At first known by the codename Project Morpheus during development, (Matrix reference anyone?) the PlayStation VR, developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, was finally launched on 13 October 2016 after first being announced in March 2014 during the Game Developers Conference. There had reportedly already been 230 developers actively working on content, be it games or cinematics, for the PSVR, and over 50 titles were available by the end of the year! If you were afraid there wouldn’t be enough content to play around with on the PSVR, I hope this eases your uncertainties.

This Isn’t The First Time

Sony has had goals for head-mounted Virtual Reality technology ever since the 1990s, its first commercial unit, called the Glasstron, was released in 1996 in Japan. This product had two LCD screens and two earphones for video and sound. This product was used in the game Mech Warrior 2 in which it granted the player a visual perspective from inside the Mechanical Suit’s cockpit. There was a predecessor to the Glasstron as well, called the Visortron, but didn’t have as much application as the Glasstron. There were a few more successors after Glasstron, of which PSVR can be considered the biggest, where the application of this technology is a lot larger than past renditions. I feel it is safe to say that Sony has been taking the goal of making Virtual Reality a realization, seriously.

What’s It Like?

We paid R7,199.00 for our Camera and PSVR Combo box from The Nexus in Randburg. This is the current RRP, and retailers are required by law to adhere to the RRP until Sony allows for price adjustments. Do not expect this to happen anytime soon though. The minute we got it home, we had no hesitation in setting it up and putting the Demo Disc into the system. Initial setup was quite quick and simple actually, thanks to the fact that Sony provides us with an easy to follow step-by-step guidebook. The PSVR works in conjunction with the camera, as well as all the cables and other required accessories. Once all of this is in place, there are more instructions on how to “equip” the headset.

There is a button on the back of the headset which gets pressed and held in to allow you to adjust the band around your head. There is a thick black elastic band on the inside, so once the headset is in place around your head, the band will retract to allow the headset to be comfortable around the head, and still leave a bit of space for more adjustments to be made. At no point have we experienced the headset to be uncomfortable! There are more instructions on donning the gear, and I admit, it feels awesome every time I go through these steps. It takes little more than 5 seconds, and you’re ready to go!

So to answer the question in the heading. It’s incredible! It’s so much better than I imagined. Once you have it on and you’re in the respective games that support VR mode, it feels like you have stepped out of our standard reality and into a new reality. Looking all around you is handled seamlessly by the gear.

Fair warning however, if you tend to get motion sickness, be sure to test out the PSVR first to see how it affects you. There are times when your equilibrium freaks out at you, so it’s best to have a seat nearby in such cases.

To Wear, or Not to Wear?

Many games won’t need you to be standing anyway. The fact that these things happen should only prove to highlight how effective this set is. In fact, I refuse to play Resident Evil 7 without the VR headset. My experience in the game is so much better, I could not believe how immersed I felt. Even the controls were easy to understand. Any game that offers VR compatibility will never see the “normal” mode if I can help it. I also seriously enjoyed strolling through Croft Manor in Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, the PSVR just changes the dynamic of a game, making it so much more engaging!

So… Is the #PSVR Headset worth the spend? You bet! You have my permission to go spoil yourself to a Headset of your own. (#NotSponsoredPunt) Hehehehe…

Whats in the Box?