The trifecta is complete. The third and final (for now) major, positionally tracked VR headset is finally on sale. PlayStation VR is here for those that pre-ordered it and a few other lucky souls. If you’re anything like us then the temptation to get home, rip open the packaging, and stick the thing on your head is strong, but then you’d have a blank screen on your face and be a risk to the health and safety of both yourself and others around you.
To do PS VR right, and we mean really right, here are five tips covering both setup and experiences that you might not have thought of yet.
Make Space
This is an obvious one but, if you’re covering your eyes with a lump of plastic, it’s best to make sure you don’t kick, punch or headbutt anything (that last one is especially true for Headmaster players.) Pick a play space with as wide and clear an area as possible. If you’re using PlayStation Move, you’ll be flailing your arms like a fish out of water, so clear away cups and plates, keep pets out of arms reach and definitely do not play next to the fireplace.
Luckily, PS4 will use the PlayStation Camera to show you the area around you when you first boot it up. We recommend sitting approximately 5-feet away from the Camera (but not more than 10-feet) with a few feet of empty space behind you.
Close The Blinds
Many PS VR reviews that have hit in the past few days cite a major issue; tracking is not great. It’s true, if you get carried away you can easily find yourself out of the tracking area, with Move controllers drifting away, but this can also happen if you’re not doing anything to provoke it. You can help the situation a little, though, by playing PS VR in the dark.
Okay, you probably don’t have to be completely unsocial, but the headset has trouble with tracking in well-lit environments since the Camera is just watching those colorful LEDs. The darker your play space the better.
Calibrate Correctly
PlayStation VR will take you through a basic calibration process when you first use it, and you’ll likely have to go through individual calibrations in other titles. But you can get the best results from your headset by heading to Settings, Devices, and selecting PlayStation VR to customize a few options yourself. Here you’ll be able to undergo a more thorough camera calibration that judges the movements of your head in different spaces.
You’ll also be able to calculate the distance between your eyes, which will slightly fine tune your display to perfectly suit you. Definitely don’t miss this step.
Buy Bound, Thumper And Other Great Games
So far we’ve awarded only two 9/10s in our PS VR reviews. Those prestigious honors go to both Plastic’s hypnotic Bound and Drool’s pulse-pounding Thumper. We recommend you pick those up ASAP but there are plenty of other great experiences out there. If you’re a horror fan then you can’t miss Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, while fans of the cult classic Rez will find its VR update to be an utterly essential buy. Shooter junkies have a lot to love in Rigs and Battlezone as well.
Of course, if you’ve just dropped $399 on a new headset then you might not be so keen to spring another $100 or so on more content, so make sure you check out the PS VR demo disc and our reviews section to make the best decision.
Watch A VR Movie
Though PS VR is mainly about games, it also offers a lot of other experiences that you really shouldn’t miss out on. Penrose Studios’ excellent Allumette launches today for free, and Invasion! brings animated magic to headsets. There are plenty of 360 videos to watch through various hub apps too, like via Within.
Take note that there are some differences between regions when it comes to experiences.
There’s our five main tips to help make sure you’re all set. PS VR is going to bring you some amazing VR experiences in the coming months and years so make sure you get the most out of it. Stay tuned for more PS VR coverage soon.
