PlayStation VR reviews hit last week and, while mostly positive, many flagged issues with tracking either of the headset itself or its controllers. According to Sony, this could be down to issues with light.
According to Gamasutra, Sony updated last week’s PlayStation VR FAQ just a few days before release with new details on setting up the anticipated headset. One new question asks if a room has to be dark to use PS VR, to which the company states that ambient lighting shouldn’t affect gameplay but “bright light sources” can if they’re positioned directly behind a player or coming in from windows or room lights.
You’ll also want to make sure any light isn’t reflected off of mirrors. Sony says that smaller shiny surfaces should be fine, but that PlayStation Camera can get confused seeing other light sources in reflections.
Our advice? Close the curtains and turn off the lights whenever possible. It might be a bit gloomy but that should ensure you’re getting the best results. That way the camera should be able to pick up both the LEDs on the headset and those on the DualShock 4 and PlayStation Move controllers pretty easily. You’ll look a bit unsocial during daylight hours, but you’ll always look like that with a VR headset on anyway.
For clarity, here’s the full statement:
Ambient lighting will generally not affect PS VR gameplay. Bright light sources directly behind the person using PS VR, lights coming in from windows and room lights, and lights reflecting off mirrors can interfere with the PS Camera and interrupt the tracking of the LED lights on the headset. It is recommended to eliminate bright light sources behind the PS VR player.
It’s a shame players will have to go to these lengths, though it’s an issue we’ve been well aware of for some time. If PS VR takes off we’d certainly like to see Sony make strides to improve tracking, either through system software updates or hardware additions.
PlayStation VR is launching this Thursday, October 13th.
