PlayStation VR Starter Pack

I’d been considering getting this for some time, and finally took the plunge as a xmas present to myself when the starter pack came in at £299. First off, I want to be clear, this is FOR ME absolutely worth the money. I’ll write this review with as much detail as possible, to hopefully help others decide if it’s worth it for them, as it is a lot of money.What I really wanted this for first off was Rez Infinite (more on that below), and then I heard about the upcoming VR patch for Wipeout Omega and was sold. Everything else – and there’s quite a bit of that – is a bonus.So first off, what’s in it? The starter pack comes with everything you need to get going. Set up is simple enough, though there are a lot of wires, and tucking them all in nicely out of the way requires a bit of space around your PS4.The headset is easy to put on and surprisingly comfy. The unit is supported on the forehead by the headband and a decent padded bit, and the visor section is adjustable to and away from your face. It has a cable that connects to the PS4 USB port, this is long so doesn’t really get in the way. What does bug me a bit is that the plug for the headphones is right next to the cable, so the two wires do have a habit of tangling up. They should be on opposite sides (or even better it could have Bluetooth connection for headphones). Of course, you don’t need to use headphone, though the 3D sound really adds to the immersion (I don’t have decent surround sound).The headset has a power button, volume controls for the headphones, and even a mic, however the commands for the PS4 are limited so I’ve not found much use for this.The unit calibrates itself as soon as you turn it on, and you can recentre it by holding the options button on the DS4 controller. Whilst at the home screen (or any non-VR screen) the display is like a cinema screen inside the visor. When you go into the VR though, that is unbelievable! It really is utterly immersive. I first played the free VR Playroom, which is a very ‘Nintendo’ esque affair, but really does show off the VR. It isn’t simply a first person 360 degree view, it is fully 3D, feeling as though you are in the game and can reach out and touch everything. When you move forward, you get a sense of movement. When you move fast you get the sense of speed, and when you slow to a stop you get that lurching feeling. It’s incredible. Added to that the 3D sound, which adjusts with your head movements, and you have complete immersion.There is a slight sort of ‘binocular’ effect for some reason. It’s pretty unobtrusive, and only really noticeable during bright game environments, but worth mentioning for thoroughness.Head movement is tracked perfectly, and turning around for the first time to see a bunch of robots behind me waving was brilliant. I then moved onto VR worlds, which is hit and miss in quality of content, but has some real gems. The Shark Attack experience is terrifying; even sat on my couch saying ‘it’s not real’ didn’t stop the fear as a great white ripped the front off the shark cage. It’s not the most terrifying thing though, that at the moment goes to the IT experience on Littlstar. I haven’t yet got the nerve to buy Resident Evil 7…On then to Rez. And that is phenomenal. I’ve loved that game for years, and this is what it was meant for. Flying through the levels, the sense of speed and pure exhilaration is unsurpassed. It is perfect. And the new Area X where you can free fly is just the icing on the cake.Graphics wise, no it’s not up there with high end, or even normal, performance. I’m playing on a base PS4, I imagine a Pro will add a bit more, but it still mostly won’t be as clear as on the tv. But it’s a sacrifice worth making, and it’s very variable. Rez, for example, is easily as good as the tv. VR playroom is about Wii quality, and VR worlds is hit and miss. I’ve also got Batman VR, which is mostly brilliant (if short), and standing on the rooftops of Gotham is superb - the nature of how the Arkham games look naturally ‘camouflages’ the lower graphics quality. The more ‘real’ stuff, eg Littlstar, is clearly still in its infancy; some of the experiences are better than others. The IT one, as I said, is fantastic (again, the graphics are camouflaged by it being mostly dark or in close quarters), whereas there’s a wingsuit jump experience which could be awesome but it’s just too much for the visuals to really perform. These experiences are streamed as well, so your internet connection may impact on that. I have a 50mbs connection, which seems to be fine, but I still don’t think the world is quite set up to deliver these yet (a quick Google search confirms the issues involved).There is then the issue of motion sickness. For me, this is really dependant on the day. Don’t play it with a hangover, for a start! And at first you might want to play in short blasts. After a couple of weeks, I seem to be able to cope with longer stretches, though I couldn’t sit for more than an hour without a short break.I don’t have the move controllers, cos I’m not paying 80 quid for them (I’m hoping a mate is willing to sell me his PS3 ones, as they are the same) but for some things eg Batman, they would really add to it. For now, the controller does fine.Finally, you can play 3D movies through it (you don’t need a 3D tv), I downloaded a 3D file to try this, and it’s good; the screen inside changes to an IMAX shape, and the 3D works fine.So in summary, the PSVR is a fantastic piece of kit, with some truly amazing gaming experiences to be had. And the future holds even more potential. This has all the joy of buying a new console, as well as all the anticipation of what’s to come. This is the direction I want gaming to go, and it’s thrilling.

First impression: PSVR is incredible, and has to be experienced to be really understood. The sense of depth and immersion is incredible. It's in resolution that the PS4 holds the PSVR back slightly, and you immediately sense that PS4 Pro and eventually Playstation 5 will get much more out of PSVR in terms of image sharpness. Despite the lower resolution, the sheer sense of immersion, being able to look up and around inside a shark-proof cage as you descend through the ocean, or leaning out of the car window as you shoot at gangsters, or fully experience the worlds of Resident Evil and Skyrim more than makes up for it. I should add that setting up the PS VR is pretty straightforward, with none of the tangled cables I feared. Amazing.One thing I noticed: like another reviewer, I noticed that the lenses were dirty before I'd even used it, and the lenses did not have a protective film, which the other reviewer suggested was expected. What would cause the lenses to be dirty other than the possibility that the PSVR is pre-owned and repackaged as brand new? I can't believe that, as the order is fulfilled by Amazon themselves. It would be good to know why the lenses were dirty.

Avoid buying this from Amazon, headphone jack broke within 2 weeks and is really difficult to play without headphones as you can't hear what side things are coming from with sound coming just from the TV. Amazon refuse to replace it even though I had only used it 5 times before it broke, they will only offer a refund, but as this was bought during Black Friday it will now cost £70 extra to re buy again. I have contacted PlayStation who were incredibly surprised at Amazon's response saying they had a legal responsibility to replace it, but PlayStation will try to repair it as its covered by their 1 year warranty but this will take around a month to do. Very disappointed and frustrated with Amazon.Before it broke I did have good fun with this VR set. Moss and Astro Bot are brilliant games. I just wish I had bought it from a company with an actual store that I could return it to, and that would honor the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which Amazon is clearly in breach of.

Should have bought the new one. With customs it come to 300 euro. And it wasn't in the original box. !

Really good experience but not for weak stomach. I got sick a few days after playing it and still not sure if I had caught a virus or if it was from the VR. Some games are fine, others (like rollercoaster simulation one and resident evil 7) had me sweating and feeling a bit sick. I will stick to the games I know are ok for me for now and persevere as the technology and actual experience is worth it.