdouts that haven't purchased a PSVR2 due to lack of games may feel more justified to take the plunge now, but the extra money of the adaptor starts to sting in that case, particularly if splurging on something that may not get much use isn't acceptable for your situation.
I actually think it’s worse for Meta to take a loss on hardware. That tells me that they are expecting to make that money back and then some elsewhere. It’s possible that they are just hoping to make that money back through software sales (similar to Sony), but I just have a hard time trusting the company. The “Meta” name is such a turnoff that I don’t want a piece of their hardware in my house, let alone on my network, so I haven’t even looked at their offerings.
Also, I disagree with the notion that “for a budget rig somethings got to give”. The answers for a “budget” rig are… Nintendo Labo. The AR games with the 3DS. The various ways of strapping a smart phone to one’s face. Things that the VR community scoffs at, but the average consumer is much more likely to purchase.
I think the “budget” option is to just… Not use VR. For me, the adapter isn’t a huge deal. They just cut the price by $100 earlier this year. The Horizon bundle, plus an adapter, comes out to $560. The Valve Index can vary based on the setup, but I figure that’ll be at least $1k. The HTC Vive products seems way more focused on business than gaming, and all of their headsets are >$1k anyways.
So for me I have 3 options: wait for Valve or HTC to make more value-oriented products, get the PSVR2, or just not do VR. And I’m perfectly at peace with just abstaining from VR- I certainly don’t regret that I didn’t buy a 3DTV for example. But this PC adapter has suddenly made the PSVR2 an option where it previously was not one.
All of that's fair. It's gonna be very dependent on your price flexibility and your preferences between Meta and Sony's ecosystems and platforms.
I'm with you that VR is absolutely optional, too. I don't think it's a mass market proposition and hey, I personally don't use the VR devices I own frequently, so...
I'll say the one thing I think you're wrong about is how available the dirt cheap ground level "phone in a box" alternative is. I don't think that's compatible with anything anymore. The Samsung Gear VR is discontinued and unsupported in software, the Labo thing was always a gimmick and I'm not aware of a phone conversion kit that will give you any compatibility with any of the ongoing VR platforms. Entry level to be able to do anything VR (as in, at least compatibility with PC VR games) remains the Quest 2 at this point. Next would be the Quest 3 and the PSVR2 and I suppose some of the cheaper PC HMDs. After that you get into the PC high end.
You also don’t get to enjoy many of the PSVR 2’s vaunted box features — HDR, headset feedback, and eye tracking are all disabled. So are the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback (not including rumble) on the controllers.
Sony likes to pretend they’re consumer friendly with stuff like this but it always comes with a huge caveat to try to push people into their closed ecosystem. Same idea as releasing PS Studios games on PC, but only just before the PS exclusive sequel comes out.
It‘s possible to use VR headsets with the Steam Deck. It‘s just far too weak for a pleasant experience.
It‘s worth noting though, that, according to this interview (37:30), Valve is probably working on a new VR HMD which will make use of the things they‘ve learned from developing the Deck. So I‘d guess there‘s a standalone headset coming from them at some point in the future.
Wonder if that strictly means lessons learned in development, or if it hints at onboard processing like a Quest. I’ve been more impressed with smaller headsets like bigscreen than standalone units lately
This is very speculative, but along the things they’ve learned for VR they‘re mentioning APUs and wireless streaming. This might hint towards a standalone device which can also be connected to a PC.
I can understand a box with DisplayPort, USB, and power inputs as very few desktop PCs actually have a video- and power delivery-capable USB C port. I cannot understand the lack of controller features and HDR.
【Global Launch Notice】 We are excited to break the news to you that the global version of Love Live! School idol festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE! is launching soon in February 2024. However, we also want to inform you that, the Global Version will close its doors on May 31, 2024, and… pic.twitter.com/0LYQ6YnD61 — Love Live! School idol festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE! (@lovelive_SIF_GL) January 25, 2024
I think people really overstate Todd Howard lying to compare it Peter Molyneux’s shit. Like we’re looking at Molyneux who said you could plant a tree and have it grow in real time or whatever. The same Molyneux who promised a “life-changing” award for winning a P2W clicker game (the award was royalties and early access to Godus, a game which they abandoned for what was essentially Godus: Subtitle, which was promptly abandoned soon after). And now his most recent game being something that involves “blockchain technology” where you can make money in real life by making money in game.
I think people really overstate Todd Howard lying to compare it Peter Molyneux’s shit. Like we’re looking at Molyneux who said you could plant a tree and have it grow in real time or whatever. The same Molyneux who promised a “life-changing” award for winning a P2W clicker game (the award was royalties and early access to Godus, a game which they abandoned for what was essentially Godus: Subtitle, which was promptly abandoned soon after). And now his most recent game being something that involves “blockchain technology” where you can make money in real life by making money in game.
Nah it’s just a skill issue, Steam Workshop modders have been carrying the franchises of incompetent studios like Bethesda and Paradox for ages and as others here have stated, they’ve already modded this problem away within the first week of this game being on Steam.
Just like how the traffic manager mod for Cities Skylines always updates only days after all the usually pointless shit Paradox keeps doing to their games’ mechanics every other week in those stupid nickel-and-diming “patches”, because they already know the other “sick man of the gaming industry” isn’t smart enough to implement speed limits, make roundabouts act like roundabouts, make cars honor emergency vehicle sirens, set up vehicle restrictions for industrial/maintenance roads or stop virtual vehicles from using only one lane on a 3-lane highway or EMTs from collectively booking it for a tiny downtown road that cycles about 3 ambulances per green when there’s an on-ramp right next to their hospital. There’s a reason why Cities Skylines has such negative reviews on the Amazon order page for its Switch cartridge compared to its Steam page; with Nintendo sending ninjas after anyone who so much as looks at their IPs funny, there is no such opportunity for modders to cover Paradox’s ass there. Steam’s encouragement of crowdsourced, third-party bug fixes is the only reason Paradox is relevant, and also why Bethesda is.
Extra polishing will need 25 more years. Just in time for Elder scrolls V Ultimate Mega Super Ultra Universal Anniversary Remastered Remake Extreme to release.
I watched a massive alien war happen. Roughly 3 bigger animals attack a horde of 12 critters. Then, another 3 vs 12 battle happened nearby, followed by ANOTHER 3 VS 12.
This kept happening for at least 10 minutes as everywhere I went, there was animals fighting and a trail of bodies being left.
Iunno I could see them adding some sort of tiny 4x4 or even a motorcycle. Could even make it so you have to keep it in a hab on your ship so it makes sense it spawns when you land.
STALKER had a very neat AI ecosystem. Everything (including humans) is quite aggressive so they all keep each other in check without overpowering the other. Even the weather was aggressive.
There are random YouTubers who have designed more sophisticated ecologies with functional feedback loops.
The problem is though is that random chance will eventually result in some species going extinct, so either you have to spawn new ones in to replace them, and so have a check for loss of population, or just allow that to happen. The current implementation though is entry level first year student developer sophisticated.
Those random YouTubers make those ecologies with the explicit purpose of simulating an ecology in a totally closed environment, not as an additional side piece to a game.
Not even to mention how a functioning ecology can never properly exist where a player is involved. Players will just kill things without any rhyme or reason to.
kotaku.com.au
Aktywne