PlayStation VR
$349 on Amazon
We’ve dreamed of it for years and now virtual reality is finally upon us. What seemed like the realms of science fiction five years ago is now a commercially available peripheral that any John Doe can have in his front room. If you’ve tried VR in any capacity, you’ll know it’s a technology that holds massive potential, both for gaming and a host of other applications.
This isn’t another PlayStation Move or Xbox Kinect, PlayStation VR is a peripheral that has function and potential that makes it no gimmicky novelty. It is by far and away the most immersive gaming experience you’ll ever have. For the first time since the advent of the analog stick, gamers have a new way to play.
Despite that, though, VR still has its sceptics, and while the technology holds potential, it doesn’t look as though it’s threatening to supersede traditionally controlled gaming anytime soon. After the big fuss made of the new technology in the build up to the release of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PSVR, VR hasn’t stamped its presence with a thunderous cheer so much as it has quietly arrived to tempered nods of approval.
VR really should be bigger than it is right now, but, similarly to a console launch, software will be the ultimate deciding factor, and, at the moment, there aren’t enough proper experiences to really detract from gaming the way we’ve done for over two decades.
Still, that isn’t to say there isn’t plenty to do with a PSVR headset. In fact, there’s over 30 launch titles, superb recent releases such as Batman Arkham VR, Job Simulator and Thumper, plus a stack of VR mini-experiences that will absolutely amaze, even if they are only brief distractions. Rest assured, VR is an absolute blast and of the three devices we’re examining here, PSVR is the one that is going to put the biggest smile on your face out of the box, no question.
