Virtual Reality has always been an eluding dream for gamers of all kinds. We had some novelty VR experiences out there, at Disney, Arcades and other attractions. They were cool, exciting, but the user had little to no control over their experience in that interactive digital world. These past couple years has finally broke that trend, letting VR users explore and open and interactive world. Many of the systems out there, Oculus, Vive even cheaper versions like Google Cardboard was this technologies segway into the consumer market. The virtual world was nearly upon us.

VR gaming offers the user an experience that was next to impossible to achieve without this incredible technology. The first time I put on my Playstation VR and became completely immersed in the gaming world, I was shocked and bewildered. I fell in love with this incredible way to game. The second I unboxed my Playstation VR I knew it was going to be something mindblowing. It looked like a fighter jet helmet when you first opened that slick packaging it came in. (This really doesn’t have anything to do with the system or the technology, but the box it came it is something to note. It was a sleek white box and to open it, you pushed the top back and it kind of looked like a treasure chest. The only thing that would have made it cooler would be a light shining up and “ahhh” was sang when it opened.)

PSVR – Impression

The first game I played on the VR was “No Man’s Sky”, before you look it up, no, it is not VR compatible. But playing non-VR games on Playstation VR is still an experience. It opens the game screen up inside the visor, basically acting like a personal IMAX theater. I purchased my VR at the midnight release and had work early in the morning so I started the download of Eve Valkyrie(a Playstation VR compatible game) and wanted to at least try the thing out before I went to bed, so ‘No Man’s Sky” was my go-to.

First, I looked around at the world of this alien planet., a bit disappointed I was still playing in 2D. I walked around a little bit, with each step becoming a little more amazed by this technology that was strapped around my head. Before long, my character wandered off a cliff and plummeted into the water below. Instinctively I threw my hands up, controller goes flying, thinking I’m actually falling off a damn cliff.

My first run of a VR compatible game was right after work the day of release. Valkyrie was downloaded and I was ready for my first go at a true Virtual Reality experience. It was everything I could have imagined and more. I was completely immersed in this world filled with spaceships and enemy threats,. The first mission had me flying this incredible craft through the void of space and I was watching my hands minic my controls as this spaceship pilot. I saw my shoulders, the inside of my craft from every angle, and tracking targets to the left and right of me with my eyes and head., It truly made me feel as though I was in this craft, billions of miles away flying through space. As cool as it was, I do have to admit there are areas which the technology and games need to improve.

Limitations vs. Functionality

The Playstation VR functioned great, easy to set up and delivered an extremely thrilling Virtual Reality experience. However, the resolution was something that threw me off at first. I was a bit confused, expecting to see a 1080p screen in front of my eyes and instead saw this slightly pixilated, holographic world that surrounded me. When I say ‘slightly pixilated’ I am more referring to the way a holographic playing card looks when you shift it to perform its action. It was strange and took a little time to get used to. Yet, after putting a few hours in, I completely forgot about the slight imperfection in the screens resolution.

There is one thing I need from my Playstation VR that it just can’t deliver on, a full fledged single-player adventure game. Granted, it has been only a few weeks since the hardware became available to the masses. Resident Evil 7 is something to look forward to, but the games that are coming out which have VR aspects are usually only available on some levels. Call of Duty Infinite Warfare, Tomb Raider, Battlefront just to name a few games that are coming out with VR missions. But these are really the only things that I have against Playstation VR, other than that it’s a good buy.

Thank you all so much for reading, hope you enjoyed my impression of Playstation VR and Virtual Reality gaming in general. We as gamers have come so far and the technology only continues to get cooler. Can’t wait to see how this technology progresses in the next few years. In all honestly, the next few months have a lot in store as well. Check back soon for more reviews, tech and industry news!