Quick Answer
Depending on what one is looking for, PlayStation VR may be worth it for someone who only plays PS4 but then, when placed against the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive for multiplatform use, there are many questions that the PSVR has not been able to answer, hence it may not completely be worth it.
No, playing the game is not enough; being a part of it is what we are all after since the future has been brought to us many years earlier than many of us have anticipated. This is thanks to Virtual Reality (VR) which is now slowly becoming the norm with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive at the frontline as well as the PlayStation VR which has enjoyed massive patronage as the best-selling VR.
Thanks to the popularity of PlayStation, the PSVR has got to be the favored one among PS4 gamers even though there are still many who believe it is not necessarily the best that one can get. Considering things like its performance, make/hardware, and price among other factors, the question that sustains therefore, is whether or not the PlayStation VR is worth getting. Let’s find out.
Features of the PlayStation VR
Looking at the features of the PSVR, it becomes clear why it comes more affordable than others, although that is not to claim that it doesn’t meet up with the rest. With a 5.7 inches screen size, it has a resolution of 960 by 1080 (on each eye) which is lower than 1080 by 1200 that you get with both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. However, it seems to settle things rather well with a refresh rate of 120Hz against 90Hz that the other two VRs offer. The 120HZ is achieved when on the Cinema mode outside of which you get 90Hz.
For the Field of view, PSVR offers less than you get with the others as it only gives approximately 100 degrees while you get 110 with the others. In addition, it makes use of the OLED technology as against the PenTile OLED technology with the other two. Other things the PSVR has are integrated microphone, accelerometer, and gyroscope sensors while it uses HDMI and USB connectors.
PlayStation VR Performance
Before the PSVR came on board, Oculus and HTC had registered very massive marks with their performances offering a sci-fi experience to the core. With that on the side, PSVR has done a very great job even though it still falls short behind the two. Not to be confused, it delivers very good images to the point that surprises. It may not necessarily be the smoothest, but it works very well.
For the field of view which determines the wideness of the images you get, it may be less than what you get with HTC and Oculus at 100 degrees, but it still works out very well. More so, the 18ms latency that it has also contributed to its smoothness ensuring that there is no obvious lag.
Using the PlayStation VR for movie watching can also be great when set on the Cinematic mode. Still, you will not find it world changing as it still leaves something more to be desired. That being said, you should also be able to watch 360-degree videos using the headset. Just know, however, that neither the movie nor gaming is exactly realistic.
Platform
Instead of joining the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive to fight for the PC gaming market, what Sony has decided on doing is to settle for its close to 35 million gamers that own the PlayStation 4. What this essentially means is that the PSVR is only designed to work on PS4, as such, if you are looking for something for PC use, you may as well look for a different VR gear.
Though Sony designed it for only PS4 use, there are people who still use it on non PS using the Trinus PSVR which is a third party software. It is important to point out that although you will not have the best VR experience or be able to play room-scale games, you should not have any problem with Standing VR games with keyboard and mouse controller support.
Price
Compared to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the PlayStation VR is the best when looking at the pricing. All the VRs are relatively expensive, but costing significantly less than the HTC Vive which is the most expensive of the three and the Oculus Rift which sells at around $500, the PSVR sells for between 300 and 400 dollars, making it rather cheap.
Nevertheless, when you compare that with what the other two offer, you may as well get the feeling that it is not entirely worth it, except if you are a console gamer.
See Also: Xbox One X vs PS4 Pro: Which One is Better and More Powerful?
One last thing to mention here is that there are games that you may need other accessories to play such as Move and Aim controllers which you will have to buy differently. You will not need any other accessories when you are using the other VRs.
Is PlayStation VR Really Worth It?
While at the end of it all, this will still remain a tough question to answer, one can say that it is worth it most especially if you are looking for PS4. More so, when looking at the price, there is no reason why one should not go for this VR.
Where the ground may not be that good is when you are set to get something for multiplatform performance as the PSVR is not necessarily the best, most especially when you place it against high-end VRs like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
Conclusion
The PSVR is still a great VR that can get you believing you are only watching the world you are in or another galaxy entirely through a pair of goggles. It is important to understand that since it is designed for PS4, it will serve you in an excellent way in that regards but once you need something for multiplatform use, this may not be the best bet.
If after gaming on the PSVR for a long time you begin to feel dizzy, it is a problem that you get with all other VR. Hence what is advised is that you always give yourself some time off after gaming for probably 15 minutes in the helmet.
