Microsoft has no Xbox answer to PlayStation VR's immediate threat

Public trials of PlayStation VR are going on at various events across the world and my own chance came at Insomnia 58 over the August bank holiday weekend in Birmingham (the UK one, not the Alabama one.) Booking a slot to try it out is increasingly tough as we get closer to launch and what happened after mine should give Microsoft something to think about.

24 hours after my trial I had a PlayStation 4 sat on my desk ready and waiting for October 13 (or some point after depending on how orders actually go.) Microsoft has teased VR support for Project Scorpio, but that's not coming until the latter part of 2017 at best. PlayStation VR is so good already that it could quickly become a defining feature that drives console sales for years.

VR is still a fairly niche thing but it's very quickly becoming part of mainstream and mobile computing. Google is readying its Daydream mobile VR system, Samsung has Gear VR, and then there's the goliaths that are Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The mobile options are good, but fall way short of the incredible experience you get from the likes of Oculus and HTC.

The Rift and the Vive are very expensive and require substantial PC hardware to push their experiences. There's no way around it, but for the power and price you do get the very best VR experience around.

Waiting for Scorpio puts Microsoft on a 12-month backfoot

PlayStation VR sits in the middle. There are already tens of millions of PS4 owners around the world who already have everything they need to get in on the action. The rest comes in the box with the headset. It's not as good an experience as Rift and Vive, but it's close enough to be immersive, exciting and ultimately, enormous fun.

It's the first instance of true VR for the masses, and those masses will love it.

This is why I'm a little concerned about Microsoft's seemingly lethargic stance towards the VR onslaught. Sure, VR hasn't exactly taken off yet, but I have now doubt that it will. Just as the iPhone did for previously niche smartphones, I'd wager that PlayStation VR will be right on the front lines of leading and defining the virtual revolution. It can, and will sell consoles, and right now there's no Xbox answer to it.

That it's still a console offers an advantage over the high-powered Vive and Rift: when you don't want to strap on a VR headset you can instead kick your feet up and sink back into the sofa to play Uncharted 4 or Gran Turismo on your TV. VR-capable PCs are perfectly capable gaming rigs, but gaming on a PC isn't for everyone.

I still prefer the Xbox One as a console, and having now owned every PlayStation and every Xbox, I feel well placed to make a reasoned judgment on that. With the Xbox One, Microsoft really kicked it up a gear, and it's definitely my number one. Sony's software is pretty bad, the console is ridiculously noisy and the exclusive games aren't as appealing as those available on Xbox.

It might lose out on things like graphical power, but all round I'm quite happy and believe it's still the best option — especially with the upgraded Xbox One S. But that's me, and I already have an Xbox One. And yet I went out bought a PS4 based on little else other than PlayStation VR.

I'm not representative of everyone, of course, but I am concerned at what effect Sony's latest showpiece will have on Xbox. If VR really does take off, and there's no reason to think it won't, Microsoft is going to be playing a serious case of catch up.

And that makes me more than a little nervous.

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

234 Comments

"immediate threat" is an exaggeration.
Have you tried it?
I've tried Oculus and it was fun. The problem I had was afterwards. I was fine using it but once I had it off it felt like my balance was off and the room was moving independent of me. Took me a couple hours before I felt right again.
you are not alone and I expect that to be the issue with many until things improve. Plus, the additional expense of VR will turn many off. I with you that it is over exaggerated and it will be marketing hype but it could be the hype that wins this holiday season -- because there is no other noise to stop it.
Yeah, this is also why 3D failed. I bought my kid a Nintendo 3DS years ago and was totally blown away. I have a 3D TV today that converts *everything* into 3D and am totally blown away. Yet, I hear people tell me it's a gimmick and/or makes them nauseous. I wonder if VR will suffer the same fate.
Ya, I don't get the hate for 3D TVs. I have one and only buy 3D blurays. And I even play some ps4 games in 3D. It's so dope, I wish it was better supported on the gaming front, but at least every movie comes out in 3D blu
I tried both Vive and PSVR. The resolution of of PSVR is much lower ad it isn't as responsive. It's also cheaper. YMMV.
Problem is, the masses won't have experienced the rift or vice so will not have that comparison. They will only be able to compare it to google cardboard or similar, to which it is a lot better. Sure, the Scorpio will also have an edge on PSVR, but it will cost that much more too. I'm all for Xbox and I have a Vive, but I'm also considering PSVR because that's where the market share will be for the next year, so that's where the games will be. Amazing as the Vive is, there's just not much available for it in the way of games. There's about a dozen decent "tech demos", Elite and Project Cars. That's it! And nothing really seems to be coming out in the near future. Fallout will be cool for sure but it's going to be hard to get it right.
@kieran, i tried the vive in a Microsoft store, so when gamers wander into there local malls and see a someone with a headset on through the store front window, they most definitely will get to experience the vive. After demoing the vive in a Microsoft store, I came back later in the day for a purchase. If you think there are only a dozen tech demos for vive, you obviously don't have a steam account. Try using either the hardware or "VR" games filter with in steam.
For console VR, the Vive is the best headset and that works on both PC and the Steambox consoles. If you don't want an expensive console when you already have a PC then streaming through the Steam Link or an HTPC (such as a cheap stick PC) will cover the non-VR TV gaming for the PC streamer. The PS4 VR is a cheap version (as is console TV gaming compared to streaming from a PC) and is good if you can't get the rest, but really it is always going to be Plan B. The only console without is the Xbox. Thing is, consoles are getting less and less worth while. Unless you don't have a PC, they can't compete with streaming. With the much smaller console market of the near future, Xbox may well be the loser. I doubt the console market will be able to support all the boxes it does today and the obvious one to dump is Xbox. MS should allow Xbox to support the Vive or Rift systems like Windows does. Frankly, they should just put Windows on the Xbox with a decent TV UI and sell the Xbox as a cheap gaming/HTPC alternative. Stop this restriction stuff. How long did MS take to stop blocking the use of a mouse and keyboard on the Xbox? If they take as long before allowing VR peripherals there will be no more Xbox before 2018 is over.
If you have a vive, it's hard to believe you would downgrade to a lower performing psvr. VR requires gfx horsepower even on a pc. To each his own, I will enjoy vive now and wait for next gen experiences with Scorpio.
Microsoft has lost another war, in a couple of years Xbox will be at 1% of the market and our mistermind nadella will say that Xbox is for business... I love windows and ms products, but this new management are total loosers
For Enterprise dagnammit! Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
That's exactly where it is going. Scorpio will be the Lumia 950 XL equivalent and will be the last Xbox. They dumped Kinect, they dumped exclusivity. There is really no point for Xbox to exist anymore. Next up is Windows. It is good that Microsoft has so many good things going on for the new CEO to kill off to focus on short term gains.
And you are also an idiot
You are an idiot
@max-ecs; Lost another war? What war? VR isn't going anywhere it's being introduced to the market. The same for mobile, not going anywhere and will always be there for anyone whenever they have a product or service.
Microsoft has no VR consept. Their consept is called AR and don't gives you headace after you have used them. I will not be surpriced if they will be on sale this year. (No Xbox needed.)
The reason what you saw looks decent compared to the PC VR is just like any other software. It's built for it. Risking stutter on low entry VR hardware is what devs avoid. Now think of Scorpio level VR vs what is being made for the current PS4 low level crap. Cause they are crap. Not only people will get a much better experience and much better visuals but by then you won't be somehow forced to buy a bunch of crapware to excuse your new hardware purchase. It's what happens with everything new. To have something to play on your new hardware you buy **** you wouldn't even look at later on. I got golf on my Xbox one for crying out loud...
I have tried oculus. And really, I didn't see the point. You move the video screen 3 inches from your eyes from 6 feet (not really a benefit), it tracks your head so you can see different angles which could be useful, but there was not much of a benefit. Really, I see Sony's offering like Kinect, it will sell well at first, but not many titles will be released after the initial rush - Kinect is, to my knowledge, still the fastest selling device. Kinect would track your whole body, this will only track your head rotating. You need to be standing to get it to recognize 360 degree motion (and remember how standing and waving your arms was considered a horrible thing for Kinect), and you need to be tethered to a wire which will restrict your movement. And let's not forget how buying an add on device, at least when Kinect was announced, immediately ment it would be a failure, why would this not be a quick failure for the same reason? When the Kinect was announced, Sony scrambled to release a camera that tried to do what Kinect did, and it was a miserable failure. The rumor is that Sony is releasing Neo because the current PS4 is not powerful enough to handle this VR system. We have people screaming about how they feel ripped off needing to buy a XB1s, why wouldn't Sony fans feel the same needing to buy a new PS to strap a VR headset to their face?
Ps2 had a camera called EyeToy. MS stole the idea from them as they do everything else. (I am not certain of any other video gaming cameras for Nintendo or Sega prior to this).
true.. we had windows mobile 6.0.. Iphone was no immediate threat to the smartphone platform with Microsoft dominating
Probably the same thing the Ballmer administration said about the iPhone during internal meetings.
Exactly. VR is going to be a very niche product and by no means a "mainstream" gaming experience for many years. Its far more likely that VR will be just like 3D was.
The cost of VR, and the fact that you have to wear uncomfortable and bulky crap on your head will keep this out of the main consumers sights. (and yes I've tried it)
What if Xbox starts supporting Oculus :D
In 12 months time? How many PSVRs do you think will have been sold by then? Not to mention the Rift is extremely expensive. As likely will Scorpio be.
Rift isn't that much more expensive than psvr... A psvr headset WITHOUT the tracking camera is $400 and tack on the "bundle" for the camera and move controls and it ends up being about $500, don't have a ps4? Another $400 for a system that doesn't do anything more than media consumption and then find out your best experiences have already moved on to the neo, which is another probably $400-500 at a minimum. Also, Sony laughs at the idea of backwards compatibility; want to play those games you bought previously? Sorry, have to purchase them again. Long term the pc is a lot more versatile and better bang for your buck, especially since you can do stuff other than toss money at sony... Oh, and anything you buy will work with future upgrades on a pc too. You can build a vr ready system for about $500 these days.
If you had the old system and old games, just hold on to the old system. Stop being cheap fuxks trading your consoles and then wishing you could play your old games on the new console your traded up for. It's not like I can install and play my old pc version of destruction derby or where in the world is Carmen sandiego on my surface pro. Eventually you gotta let go, or hold on to your old hardware.
Well, if it has come out since Windows 95, you could. 32 bit Windows games still play on Windows 64 bit. And I think (not 100% sure) that if you happen to be running a 32 bit version of Windows, you can still run 16 bit Windows programs, including games. I don't think 16 bit Windows programs will run on 64 bit Windows. The only PC games that definitely can not run on Windows in their original release form are the old DOS games that take direct control of the hardware and memory, like a lot of the later Origin games did (Ultima 7, Wing Commander, etc.).
Not true, at least for my machine. I believe they did come out for windows 95, and I tried to install on win 8 or 7. It's missing dlls as some system dlls were changed or removed with newer versions of the OS. Or it was certain drivers. I don't remember but I kept getting errors when I tried.
One issue I ran into was the x86 compatible games that are x86, may not work on x64. Shogo Mobile Armor devision will not install on my x64 , but it will install on my backup x86 and then trasnfer over to my x64 and still work.
I actually think this was the main issue I had..
@KillaRizzay, I don't believe that's generally true. Could it be a copy protection scheme and you're not inserting the disks? Those were very popular in the past, but not so much now. Or maybe it is a 16 bit game (which would have worked fine on 32-bit Windows 95) and you're running a 64 bit Windows?
It was probably a 16 bit game. But regardless what the case was (I definitely had legit disks I was trying to install from) it perfectly illustrates my point that there are many variables including hardware, software, driver, architecture, etc. Therefore nothing can remain backwards compatible forever unless technology itself were stop advancing.
@KillaRizzay, good point on backwards compatibility having a limited lifespan. I know MS isn't doing this, but they could (they own all the necessary tech and I assume licenses): just make previous versions of the OS available via Hyper V as full virtual machine images. That way, thought could provide support all the way back through DOS programs. It still might not work for games that talked directly to the hardware, but that was a fairly brief window and only applied to a few games. Here's an article on some that might not work: http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2013/06/ultima-vii-on-real-hardware.... But aside from those few, and those whose copy protection requires physical access to the disk, pretty much everything else would work.
That'd be cool
Xbox is NOWHERE near powerful enough to drive Oculus or Vive.
No. He's talking about the release of Scorpio next year. Which is 6x the power of Xbox One. And easily will run Oculus. In fact MS hi red its coming.
That's his point though: it's not being released until next year, while Sony's solution is coming out in a few months.
And that's what needs addressing ASAP. If a console is going to remain competitive it needs to be able to run the latest AAA games, even if it needs to take a resolution hit and lower quality visuals to do it. The fact the games are VR makes no difference to that requirement. Xbox needs to keep up with the hardware requirements to support this stuff so they need to get it out there very soon. The VR hardware is there for Windows, it is already Microsoft compatible and MS products already have the head start. MS just needs to bump up the video power on the Xbox and open it up to support newer hardware without taking the usual MS approach demonstrated before such as taking over a decade to bum-scratch and beard-stroke their way to letting people plug a mouse and keyboard in.
PS4 is nowhere near powerful enough to do proper VR either, and, quite frankly, neither will be the PS4 Neo. I think Sony screwed themselves over here. They've invested a ton of money into a product that is already outdated (VR for PS4), and then spent even more money trying to slightly improve the experience (VR for PS4 Neo), and neither are good enough, and both will be too expensive for mainstream adoption anytime soon. For a supposedly revolutionary experience, the amount of hype just a few weeks before launch is almost non-existent. That's not a good thing, for Sony.
If VR won't work on the Neo then it won't work on the Scorpio either.
Isn't Scorpio packing substantially more potent graphical hardware specifically for VR?
Same as the Neo.
@Sin Ogaris, I just double-checked, and while the specs are mostly rumor at this point, it looks like the Scorpio trounces the Neo spec-wise. Most notable 6 TFLOPS, 320GBGB/s for Scorpio vs. 4.14 TFLOPS, 218GB/s for the Neo. That's basically the difference between being able to handle 4k VR and not being able to handle it. For PC gamers, it's also the difference between the GTX 1070 and the last generation GTX 970. Again, just rumors at this point, so maybe that data is wrong, but based on what's out so far, that's all we can know.
Remember the ps vr has a separate processing unit attached. So while all xbox/scorpios resources will be needed to power vr (assuming the support oculus or rift as opposed to developing something specific to Xbox like Sony did) the ps4 won't, as the PSVRs own processor will do some of the work. Maybe that's why Sony doesn't care about the discrepancy here/ why Scorpio needs to go way above and beyond. In fact, if you were to use the PSVR on a stock, launch ps4, the external processor affords the launch ps4 an extra 512mb of additional OS ram that would normally be in use by the OS without it. The processing unit may make all the difference
Good thing the PSVR comes with a separate processing unit to take some of the workload off the ps4. Everyone here seems to forget that and/or talk out of their ass without knowing the facts..
If MS partners with Oculus with the Rift and also partners with Oculus by using Oculus store for VR, they will dominate. Hopefully MS will be smart this round.
And how many people will be happy to shell out $600+ for a headset as well as lord knows how expensive Scorpio might be?
That's why they haven't announced it yet. Rift obviously wont be $600 next year.
And there's the second part. Scorpio is at least a year away. 12 months is a long time in the tech/gaming industry. I think they should have already come up with a plan for this and said more than just "Scorpio, VR, late 2017." That's not going to stop Average Joe Public trying a PlayStation VR now, having a kick ass time and buying in to it.
The problem is, if they say "Rift, next year, $300" who is going to buy Rift for $600 this year? PSVR is half baked. I'd rather have a premium experience, like I have now with Rift on my PC.
Exactly! I’m left wondering what exactly was the point of the article anyway? To say MS should’ve released a VR solution to just so they can say they can do it too? Well, I would rather have something that works well and delivers good gfx at a good resolution and framerate (especially considering the quite common motion sickness that comes with first gen headsets - especially PSVR) instead of a “me too” the way Sony is doing it. Actually (and IMO) PSVR is an attempt from Sony to use the current VR hype by releasing something cheap (in comparison to the Rift and Vive that is) just to make a quick buck instead of delivering a good experience - *cough*NOMANSKY*cough*. Therefore, I’m glad MS didn’t go the same route and put out a VR just for the sake of having one themselves even though the best you can expect are “experiences” that can be played 20min at a time - that is if you don’t get sick sooner.
The point of this article is to say MS if falling behind in this VR tech on consoles, but to me, it is a huge assumption that VR will be a fully immersive standard way of playing games. I dont think it will and i think MS made the right decision to do not do a 1st party VR project and work with rift instead. Right now at this point, it is a race to be the first, but just seeing the games previewed with VR this year shows that VR isnt even remotely close to being a standard way of gaming. It is a niche as article stated, the games will be nothing more than a VR demo charged for $50 a game. If VR becomes viable and worth the investment, that isn't until way down the road. At this point, it is im getting VR just to get it, but tell me what the catalog of games coming out that will be a fully immersive game instead of a VR demo? So the article is to say MS is "falling behind" in VR, but who is to say that is the wrong move?
Well written and reflecting my viewpoint on the matter. MS going with Oculus for the foreseeable/near future is the best move they could have done. Wait until the tech matures and you can deliver something actually good (and see if VR actually takes off) while in the meantime you partner with someone delivering tech that is actually (at least moderately) good. In regards to VR AMD has stated: “LiquidVR will continue to drive hardware and software technologies that will ultimately lead to the nirvana of VR: 16K/eye, 144Hz and above refresh rate, and virtually no latency, all in a wireless, small form factor package” - I would add as lightweight as possible as well. In comparison even the Vive/Rift are gimmicks let alone something like PSVR. And yet I’ve seen quite a lot of people saying how PSVR is the one that’s going to push VR as a whole, but I can see it doing the reverse - alienating the concept of VR if the experience isn’t as good as some imagine it to be which is exactly what happened to No Mans Sky.
You know, as you talk about Sony getting in on vr just for the sake of having one, I watched a Gameranx video on controllers and it turns out, Sony made a power glove shortly after Nintendo did. If you remember the power glove, you know it wasn't very practical although it looked cool. I mean, vr could become mainstream, or maybe history is just repeating itself. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
The point in this article was simply "guys, dumb people will make impulse buys and experience buyers remorse in a few months when the software doesn't meet the expectations it did at first"
Enjoy your half-day drift it doesn't even have motion controllers.
That 12months timeframe works both ways, Sony is using current tech, if ms tech is 2017 tech, then you can easily end up with a better vr experience on the Scorpio the same way ps4 enjoys the edge over the current Xbox one. What happens 6months from now when someone considering a psvr realizes microsoft has something perhaps better in another 6months, you wait for the latter...
@Richard Devine, tech manufacturers need to be careful not to stop near-term sales with an announcement of something a while in the future. If MS announces much with Scorpio, unless they coupled it with clearance-sale pricing on Xbox One, it would seriously drag on sales until the release. A certain amount of circumspection is necessary. That said, I certainly hope for a quick release of Scorpio and the VR goodness to get ahead of Sony.
i don't know. how many people will be happy to shell out $400/500 for a headset?
ps vr and oculus are not THAT much of a difference. and as other people have said. when oculus gen 2 will launch, the old one will become less expensive.
THey are smart this roudn already, they did not make a 1st party vr accessory.
@Ruined; Correct and the HTC Vive both for the Desktop because they should have this pretty already done in DirectX with perhaps some additions even wiith the new USB protocols but then that might just be drivers for these devices.
I'd say HoloLens is Microsoft's answer, but it's not exactly VR nor is it being made to be a competitor to it... Maybe by the time Project Scorpio comes, an Xbox VR thing will come
Hololens is not in the slightest bit comparable as it just adds images to an existing environment (such as your living room). I was a VR doubter until I had a go with a Vive. Mind: blown.
HoloLens is AR - augmented reality, where you project something into reality around you. VR is virtual reality, everything is, as name says not-real i.e. virtual.
Microsoft's response is htc and oculus with windows 10 for now. Built my own Scorpio-VR box a few weeks ago with an htc vive...the amount of apps available that work with it are impressive....I am expecting Microsoft's upcoming entry into VR to rival at the least or even best my current Scorpio-VR build. (windows 10,gtx1070, i5,8gb ram, 500gb ssd)
And how much did all that cost you? Where I am I bought a PS4 and will get a PSVR for a fair bit less than just a Vive on its own.
PSVR sits between Mobile Phone VR and Oculus and Vive. There will be a market of course. I'm an Oculus Owner and with a GTX 1080 and PC this year it's costly but it's badass as well as when I get a scorpio. Yes PSVR will have a market (if Sony continues to do with it) but again it won't have an experience like on PC. They will have many exclusives for it. That's why it's my goal to own one as well lol Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
As soon as Uncharted and Gran Turismo have VR, it's done. Kids will go bananas.
LOL Uncharted in VR.,...
Grand Theft Auto Online:VR is when it'll happen. That'll sell hardware by the truckload.
Yep GTA, GT and others on VR, Oh my, I will never work again! ha ha.
For Uncharted to go VR I would assume it'll need to switch from 3rd person view to 1st person... Seriously doubt it would be a good VR experience because of the action nature of the game... I personally would feel nauseous right after the first 10 minutes lol.
To me VR should be only for specific games/experiences, not a generally used device
My opinion as well, people tend to thinking VR will have full games like witcher 3 in VR. VR is probaby good for maybe racing games or exploration games in First person, im not going to be excited to play final fantasy in VR, there really isn't a point to do that.
THIS. This is what very few people understand, VR only works for games where you are sitting down such as driving games and flight simulators - and you really need a steering wheel setup/cockpit setup. This has been a known problem for decades and people have been trying to solve it for decades - there is no solution. The problem is that you cannot walk around because of the space limitation on the room you are standing in, which means for any first/third person game you have to move by using a gamepad/controller - which is not remotely immersive, and nasuating for lots of people. It is also ultimately awkward and not as fun as the existing system. VR is useless for platform style games such as Ori etc VR is also useless for any sports games and is also anti-social in that you can only play alone, not even with people watching you play. And for driving games it doesn't add much because you are always looking forwards almost all the time anyway. There will be people that say, but i demoed a VR headset and it was awesome and it is awesome for a demo but as a system to play your favourite games it is not good at all. Just like ultimately gameplay is more important than the resolution of the game, gameplay is more important than the VR goggles, and gameplay suffers enourmously from the VR goggles. I love 3D as a concept, I owned CrystalEyes headsets for 3D and have done heaps of 3D programming but VR has the same problems it has always had and none of them are solved.
Kind of like Batman, which is getting a VR version.
About $2100, I modeled it after the approach MS is taking with the Scorpio, 6 teraflops, no holds barred, no excuses, no compromises. And it's room scale. PlayStation VR is suppose to have limited room scale via the camera, I'm not sure if it has any content for it. I'm room scale day one.
A PSVR + PS4 will cost $700 US, while a Rift plus video VR-Ready videocard costs $850-$900. Given the difference in performance, I'd say they are evenly priced.
What about the rest of the computer though? You are assuming that people just have a machine that's up to snuff in all other departments.
Microsoft should build Scorpio to support at least both VR, there is no reason for them not too.
They will support any Windows Holographic compilant Headset on W10 and Scorpio.
Ps4 cant handle any decent vr and Neo wont really be that much better. Ps vr looks destined to flop.
PS4 can handle VR just fine.
Do you even know what the Neo will be? You don't. Have you tried PS VR on an existing PS4? It handles it well enough for consumers to be happy.
Was it 4 flops?
If the neo can't do it, neither will the Scorpio.
Yeah sorry, VR is not a threat at all, such a niche product that won't catch on, not to mention the cost barrier
Won't catch on? Who are you to speak for millions that already have it? Have you tried an Oculus or HTC Vive? Psh you have no idea what it's like to play Virtual Reality Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
What millions? Don't be delusional.
Sorry didn't mean million. Now you have PS4 owners that I'm sure quite a few want PSVR and some may own a newer Samsung phone and has tried Gear VR which to me is like a demo. Millions may have been the wrong word. But for someone to say VR won't catch on because they most likely won't play it themselves isn't a good analysis Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
He meant the 10 people who bought a virtual boy.
not to mention the cost barrier
I think the point is PS4 kind of knocks out that argument compared to Vive or Oculus.
The full PSVR experience is not cheap:
PS4 = $350
PSVR = $400
PS camera = $60
PS Move = $60
---------------------
$870 (not including taxes) That's still a huge cost barrier.
Scorpio is going to cost almost that on it's own.
Scorpio has nothing to do with what I wrote. I wrote that $870 is a huge cost barrier. Just because something else may be more expensive doesn't mean that something less expensive isn't still expensive. PSVR is too expensive for mainstream adoption and isn't powerful enough to attract the niche crowd.
It's not too expensive though because the cost can be broken up. Most people that will want PSVR already will have a PS4, so that's $350 off the expense, the move controllers and camera can be gotten second hand so cheaply nowadays they also aren't an inhibitor. So it's only the VR itself and that costs the same as the console, so if they could afford the console they can likely afford the VR. There may very well be those who will specifically buy a system for VR but that isn't going to be the brunt of sales. In which case they are going in knowing the cost and will either afford it or not, but that won't be the bulk of those who adopt VR.
With PSVR there is no cost barrier though. Those buying a new console will obviously go for the more expensive version including VR, those who already owns a PS4 will almost be able to treat the VR accessory as an impulse buy.
I love when people feel a need to justify their purchases.
I love when people feel the need to justify their purchases.
So you're going to spend $600 (since you didn't already have a PS4), when you could've gotten an oculus rift for the same price. and if the argument is that you don't have a video card, well AMD released a $200 card that is great for vr and will outperform the ps4 and neo. and don't forget that PC games are cheaper and will look better than psvr equivalents. so if you can't wait a year for the scorpio, then it would make sense to get the oculus or vive. plus, i'm betting that both oculus and vive will be scorpio compatible. after all, scorpio is basically a windows 10 box. so you have a vr device that works cross platform.
"Sony has no PlayStation answer to Xboxes Kinect" that's how dumb this sounds.
lol, you just brought up the one product of Microsoft's that is basically EOL. Love them Kinect games in 2016.
Every single addon device in the history of consoles has failed. Wake me when a VR device is the fastest selling consumer electronic device in history with 23M units sold. Even with those massive sales Kinnect still failed to get widespread developer support because it was a limited market with only 1/4 of the userbase having the device, which is why Microsoft tried to bundle it with every X1. Now compare this to VR which is even more expensive than Kinnect. VR will likely be a niche market for the foreseeable future which is why NO AAA developer has dedicated resourses to making VR exclusive games. There is no killer app for VR on any platform and it is almost impossible to market on TV without the users looking like complete clowns.
@Vizer90, I generally agree with your point historically, but I do think there's a significant difference for VR -- it is a trivial change for a developer to enable for any first person game. Skyrim, Halo, Doom, Fallout, etc. Some pretty big games there. What I'd like to know/see, is if they will enable the main TV screen to still show a 2D or 3D image relating to what the player sees in the VR goggles. My family lets me play Fallout, because they all watch and tell me what to do, so it's something of a team playing and a family game that way. I'm not sure how many people are in a similar boat, but I think if the TV screen can't share the view with others, that would reduce adoption by at least some amount (but maybe not enough to matter).
Two great Kinect games have already launched in 2016 (Fru, Kung-Fu for Kinect), and at least three more Kinect games are coming this year.
Actually it has, it is called PS Move.
It's your understanding of this that's dumb actually.
Yeah. If VR really takes off, it will be another catch-up game for MS. But it is hardly surprising, as MS is no longer leading IT company as it used to be.
Microsoft's answer is Project Scorpio, which is supposed to be a PC, or compatible enough with a PC so that people will be able to use a Vive or an Oculus. I think there's zero threat, but well. If you ask me, VR is not going to be more of a hit than Kinect was (or PS's sticks) for a long time. Reasons: 1) Technology isn't just quite there (not only the helmet but the whole immersion experience, ie, being able to walk or move), 2) developers are lazy in terms of creativity (or willingness to invest resources in creating new gaming experiences vs. reiterating proven gameplay).
Scorpio Price: 699€ at best. HTV Vive: 800€ Oculus Rift: 600€. versus PS4 - Starting at 300€ PS VR - 400€. If you still think there's zero threat, you're definitely not seeing things clearly. Guess what will the consumers buy more? A Scorpio + Rift/Vive for 1300€/1400€, or a PS4+PS VR for 700€?
XOS + any coming VR headset? The MS platform is a lot more open.
PS4 is too slow for real VR. That's the reason for the Neo existing. I bet you're going to see a lot of returns when all the people get nauseated. Or the games are going to be simplified to prevent that. You already are seeing on-rails gaming for PSVR to minimize nausea. And another thing to keep in mind. People don't have to buy all at once. Buy your Oculus or Vive now. That cost will get amortized over time. then when the Scorpio is out, use that VR device on the Scorpio. You've already amortized the cost of the VR device over the year.
"Guess what will the consumers buy more? A Scorpio + Rift/Vive for 1300€/1400€, or a PS4+PS VR for 700€?" Neither. They're all too expensive for mainstream adoption.
PSVR will sell better than Vive/Rift solely due to the fact it's "plug and play". It is not at the level of the Vive as far as roomscale/controllers go however. Let's just hope that with all of the many first time VR users coming that Sony does it right. Many who have demoed Resident Evil 7 have said it makes them nauseated for example. Not a good first impression of VR for those people...
At this point, I'm only waiting for the release of the PS4K to ditch the Xbox One and move back to the PlayStation. The PS VR is one of the reasons. The Xbox One is a perfectly nice console for gaming, no complaints there. But that's that. As a Blu-Ray player it's absolute sh*t. It has no VR options. The software is atrocious (sorry, I much prefer the PlayStation one. No, it's not great. But at least it doesn't spam me with ads and tons of social crap I didn't ask for). Since the Xbox One S didn't solve any of the problems I see on the Xbox One, at this point I'm ready to go back to Sony from where I came. I gave the Xbox a chance. I saw no improvements to my experience (on the contrary, I was forced into an even worse UI and all the limitations to blu-ray capabilities remain). Project Scorpio will be a gaming PC disguised as a console and I'm pretty sure it will retain the same limitations and UI. Not to mention, if the VR sets it works with are the Vive or the Rift, I'm not spending that kind of money on a VR set. Not to mention that for the price of the Scorpio one'll probably be able to buy the PS4K AND the PS VR headset. So it's with a clear conscience that I'm ditching the platform (well, "ditching". The Xbox won't go anywhere as I don't sell my stuff. But my Gold subscription will not be renewed and I won't buy any more games. And the amount of times I'll turn it on will severely decrease. That's what I mean by "ditching"). And now the silly fanboys can downvote to appease their little hearts.
Why are you neglecting the PS Neo? That will surely sell for $700 or so then u have to buy the $400 VR set putting it in the exact place as the Scorpio with VR. Also just based on power for VR, no one will buy a PS 4 Basic for VR when the Neo and Scorpio will out perform it easily.
The PS4K and the PS Neo are the same thing.
And I'm not neglecting it. HOWEVER I also don't believe that the PS4K will cost 700€ as you suggest since it won't be an answer to the Scorpio anyway. Sony isn't concerned with trying to sell you a gaming PC. The PS4K is expected to be that. A PS4 with 4K support and probably extra juice for the PS VR but not to the extent of the Scorpio.
I expect it to retail for 500€ at the most and nothing above that although it's more likely to be sold for 399€ since the Slim will replace the current PS4 as the cheaper option. As for your question "why"? Simple. The PS4 runs PV VR well enough. A consumer who isn't looking for anything extraordinary out of their gaming experience (if they are, they buy a PC) WILL be plenty satisfied with the PS4. It's cheaper and runs PS VR. Take Richard as an example. He knows a better PS4 is a few days away. He knew that for months. But to him the current PS4 with PS VR is enough. Like him, many others. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
"The PS4 runs PV VR well enough".
Sure it does: Nausea Simulator 2016, at least.
uh huh... as always your stellar analysis. Let's see, your main concern with the Xbox One seems to be supposed limitations to it's Blu-Ray player. My main response to that is huh? With standard Blu-Ray players ranging from $60 to $130 USD, I've NEVER EVEN USED THE XBOX ONE AS A BLU-RAY player. We are YEARS beyond the time when people bought PS3's to use as Blu-Ray players because the cost of Blu-Ray players were pretty close to the cost of the PS3. Do you do anything other than whine about Microsoft?
Once again your ignorance pours over your comment like water from the Niagara falls. I'll answer you in just one comment as I know how paragraphs work without the need to write two comments: 1 - "With standard Blu-Ray players ranging from $60 to $130 USD" Yes. The Blu-Ray player in the Xbox One S is a major concern. And you talk of wisdom? Well there's nothing wise about spending money on a standalone player when you have a console that also has a built-in player. That's just economical stupidity. SPECIALLY when that console is presented as "your living room media centre". You never used the XBone player? Good for you. I haven't bought stand alone BD players for years because it's simply stupid to do so when a console already has it. For years by Blu-Ray player has been the PS3 and it continues to be (since the Xbox One can't read all discs it should). 2 - Are we years beyond that? Funny, 'cause I just remember seeing a ton of reviews for the Xbox One S presenting its 4K Blu-Ray player as the cheapest way to get a 4K Blu-Ray player. And I'm betting you many people will buy it just because of that as 4K TVs become mainstream. But of course, your lack of vision prevents you from seeing that. 3 - Blu-Ray players - on consoles or independent - don't wear down that easily. Unless of course you have no life and spend 24/7, 365 days a year watching films on it. Also, funny enough, the Blu-Ray players I had lasted a hell of a lot less than, for example, my PS3 which is still running and reading all the discs the Xbox can't read. 4 - And yes, precisely because the 4K blu-ray player on the Xbox One S is as crappy as the one on the original One, I'm not buying it. It would be utterly stupid indeed to spend 400€ in a console that can't read all discs when a stand alone 4K Blu-Ray player can. However, it would be even more stupid to spend 500€ on a stand alone 4K blu-ray player when I could just buy a PS4K and for the same price get the 4K player AND a gaming console. And no, I don't need the Xbox One to play Blu-Rays. I have a PS3 that does it better. However I also don't need to buy another Xbox for 4K discs half of which it won't be able to read and to keep wasting money on Xbox when it's not giving me what I want. Specially when the competition is. But of course, to fanboys like you, that's a too hard to grasp concept, rational choice. Do you do anything other than infest the world with half-baked thoughs and whinning over people not praising everything Microsoft does?
Blu-ray? Do they still have physical media? What years is this? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
I do this weird thing where I use equipment for their primary purpose and with an eye to the cost of replacement. Why would I use a $400 dollar Xbox One as a Blu-Ray player, putting wear on the drive when I have a $100 dollar Blu-Ray player that I would be fine with replacing if need be. That's called wisdom. I'll fire up the Xbox One to see how the Bu-Ray player is, but that's a definately not a primary factor for me and I expect the same for many other people as well.
You wrote a whole lot to say very little, but thanks for letting us know!
Whoa! People are crazy to think that VR (even only as good as it is now) won't catch on, PlayStation fans are totally in bed with anything PlayStation, I personally cringed when FFXV announced the VR capabilities, but some people will have rejoiced, Microsoft need to at least announce something soon, even if it's a half baked idea
People used to say 3D TV would catch on too. It hasn't. Neither will VR. Not anytime soon, anyway.
Is VR again a field where Microsoft will be too late? Holo Lens seems to be a thing more for business use than for gaming and the consumer market. This looks so familiar. And I'm not happy about that.
HoloLens is not VR, it's augmented reality. And yes, Microsoft will be late to the VR game. In fact, they already are.
Being late to the game is not a bad thing if your late product is somehow the best or most likeable version of the product categorie. Somehow Apple does it every time. It can be repeated. Surface is the proof.
Being late in the VR game isn't a bad thing, i hope they stay out of it and just focus on their 3rd party relationship with Oculus. Will sony's Vr sell? probably due to hype, will VR become the standard way of playing games? No, not for a long long time if ever.
Serious problem for Microsoft. Will be playing catch up even more considering they're already behind. They can target a slightly different segment of the market with the One S and it's 4K abilities which Sony cant with PS4. Will be interesting to see how it pans out but Sony definitely will get a ton of sales with PSVR, the PS4 Slim making it an even cheaper proposition. MS have their work cut out.
VR gets boring in 30 minutes.
I used to think that until I played Onward. Now I play for hours...
...and makes me hurl in about 5 minutes.
That's unfortunate...
LOL
Have you ever tried VR? Heck, VR didn't even get boring in 30 minutes back in the early nineties (check out the story of W-Industries) with it's atrocious graphics (by today standards) or 200lb helmet you had to wear.
They do if they release the HoloLens for the same price.
The HoloLens is not a VR headset. They'd be answering apples with oranges.
Well, if oranges sell better... ;-)
Except they won''t. Ask Google how their GoogleGlass worked out ;)
Google Glass was just a smartwatch + AR gimmicks. HoloLens is a real device with its own set of uses and practical settings.
None of which are games.
The answer is called: PC :D Or HTC Vive to be more specific :D
In just 4 months Vive games have improved dramatically. There is even a 4v4 multiplayer ARMA style shooter where you can crouch, lay prone etc. It's incredible. Can't wait to see where this tech goes...
Will it be a serious problem if Microsoft supports/accommodates all relevant AR and VR platforms?
I have yet seen a game built from the ground up that screams must buy for VR. let alone psvr.. Games so far are addons or basic games. VR is great for certain types of games like racing, slow paced fps, simple games. But playing twitch fps,third person shooters,moba,rts,fighting games on VR sounds horrible.
Maybe when Scorpio lands it will stream vr to a wireless version of rift and use Kinect instead of htc beakons. And that would be a premier unteathered experience because u would not need to clutch controllers.
That would make Kinect a zombie because it is so f... dead.
Exactly!!!! Don't forget that ms and intel just entered into a VR partnership and intel is already talking about untethered vr. And Microsoft is set to update window 10 with vr api first half of 2017. I love my tethered vive, it doesn't get in the way too bad, but why buy a psvr with a tethered experience when there is a good chance Microsoft and gang will introduce a untethered experience on the Scorpio...ill enjoy 2016 tech for now, and will wait for Scorpio.
Also a consumer HoloLens on it's existing tech at 500.00 plus an upgraded one with eye sheiled (allowing the projectors to go full vr with the HPU 2 is also not out of the realm of reality...but for now the ps vr hurts. What Ms gains with rift and Scorpio though is an upgrade path for vr that psvr does not seem to have.
I call bullshit. Microsoft isn't afraid of anything Sony has as Scorpio will have full Rift compatibility.
PlayStation already leads Xbox 2-1 prior PSVR. Too late for threat.
I look at the cost this way, I paid $650 for an 950xl, yes a windows phone. And plan to buy whatever panos is cooking up. And plan to do it every year that they come out with the successor. Based on the the fact that millions pay premium $ for an iPhone as well as upgrade every year. Why wouldn't millions pay for a premium VR experience??? HTC vive sales are said to be approaching 100k units if not already past that. The vive is $200 more than the rift, the vive is seen as the better experience. Combine that with rift sales, lots of people willing to pay for a premium experience.
Most iPhones are sold subsidized or on payment plans. Smartphones have way more mainstream appeal than VR gaming.
Several people mentionned HoloLens, but HoloLens isn't the answer here, VR immersion is still nicer and simpler for games and will stay like that for a while. They are however half right... The answer isn't HoloLens but Windows Holographic ! Put the pieces together: - Windows Holographic can handle VR and AR/MR, it can process environment understanding that's required for HoloLens, but also for safe immersive gaming where you move around. - Intel annonced Alloy reference design that will provide the foundation for every OEM/ODM to build VR headsets, even including some MR features through cameras, and already annonced it is running Windows Holographic. - Microsoft annonced they'll have hardware requirements by end of this year, and they already annonced the Windows Holographic components (shell, environment understanding, gestures,...) will be part of Windows 10 for PC. So the vision should be clear now...
Any PC with updated Windows 10 will be able to manage VR and AR/MR headsets with a complete software layer that provides launcher, and 2D Universal Windows Apps support within VR and MR, Holographic Universal Windows Apps can run on PC and provide VR or MR 3D surrounding experiences on an attached headset.
At the same time, Windows 10 Holographic will be a specific SKU for all-in-one headsets, completely usable from the VR or MR environement without ever having to attach a 2D display.
Finally, Xbox One is already running Windows 10, so if performances are acceptable, they could provide the exact same Holographic Universal Windows Apps support on consoles for simpler games like Sony is doing with PSVR. I wouldn't be surprised if Xbox One S already was designed for a bit of extra performances to fit that plan. We won't need to wait for Scorpio, every Windows 10 PC will soon be able to provide VR+MR with accessory headsets, at the same time, all-in-one headsets running Windows 10 Holographic could be available as early as Q1 2017. Both will come from several manufacturers bringing choices up and prices down. On the consoles side, Xbox One S could have a solution for the not too complex games with performances probably similar to the first generation of all-in-one headsets, and Scorpio will bring the full performances for more intensive games, similar to accessory headsets connected to Windows 10 PCs with Holographic support. They cover both the casual VR and hardcore VR, with a single platform that can scale from the all-in-on headset to the high-end PC with accessory headset, and a single platform for mobile (Alloy type devices), PCs and consoles, all compatible with the Holographic Universal Windows Platform.
@phillips, Could not have said it better myself. As i said, will wait for Scorpio next gen VR. Will enjoy premium current gen VR with vive for now.
That is a very good point right there
As far as I know PSVR is still half baked, with low fps you can use it for short time periods without geting nauseous, if you cant use it for at least 2 counsecutives hours it wont get mainstream, the problem with that is that it'll give VR a bad reputation and will afect all VR devices.
I've tried psvr. The fps isn't the problem. Actually it runs at 120hz while the other headsets run a 90hz. The problem, for me at least, was the low resolution. I believe all current vr headsets have this problem, but when I tried psvr and I was watching the demo I was about to play being mirrored on screen with surprisingly good graphics, then I put the headset on only for the whole image to become low res - I immediately made my decision to wait for gen 2 of this tech. I honestly don't understand why this doesn't bother more people. It really hinders the immersion imo.
The software quality alone is enough for me to never even look at a PS.
But we have learned from history that it often isn't the best product that wins the competition.
You sir are the true definition of MS hardcore fan.
Truth hurts?
I know, PS4 has absolutely no decent games. I mean, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Bloodborne only managed to get metacritic scores of 90+, plus there's only the likes of Dreams, WiLD and The Last Guardian to come. In all seriousness, I don't own a PS4, I've been an Xbox owner since the original toddler-squashing one launched way back when, and this is the first time in its history that my loyalty is waning. The dashboard gets more laggy with every update, and for every Sea of Thieves being developed for the XBox One, Sony have at least half a dozen exclusives to tempt me away. And that's ignoring the demonstrably lower graphical abilities on Microsoft's console. Scorpio can't come quick enough.
Cool... Three.
What has Xbox got?
Everything. Also the freedom to play a growing collection of games on Desktop, Laptop, XO, XOS and the ability to stream them between devices with close to zero latency.
Close to zero latency is a flat out lie, streaming crashes constantly and there is input lag as well. You also didn't mention any games.
No, it isn't and no it doesn't crash constantly. I have had the stream crash twice since it got implemented. I also mentioned more than just games. We have a huge amount of games. The only difference is that the PS often has cheaper games.
Nevermind, since you aren't actually going to respond to the question.
I mean honestly, besides enterprise and cloud, what is Microsoft leading in?
I am still waiting to be convinced by VR, or rather the software and titles I have seen so far, only Resident Evil 7 looks good, but is it worth me paying £350? Hell no.
I remember the terrible experience most people had and have with 3D on TV at home. So I agree that VR has to deliver before I spend my money on it.
Microsoft didn't have a response for the "threat" of 3D TV either. Not really worried. I'm sure there will be some OR support for those interested with Scorpio.
I don't even like 3d at the movies. You ever notice when going to watch a new movie in the theaters that the non-3d version gets limited show times whereas the 3d version is more prominent? All to make $3 more for crappy 3d.
Not really into this VR thing(possibly because I haven't tried it outside a mobile app) and I haven't tried HoloLens for obvious reasons but Richard I think Microsoft approach here is to give consumers a product when they can make full use of it. As it stands the x1 isn't powerful enough to use Kinect features and push a game at FHD so why create a vr solution that would possibly be hampered by a underpowered console and less than your competitors? I think what ms is doing is gathering data, seeing how the field does and then to go ahead of them. My hope is that with Scorpio, MS goes future than what Sony/HTC/Oculus are currently offering. I hope they bring a solution that incorporates the illumiroom/kinect and Hololens techs.
Please. Microsoft gutted the Kinect when they pumped out this horrific new operating system. The main reason we bought one was for the combination of voice and gesture control. You think they'll actually do anything decent with VR? LOL.
Sorry. But only Sony fanboys are actually praising Playstation VR. It's weak resolution and lower quality visuals are actually an issue. As is the framerate. Plenty of hands on declare that Oculus is in a different league to PSVR. And to be honest Sony should have gone with Oculus and Vive the same way MS has. Scorpios VR is going to completely destroy Morpheus. In resolution, framerate and visual fidelity. So much so people will be embarrassed they spent over £800 just to get PSVR running. That's right. It will cost you £800 for the weakest and vastly inferior VR experience Sorry but the article is clickbait. PSVR is also not really playable longer than 15 mins. It needs to raise its framerate. But there in lies the issue. It's underpowered. Therefore needs to sacrifice visuals to do so.
Microsoft is a pro in joining a party late. However, it also has the ability to be the star as well. Let's wait and watch. And regarding VR? I think it will take a little more time to be mainstream. Guess Microsoft need to hurry up, but still has time.
Also I have to say. You really think rushing out and buying a PS4 for VR is a good idea? Bethesda confirmed at E3 2016 that they had enough power to bring VR Fallout 4 to Scorpio. But PSVR is not powerful enough at all to do it. Scorpio will get many exclusive VR titles based purely on the fact that PSVR just cannot run titles like Fallout 4, Elder Scrolls 6 at all. Developers are already confirming this. So it would seem many gamers are going to buy a Scorpio over everything else when it arrives. True 4k gaming, true 120fps, 1080p visually impressive VR. As opposed to 4k upscaled gaming, and 60fps, 900p, PS3 visual PSVR. Sony made a HUGE mistake making there own cheap VR.
Think about this, my HTC vive connects to my pc with a USB port and a hdmi/dp port IF Microsoft allows one to use there existing rift/vive headset the same way I use my thrustmaster steering wheel either on my Xbox one or on my pc, you have any idea what that could potentially do for sales of not only vive/rift but for Scorpio???? Take a guess at what event Microsoft could announce this??? I'll give you a hint, E3 :)
err not really, hardware iterations and software optimisations. Whose to say Sony won't come out with a more powerful version? They will already have VR base set and ready to go.
That's not how this works mate. Morpheus isn't out yet. It costs £350 for it. And the existing PS4 struggles to run it properly. The Neo is not powerful enough to run Oculus well. SONY have messed up.
Their response is Windows Holographic VR headsets.
HOLOLENS ISN'T VR!!!!!!
Sony have the jump on VR for sure, you can bet it will sell and get games released. Then next year or so when Microsoft get it together it may be better but it will be more expensive and run the same VR games that the PSVR will as thats where the market will be at. Microsoft are best suited to supporting the rift rather than developing their own. Look at windows phone, it was late to the party didn't get the apps that iPhone and android got as there was lesser demand and has suffered always for it. You can guarantee a bulk of developers will make their VR for PlayStation as it will have the most customers, they may make a better version for the more powerful VR but it will be PSVR driving it. I have it preordered for sure and I don't care for the comparisons to the vine and the rift, will I put the thing on and it will amaze me, so far everyone is saying it will!
Actually. No true. Already PSVR is missing games because of power. Bethesda already said they are bringing Fallout 4 VR to console on Scorpio. But PSVR is to weak to bring it to PS4.
delete / ignore
Frankly the few people I've spoken to told me that when they tried out the PSVR at our local best buy, they weren't very interested in the technology. Maybe it was because it was the software being demoed, but for now VR would be Microsoft's last concern in regards to Xbox. Although that doesn't mean VR should be shunned. I think it should be embraced, but 2016 isn't the year for mass adoption. Yet. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
MS have XBOX One Ass
Microsoft is behind the curve. What's new?
What you mean like Sony are always? PSN, Analog sticks, rumble. Or Apple with the Ipad Pro. Lol.
Neo does 4k upscaling for games and true 4k video. #pants Also Xbox don't care when they have oculus rift involved on there side.
That's right. Neo is a pike of crap. No true 4k gaming. And to weak to run proper VR. It's over 2TF less power than Scorpio. PlayStation is about to get dominated over the next couple of years.
VR is an accessory, and history tells us that adoption of separate accessories is minimal. The Kinect broke records, and there aren't many that would now consider it a game changing success. VR will only be for hard-core gamers early on. That really isnt that high a percentage of the gaming public. Many people will take a "wait and see" approach to see if investing in the BR headset will be worth it long-term, or if will be an another expensive accessory collecting dust. If Scorpio comes with a significantly better quality VR option, then hardcore gamers will buy that too. People on the fence will see both options and decide if they should buy a new console that will be better long-term, or if they will choose the cheaper option to join the VR movement. We'll probably see a healthy amount of both happen. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
VR is horrible with motion sickness and dizziness. AR will rule the world not VR... even in gaming!!! when you play VR games you will not recognize any thing real around you and it will be bad for human being relationship in total.
What VR u been doing? I got motion sickness trying to use a Rift with a controller but have not had one instance of sickness with the Vive. Maybe has to do with being able to stand and walk...
Can anyone tell me where microsoft is not showing lathargic stance and they are leading tge industry, seriuosly talking this is the only company i go wrong in judging, they are not even able to polish their windows 10 pc as well as mobile experience, so one should not expect big from this fuddy duddy so called software giant (my foot)
The thing is software can be optimised over the life of a console, hardware cannot and unfortunately the xbox 1 sits on the low end (1st last) whereas the ps4 (2nd last) when compared to comparable x86 SOC parts. Sony will run away with the sales with Playstaion VR for awhile as it will take a long time for Project Scorpio when released to gain any form of traction.
Really? You know Microsoft is invested in HoloLens and leave VR stuff to partners.
What about HoloLens. I know is not a VR headset but still have potential for gaming and is kinda unique. ;) Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
we can put the xbox right next to windows (10) phone (mobile)...so can move on woth our lives Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
A lot of words to say absolutely nothing about what makes it an immediate threat. Might want to work on actually giving information in an article other than regulating it to "I like Xbox One more than Playstation, but I just now got a PS4 for VR".
These things are bad for the brain
I've never owned a PlayStation before and I'll be buying one for VR. I'm very interested in HTC Vive as well, but I want a compact PC that is capable of playing VR games with motion controllers.
You really made a horrible mistake, and one that is going to affect your VR experience. Sony is just about to release a console that is better equiped, and more powerful to work with VR. In two days the Playstaion Meeting will take place. Its focused on giving us a release date, and specs about it. Gamers are extremely excited, so find your recept and get a refund.
VR like 3D is just a gimmick that will pass and probably faster.
I've been screaming about this VR thing for months and all I could get was, well, "we have Hololens." We don't all have THREE THOUSAND BUCKS just sitting around for Hololens and whatever it will turn out to be.
Xbox gamers are getting Oculus and Vive support on Scorpio. In just 16 months. With Bethesda confirming Fallout 4 is being made for VR on Scorpio. And they also confirmed PSVR is nit getting the game because its not powerful enough.
Why would i want to play an old game on VR anyway?
"and the exclusive games aren't as appealing as those available on Xbox" I know everybody has their personal preferences, but this seems like more of a statement - one that I think most would have to disagree with. I have both consoles, and it's easy to see that the ps4 has the more robust and more appealing exclusive library. See for yourselves: http://gematsu.com/exclusives/xbox-one http://gematsu.com/exclusives/ps4 I'll list a few of the more noteworthy titles here (excluding PSN/XBLive only titles): Xb1 - Available: Gears of War UE Halo The master chief collection Halo 5 Titanfall Ryse Sunset Overdrive Rare Replay Quantum Break Forza games Xb1 - Upcoming: Gears of war 4 Recore Scalebound Sea of thieves Crackdown 3 Halo Wars Ps4 - Available: Killzone: Shadow Fall inFamous: SS The Last of Us remastered The Order 1886 Uncharted collection Uncharted 4 Ratchet and Clank Knack Driveclub Little big planet 3 God of War 3 Remastered Bloodborne MLB the show franchise Street fighter V Gravity Rush Remastered Until Dawn Tearaway unfolded No man's sky Ps4 - Upcoming: (exluding VR titles) The Last Guardian Hellblade Gravity Rush 2 Gran Turismo Sport Horizon: Zero Dawn God of War Spider-Man Days Gone Detroit: Become Human Shenmue 3 Death Stranding Crash Bandicoot Remastered Trilogy Not to mention that most XB1 exclusives are/will be available on PC, which the same can't be said about the majority of PS4 exclusives.
Sorry mate. There's tons missing from your list. And PS4 exclusives are all boring tosh except for UC4. Xbox One has the best exclusive arcade racer, sim racer, beat em up, FPS, TPS and 2d platformer. All NOT available on PS4. Oh even best Space exploration game. As Elite Dangerous completely destroys No Mans Sky. And its also not available on PS4. When Scorpio hits and is more than 2TF over Neo PS is in serious trouble.
Did you fail to notice the 2 links I provided to a site that literally lists every exclusive game - both available and upcoming - for each respective console? Obviously I wasn't going to list them all in a comment, which is why I followed with "I'll list a few of the more noteworthy titles here". If you check out those lists, you will clearly notice that the Ps4 has a much more robust library. In regards to the quality of said library, to each his own apparently. Though most people would disagree that Ratchet and Clank, inFamous, The Last of Us, Killzone, Uncharted Collection, Bloodborne, Until Dawn, Little Big Planet, and Tearaway are all "boring" as you put it. To the contrary, most of these games were well received and critically acclaimed. Don't take my word for it though, do your own research. They might not all appeal to everyone, but they're great games nonetheless. And for future reference, if you want to make a compelling argument, you should list actual games instead of simply stating that one console is better than the other in every single genre. You were on the right track when you mentioned Elite Dangerous. Also, I simply listed No Man's Sky because I believe it to be considered "noteworthy", however, I personally have no interest in that title. As I mentioned, I own both consoles and like them both for what they offer (Sunset Overdrive happens to be one of my favorite games of this gen). I love the approach that Microsoft is taking with backward compatibility and with project Scorpio, but I have no plans to upgrade to either that or the Neo. I think too many gamers today focus way too much on graphics. When I'm playing UC4, R&C, or The Order (I know this game is mediocre, but its graphics are undeniably incredible) on PS4, or Rise of the Tomb Raider on XB1, I'm not thinking: "I wish this could look better". They already look amazing to me. I'm not talking about games that run poorly obviously. I just think we fail to realize what can be done on current, or even "old" hardware. Instead we're to busy thinking about "more teraflops". Finally, my original intention was simply to point out what I believe to be incorrect that the XB1 has the more numerous and appealing exclusive games catalog according to the author of this article. There's nothing wrong if someone prefers XB1 exclusives over PS4 (or vice versa), but as gamers, we should certainly be able to look past personal preferences and observe the facts.
No to mention developers confirming exclusive VR games being made for Scorpio that are not possible according to deva because PSVR is underpowered as well as Neo being undepowered. So many more great experiences like Fallout 4 VR only available on Xbox and not PlayStation.
Merciful heavens, why would anyone wear such a ridiculously monstrous headset like that? A few minutes, sure, nice novelty. But for more than that? And I'll bet it will be at a premium price, too. No thanks.
Call me crazy or blind, but I believe VR just isn't worth it especially for consoles in 2016. Microsoft doesn't need to play catch-up with PSVR either. I think they've been doing a great job with Gaming lately with Win10/Xbone crossplay and Backwards Compatibility.
I'm in the same boat about VR and even my friends with PS4s are in the same boat. The only reserve I might have is that no one has used VR so far but generally speaking no one seems to take the risk.
Why do PlayStation love lights so dang much?
Lol. The guy in the article looks stupid to me. I would never wear that thing. HoloLens is more closer to being normal just like a jet fighter pilot helmet. No thanks.
Every online seller in Oz is sold out of launch preorders for the PSVR, even if it's a limited shipment that still proves people want it.
You don't know how many we're available. Kinect for the 360 was sold out for 2 months after launch. How big is Kinect today?????
While VR devices keep you plugged I think they will be nich products! Nice to try them out in a store, but that's about it as far a being able to walk around, outside, etc.
They are meant for home play, just like a console or pc. I think the moblie VR will definitely be nich. But I think it could take off for the consoles.
I'm the exact opposite. I find the ui on the Xbox absolutely horrendous and annoyingly laggy with a controller that randomly disconnects. Add to this my 4 years of Windows Phone experience which really has been one long beta test - and Its still only half baked with necessary hard resets and apps that won't update yet hangs in the system unable to execute. On my pc such an important tool as outlook works far better on ios. How ms is able to compete delivering these subpar coreproducts is baffling. Its not the ms that gave me the xbox, 360 and wp7......quality and service seems to have nosedived.... Perhaps the huge cuts in their work force is to blame?
Compared to the dreadful experience on the ui of ps4 Xbox is a dream. The ps4 ui is longwinded and seriously lacking. You can shortcut your way around the Xbox dash. But on PS4 not only is it lacking in media options, it takes to long to do anything.
I honestly think the UI's are pretty terrible on both, although Xbox is slightly better now that games and apps is at the top.
Hold the ps button and you have quick access to media options and headphone volume and to disconect your controller and all that stuff. I think the ps4 dashboard is set up great. It's like the orignal xbox 360 dashboard but better. (That comes from a long time 360 fan)
Also I wouldn't pay for an apple product if apple paid me to. Gladly they sit on 4% market share in PC world. So many agree with me thankfully.
"The masses" don't want to walk around with a box on their head, looking like a space cadet. Just like the masses didn't adopt VR some 20 years ago during it's first debut, or 3D cinemas at about the same time, the masses didn't adopt 3D TV either, and neither will the masses adopt VR again. It's gonna be a niche - forever.
20 year's ago it wasn't even close to VR like we have today. 3D isn't VR...It's 3D. The VR we have today could catch on. Also if they ever make a Matrix type of VR for gaming (which I do believe is possible since the brain works so similar to the brain) then you bet it'd catch on in a heart beat once affordable.
xbox was late to the show with games consoles and now look where they are! the other big difference from mobile is there are already many game developers producing games for Xbox and this wont change! when MS do it it will probably be better and the experience a notch up from what Sony are offering today! we will see......
I'll wait for Scorpio. No point in me shelling out the money for Sonys mediocre VR experience and a ps4, when Scorpios PREMIUM vr experience is just around the corner
well I like VR but really only interested in it for certain things. such as horror games an basically single player experiences. don't see it being used in multiplayer scenarios much. an many gamers really don't have the space for some if the vr things. they have a couch/bed chairs an games lol ill just wait and see ;P
FOH! Fan boy!

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