How far are you willing to go to make your VR gaming less sedentary? For a lot of users that just means standing up every now and then for particularly intense games (like Sparc and Onward) or making a conscious effort to really get into it and move around. We’ve even seen people lose a significant amount of weight from playing VR games. But it’s rare that someone would go as far as literally using exercise equipment while in VR to better simulate the game’s sensations.
Archie Robert Hansford Jr. is one such gamer that’s found himself absolutely enamored with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR on PSVR. That’s not too surprising — it’s a great game. He’s a member of the PlayStation VR Owners (PSVR) Facebook Group and he posted on Friday, November 17th, 2017, an image of his PlayStation Move Controllers setting on his treadmill with a step counter app at 3,000 steps (pictured above). He also included the following caption:
“So here’s my solution to locomotion, set speed low and over encumbered myself. Took me roughly 3,000 steps to go from Solitude through Dragon Bridge (the long way) to get to Dawnstar. Last night I walked from Whiterun to Rorikstead that took me about three hours and I have mastered the bow and arrow in that time. No fast traveling I want to make it to Riften to see them autumn leaves!”
For those unaware, Skyrim VR is an absolutely massive game with hundreds of dungeons, mines, and crypts to explore, cities to settle, and characters to meet. I’d wager it’s near impossible to fully complete everything (including expansions + DLC) in less than at least 100 or more hours. The problem though, especially with the lackluster PS Move controllers, is that movement is severely limited. If you don’t want to teleport or use the DualShock 4 gamepad then your only other option is to glide across the game as if you were floating by pointing the left PS Move controller like a wand. It feels wonky and is inconvenient at best during combat.
“After 3 hours of gameplay I had the controls down pretty well, sword and board is hard with aiming the motion controller in the direction you need to go so I have a lot more luck with bow and arrow,” Hansford told me during a private Facebook chat. “Skyrim VR is going to capture the hearts of people I can already tell. The day after release the internet was buzzing with great stories from people all over the world that had nothing but great things to say about it.”
The overall PSVR Facebook Group mentioned above has been awash with new members and excited posts, as well as sub-Reddit forums, Discord channels, and social media. Sales even suggest it’s not only outselling the Switch version of Skyrim, but it’s helping Sony actually move PSVR units themselves.
“It drives me crazy playing games that have your character running around for miles day and night while I’m sitting in the couch,” admits Hansford. “I’m an avid jogger and love to game so I want to combine the two. No simulation sickness and I do it to stay fit.”
I like to play using the PS Move while standing, but I’m nowhere near that dedicated.
What’s the most you’ve done to accommodate a VR gaming preference? Let us know your thoughts on this and Skyrim VR down in the comments below!
