Cast your mind back to October 2016 when everyone was showing off that shark tank encounter in PlayStation VR Worlds to try and justify why they've suddenly started strapping a piece of plastic to their face. While there wasn't really much to it, the demo did a fantastic job of showcasing the sort of experience you can have in virtual reality.
Horizon Call of the Mountain occupies a similar position, but this time it's a fully-fledged game. Rather than turning it off after 10 minutes and thinking "that was neat!", there's an entire campaign to work through with story ties to Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. It represents Sony's commitment to the VR space with PSVR2: it's all in for a second attempt.
A recent hands on session at PlayStation's London headquarters reveals Horizon Call of the Mountain to be a proper showpiece title. With complete freedom to explore environments and the chance to follow a finely crafted story, it's what you'll want to show your friends when they come over and spot that strange headset sitting next to your PS5.
Our roughly 30-minute demo began at what appears to be the very start of the game; as the Sony and Firesprite Games logos disappear, it opens with the boat ride revealed in the announcement trailer. An on-rails section it may be, but it provides the chance to take in the enhanced visuals allowed by PSVR2. As machines fly overheard and run along by your side, you can dip your hand in the water or swipe aside the vines hanging overhead. The story of a prisoner rescue is set up here after you've been bailed out of jail, but the demo wasn't long enough for us to see the next beat.
Once you do gain control, you're able to move by holding the X and square buttons on the Sense controllers and then moving your arms in a marching motion. To move backwards, you hold the same two inputs but push your arms forward instead. In turn with adjusting the camera with the right analogue stick, you can get a walking pace going.
It feels fairly natural, but what seals the deal is mountain climbing. A lot like Aloy, this new protagonist spends just as much time on the ground as they do clinging onto rocks and crevices. With the L2 and R2 buttons confirming your actions, you can reach for ledges and pull yourself up and over cliffs. Ladders work the same way and so too does opening doors.
Once we got to grips with those actions, the demo introduced the trusty bow and a seemingly endless amount of arrows. To equip and put it away, you'll reach behind your left shoulder, hold the L2 button, and then bring your hand back to a natural position to find the bow in your palm. You do the same over your right shoulder to get an arrow. Some simple target practice helps you get acquainted, but you'll soon be shooting locks to gain access to optional content, highlighted by a sort of area scan you'd normally get from a Focus.
Without any load screens or fades to black, the demo guided us across rocky cliffs and vine-covered tree branches placed across drops into the wilderness below. Feeling a bit like Tarzan, it's easy to navigate these sections thanks to accurate tracking in the PSVR2 Sense controllers. Not once did we have to recalibrate ourselves; nor did we really need to think about inputs beyond tutorials. It feels smooth and natural.
Combat plays out quite a bit differently. Instead of having free movement, you're locked onto a set path that circles around an enemy. Your viewpoint is locked on the machine, but from here you can dodge to either side. This is done by holding the X button on the right-hand Sense controller and then bringing it towards your chest to move left. You then start from your chest and move the pad outwards to dodge right. When you're positioned correctly, you can start firing off arrows and target the same weak points from the main PS4 and PS5 titles. Watchers take extra damage from a blow to the eye and Thunderjaws dislike having their weapons and turrets ripped off. It's all in keeping with Zero Dawn and Forbidden West.
What will be interesting to see is how the game handles encounters with multiple machines. We only ever fought an enemy on its own in the demo, so it was easy to manage the circular track we were placed on as well as our combatant in the middle. Should you face off against more than one machine at once, we imagine all of them are placed in the centre and you dart and dodge around them all. It could get a bit overwhelming if you're having to switch between two or three pathways at once, having to compensate for attacks from multiple angles.
In between climbing and combat sequences, Horizon Call of the Mountain keeps you occupied with cute little activities to take part in. The target practice tutorial actually turns into a form of collectible, with spots to shoot down little baskets dotted along the main path. To the side, you can find a small cave with a paintbrush, allowing you to create your own hieroglyphics. Nothing of significant consequence, but fun discoveries off the beaten path.
It all forms an introductory sequence full of enjoyment, discovery, and a spot of combat. Of course, Horizon Call of the Mountain isn't open world, but the gameplay loop from Aloy's stories has been nicely adapted for a more linear adventure. You'll still be fighting the impressive machines of the Horizon world β the Tallnecks are particularly amazing as they stomp right over your head β and climbing about the beautiful post-apocalyptic universe remains as vital as ever. Only a few short sequences allowed for interaction with other characters, but there was a level of quality to them that suggests they're on par with Forbidden West.
As a result, it's easy to see why Sony has positioned Horizon Call of the Mountain as the premier PSVR2 title, outside of the obvious fact it's developed in-house. With the Horizon IP backing it, the new headset releases with a fantastic experience set around the same time as Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. After those two titles sold so well, Horizon Call of the Mountain is a tantalising reason to continue the story on a new platform. The opening half an hour suggests it'll deliver on everything we know and love about the Horizon series, all with more interactivity and immersion. Right now, it's the reason to grab a PSVR2 pre-order.
PSVR2 releases on 22nd February 2023, and you can sample All PSVR2 Launch Games besides Horizon Call of the Mountain through the link. Will you be buying the game? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments (70)
Just hook it to my veins.
You can move using the analogue sticks as well,it's in the settings.Guess the arm movement control system is to help with vr sickness
@soulchimera - ha ha, my thoughts exactly!!! Bring it on!!! πππ
Really can't wait to play this and experience the graphics and immersion that all the new tech has to offer.
I'll have 6 games ready for when I open the box. Can't decide whether this or GT7 will be my first game!
sounds great. except the combat sadly
Can't wait for this. I'm just really surprised we don't seem to be getting a VR state of play.
@ROTTIEMAN16 You just saved my purchase of the game, I do not need that kind of movement offered up in the preview it sounds awful. Reminds me a bit of the teleport locomotion option especially in a fight.
Canβt wait. All impressions seem to be equally..well, impressive.
Just in case other people were wondering, you can change locomotion to be just normal stick movement. And also you do get extra weapons - slingshots and disc shooters as far as I know.
Does anybody know how long the game takes start to finish?
@LN78 Seven hours
I'll probably switch the controls to just using the sticks, sounds a more easier way to play. I don't mind the combat been sort of on rails because I don't think Horizon's combat is easy to pull off in VR without it been a cluster. Also Sony will have treated this game as many people's first VR game so FireSprite wouldn't want a game that overwhelms newcomers.
Ultimately it sounds like it's an amalgamation of various stages of VR games since PSVR1, from on rails theme park rides, to more open interactivity to the immense potential that PSVR2's future could have.
Super excited...Minus the fact that it's locked at 60fps. I recently forced/faked Astro's Playroom(PS5) into 120fps, and wow . What a difference it makes. It makes you feel like you're looking through a window into a virtual world. I couldn't stand to play it at 60, after constantly toggling between both frame rates. PC Master Race-goober heads truly have it the best for 3rd party titles, with 120.
I then booted up Astro's Rescue Mission on PSVR1, and was immediately thrown off by how unnatural it's 60fps was. Plus, the horribly low pixely resolution, 'lighter than' OLED blacks, lack of brightness, and just 'ok' colors weren't helping the cause, but that's the PSVR1's fault. Plus, Astro's Playroom to be fair, is next gen, and it looks much prettier as a result. It truly isn't fair to compared a QD-OLED TV(which is native 4K/retina resolution at the right size), with it's much brighter picture, true blacks, combined with the power of PS5. VR has a lot of room for growth and it will most likely take 8K per eye to finally match up to resolution/clarity of a 4K TV.
Anyways, you'd think, Sony would be able to get a Rescue Mission PSVR2 port running at 90-120fps considering it's a last gen VR game. Using the Foveated Eye Tracking Rendering trick would save more power too.
@neonpizza Your better off just sticking to PC, 120fps is never going to be the standard.
@KaijuKaiser and that is what has put me off pre ordering for like Β£40 if you order with the headset or Β£60 separately!
@AdamNovice
Sure it will! with the PS6 & Xbox's next gen successor.
Actually, if a PS5 Pro happens in lets say 2024, it should be able to get everything running at a stable 120fps. Even if there's a compromise with resolution or visuals, it's still doable. It's up to the devs to include it.
That RTX 4090 has like the power of 10 PS5's. Not even a PS5 Pro would be able to dethrown it. But they go for at least $2299 CAD. You get what you pay for I guess.
Had it preordered but cancelled it, 600 for a vr headset is a tough sell while you can get the oculus for 200 cheaper and itβs wireless. Iβm going to wait to see if we can actually demo the psvr2 like they did with psvr.
Plus I have the same feeling with this as I did when I bought the ps2 hdd and the sega 32x adapter. My gut is telling me to wait on this for a bit to see how it does. Plus I still us my psvr1 here and there and have games I havenβt touched yet so yeah, Iβll prob wait.
@Slug_full_of_metal
The Q2 has PS2 graphics in stand alone mode, a horrible LCD display with washed out milky blacks, a small 90d FOV, many games dont even run at it's native per eye resolution, no head haptics, no eye tracking or Foveated rendering, or haptics & adaptive triggers for it's controllers. And basically nothing for AAA support. You've got your Resident Evil 4 gamecube+ looking VR exclusive, but that's about it. Yet PSVR2 is getting exclusive content for the RE4 'remake', so.
Comparing the PSVR2 to a Quest 2 in regards to Pricing doesn't make a lick of sense. The PSVR2 is basically entry level 'PC' VR.
Quest 2's only redeemable quality in comparison is the fact that's it wireless, which IS a game changer, no doubt. At this point though, the Q2 seems like an absolute waste of money. I would just wait for the Q3 instead and preorder the PSVR2.
Both will have redeemable qualities. It's not one or the other for me in this case. Day one for both
@Yozora146_ yeah if you look online there's videos of people at ces setting the game up with analogue sticks for movement.Just sony making there people be extra careful about making people sick from morion sickness....not a great 1st impression puking I guessπ€£π€£
@YETi I'm glad it is short but that's just me. I've got too many family and work responsibilities. I only average 5 to 8 hours a week. I understand it could be disappointing if you were looking for something like Forbidden West.
@neonpizza Mostly agree, but Quest 2 also plugs into a PC and can be used for many hundreds of PC VR games like Half Life:Alyx, Boneworks etc. if you have a PC that can handle them.
@Slug_full_of_metal Agree, smart money is to wait for now. See how it reviews, what the problems are (if they exist) and if PSVR2 gets good ongoing support from Developers past the initial launch window. If it does, and there are more unique titles I am interested in, I will buy later this year. Right now there isn't enough for me to drop Β£600+
Combat sounds terrible, like a shooting gallery arcade game. It all sounds like a showpiece on rails tech demo using a popular IP, rather than an actual game. Which, save for a few examples, is a lot of what VR is.
I do think however it could be massively more especially with an IP like Horizon. I think maybe having started from making a first person horizon experience and and the engineering that framework into a VR experience would have been so much better.
It is what it is. I'm sure it's an experience. However VR won't progress until it firmly breaks out of the gimmicky nature of its games. I do question whether VR will every really progress beyond an easy profit off a select and significantly Smaller audience.... and you know what, that's OK.
@KundaliniRising333
I'd be content if Call of the Mountain was nothing but a VR theme park attraction, the way Ocean Descent's Shark Dive was.
The beginning of COTM, where you're enjoying the sights in a canoe is what i'm looking forward to the most. Plus, we have RE8 Village as a full fledge VR-game experience. It's essentially RE8 VR-ified. COTM seems to be more of a VR showcase with sprinkled gameplay elements and sight seeing.
@Slug_full_of_metal
While the Quest 2 is a fun little device, comparing it to the PSVR2 is disingenuous. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Quest 2 is and Android Mobile device (very power constrained) that is not very comfortable (without the deluxe strap for an additional cost), and has about 2 hours of battery life (without the extended battery, for another additional cost). At this point, that $200 cheaper price tag has already evaporated. It also lacks the ability to play any high end VR games (unless you want to add latency and compression artifacts by streaming from a PC). It also lacks many of the high end features like a larger FOV, Eye Tracking, and Haptics that the PSVR2 have.
The Quest 2 has its place (and I love it as a portable Beat Saber machine) but it is not even remotely comparable to the PSVR2.
@KaijuKaiser sure I get that. Something between 20-30 hrs and I would have been happier for that amount of money. I don't just want an experience from a game but value for money also and 7 hrs doesn't cut it unfortunately.
Combat means Iβm not getting it. This is a tech demo. Who saw Horizon VR and thought about circling? Itβs about traps, hunting, not this nonsense. Itβs pretty, but this some early VR stuff. It sounds like a basic early VR game that is not triple AAA.
@themightyant
But even with Steam VR/PC Compatibility, you're stuck with all of the Q2 drawbacks(Washed black levels, small FOV etc) with the exception of a Wireless connection. If only PSVR2 were compatible with PC. With a RTX 4090, you could get every PSVR2 game, including call of the mountain & RE8 Village running at a stable 120, instead of just 60.
I'll be using Quest 3 with PC, that's a given.
@Jaz007
It can't be anymore boring than Forbidden West. I'd rather eat paint chips than have play through that again. I'd be more than happy if Call of the Mountain was just a VR Theme Park Attraction, and judging by the first 10 minutes or so with the opening canoe ride, that seems to be the case....At least during it's first bit. I couldn't care less about the half baked combat. We're getting stereoscopic 3D, life sized characters and environments, you're being thrown into the gaming world. Plus, i'll take motion based weapon aiming/combat over analog stick wiggling any day.
Combat sounds disappointing, but I'm glad to hear that you can just walk with sticks. Playing a whole game flailing my elbows sounded horrible, but as long as that's merely optional, that sounds fine. Sounds like a good experience, but it does seem like combat feels like it's from 2016. IDK how to do it better because there's no way that Horizon's hyperactive FPS action translates to VR as-is, but the lock-on thing seems very outdated.
Cant wait to take this for a spin, all the ppl who have had hands on are saying the same thing amazing. Roll on feb 22.
Off topic
Was reading something on internet and the word abandoned came up, which triggered me, oh yea havent heard anything from these guys about the game for ages. Went on there website where a message said website is currently being updated. Sot his was probably all BS from them which everyone kind of thpught it was when they saw there past history, strange i had totally forgott about it until i saw the word and it just trigerred me to go oh yea havent heard anything for a while on that s**t show lol
@neonpizza True. Ultimately it always comes down to games for me. While it's a solid launch line up, most games are remasters of PSVR games or available elsewhere. There just isn't quite enough to convince me to drop Β£600+ quite yet.
A few things that would help change that.
1) More games i'm interested in lined up for the next year
2) PC support
3) Half Life: Alyx
Re: PC support. It makes sense that at launch it is only compatible with PS5, but I do wonder if they have built in the possibility of it working on PC at some point, whether through a firmware update or making it easy enough for modders to do.
To me the combat makes sense. In the normal games during combat I'm constantly running, diving/rolling out of the way or sliding along the ground. Trying to do that in VR would be really jarring, and I think most people would be sick.
Yeah it's not ideal, but as long as its fun and still a decent challenge I'll be happy.
@themightyant
Half-Life: Alyx would be amazing if they could convince Valve. It would be in Valves best interest. The PSVR2 in Sony's hands, could bring the quantity of AAA titles that many are all waiting for (that Valve will most certainly benefit from, after all, a rising tide lifts all boats).
As for PC support, I suspect we will get that unofficially via clever hackers and developers at some point. It is possible that Sony enables it, much in the same way that they do for the controllers; but I doubt it, its likely that Sony is selling the PSVR2 at a loss (and they would want to make up for it in software), considering any other device even close is 2-3x the price point. The closest device, and the one that many compare it to (Valve Index) is $999 for the full package (tracking + controllers + headset); and that doesn't include the haptics, eye tracking, foviated rendering, and an OLED HDR screen. At the current PSVR2 price point, it would be an easy replacement for most sub $1500 wired PC headsets, and they would likely get a lot of sales from PC VR users that dont buy games from Sony.
As for games, I just want a big RPG; a Skyrim or Final Fantasy but made for VR.
I am super hyped for this but please tell me that you can move around with the left stick too and not just waving your arms around lol
Also it's a shame Sony didn't invest more resources and having two or three more triple A experiences like this for VR2 at launch.
I'm never going to take my PSVR2 off!
@themightyant i think vr2 biggest hurdle is getting that dev uptake.
talking around 1.5mil users. (Sony said 2m available for release). so sales for big devs arent worth it. unless Sony subsidise it. in this climate can they do that?
its a shame cos technically vr2 is great, but the gaming side seems to be light years behind
@thedevilsjester Agreed on most points.
As I said I don't think Sony would make it compatible with PC, at least not immediately, but there is a difference between whether they have made it deliberately difficult to be compatible in future - whether themselves of by modders/hackers - or not.
I agree they could be selling it at a loss, and agree that is a valid reason not to allow PC support easily.
But I do not for one moment believe that is more than Β£100 - Β£150 max, they just wouldn't ever see a return on that! Yes the specs are similar to older models around twice the price but Sony is a wily old tech company who undercut everyone else on VR last time (until Quest).
Sadly think it's unlikely we will see games like Skyrim or FF made for VR anytime soon, the dev costs are just too much on games like that for what is a niche product. More likely to see ports of things like Skyrim, possibly Witcher 3 (pretty please) etc. At best Sony might pay for VR support in a big first or third party game (like RE7/8)
stvevan wrote:
Exactly. It's that reason i'm holding off for now. I realise that is a little chicken & egg situation - without people buying, why would devs support - but i've been burned too often on niche hardware in the past, even by Sony, to dive in again unconvinced at this price.
But I hope it's a massive success, is supported well, then i'll be happy to jump in 6-12 months later.
@themightyant Yeah, the loss is likely in the 100 USD or so range, able to be made up with the royalties on 3-4 game purchases. There is no way that they would turn a profit if it was much higher.
The VR ports of existing games are just bad though. These games were not designed with VR in mind, and it shows. With enough Mods Skryim VR is...decent; but it still feels more like a flat pancake game that lets you use the VR headset as a HMD. The menus are atrocious, the mechanics awkward, and the world was clearly not designed for you to be as close to it as you are in VR.
If there is enough uptake, and Sony pushes enough money at it, we might see, if not a lot of VR exclusive titles, then at least AAA games designed for both, with VR in mind throughout development
@thedevilsjester "As for games, I just want a big RPG; a Skyrim or Final Fantasy but made for VR."
From your lips to Todd's ears.
I agree with @themightyant though. The costs just don't add up. Adding VR to a 2D game is one thing, but building a high budget large scale game for VR only, just doesn't have the sales potential to justify the cost. Maybe we get lucky and get XVI VR patch. I know it won't happen and Square is too incapable of that, but I can dream.
@NEStalgia It doesn't have to be VR only, it just has to have VR in mind early on so that the world design, the mechanics, and the interface will all work well when translated to VR.
thedevilsjester wrote:
Agreed! I think that is the best we can hope for really.
@NEStalgia More likely a FFXVI VR mode for some spin-off cooking/fishing/nonsense game.
@thedevilsjester That's the one thing that makes me sad Bethesda is XB now. I play both, and Bethesda games were always better anywhere but PS anyway, but the darned VR. I feel like Starfield could have been the ideal VR game. And maybe will be on PC eventually.
@themightyant I know you're right and that makes it hurt so much more
I might be in the minority here, but I could never really get into Horizon's world. It's inspired in its own way, but not particularly striking. Doubling down on this with VR, which I always found to be quite uncomfortable in the first place, sounds like a bit of an uphill struggle to me.
Like I've mentioned elsewhere before, PSVR2 needs something like HL:Alyx or Portal VR, or it's going to lag severely behind the PC market. It needs third party titles to fully complete.
My two cents: in spite of best efforts by Sony, VR is still primarily a PC thing.
@thedevilsjester Alyx would be a system seller, I think. The problem is that GabeN's relationship with Sony in the past has been a little frosty, likely not least on account of his old ties with MS. Even if Valve saw some potential in it, I just can't imagine them working so closely with Sony. There's potential for it, of course.
I for one would much rather have killzone in vr rather than half life alyx but having both would be better π
@themightyant didn't they confirm Alyx was coming to it at some point? I swear I read an article that valve would port it but it wouldn't be ready for launch. Maybe I'm just remembering someone's pipedream/rumor but I thought it was from good ol'Gabe.
Even if Alyx doesn't come, that's definitely not a deal breaker for me. It was an easy sell to my wife after I told her Beat Saber was coming lol! Plus she liked the idea of an easier setup, though she was more tempted by the Quest. I'm really excited for this launch lineup and what the future may hold!
@Jaz007 When I play Horizon (FW or ZD), I rarely used the traps unless there was some bonus reward for using them on a mission, but often fought while circling an enemy so they couldn't get a bead on me. Sure, there are a lot more options in the larger, traditional-format game - but this doesn't sound bad to me at all.
i don't have $600 to drop on it right now, but I toyed with the idea.
I never got into Horizon, played the original for a few hours and it just didn't click with me. For some reason seeing the world in VR really does appeal, though, so I'm going for it.
I loved half-life but have never played Alyx. I don't agree that it would be a system seller as such, those with a burning desire to play it probably already have. I reckon we need some new content, not more PC ports.
Saying that, I'm looking forward to UltraWings2!
@NEStalgia you never know about the FFXVI possibility. Seems like Sony and Square are doing more together again and they did make that special mode for the original PSVR... Don't remember what it was called though.
@PhantomMenace84 No it has never been confirmed. There were a few supposed 'leaks' that it was coming, but more likely those were false.
@themightyant
Yeah I forgot that is a HUGE thing for me too, we all remember the vita, we all loved it but Sony just stopped supporting it because it didnβt sell like they wanted so we all got hosed, much like the Saturn, 32x and even the ps2 hdd. I want to support it by buying it day 1 but yeah, 600 is hard to swallow with a product you canβt physically see or try before itβs out. Now if they said half life alyx is coming then yes take my $$$. But then again I can play it on my pc with the oculus quest 2 right now so π€·ββοΈ
@neonpizza
Yeah I see your point, but I will say I donβt think it q2 looks like ps2, I still play my ps2 from time to time and I use my q2 here and there as well, if the q2 looked like ps2 Iβd puke lol. The q2 looks better the psvr1 for sure but I wouldnβt say itβs ps2 quality. Iβm going to wait until people have it in their hands to fully decided. If HL:alyx was coming out on psvr2 it would 100% be a blind buy for me, horizon vr has me feeling that way too but I just need to wait and see first.
@Slug_full_of_metal
Usually people say it's in between PS2 & PS3, or PS2.5.
But it really depends, there's so many cheap indie VR games that don't take full advantage of the hardware and they can leave a bad impression.
Resident Evil 4 VR(quest 2) exceeds the GCN versions graphics with some texture touch ups and whatever else, but that's a AAA game and the foundation was already laid out years ago. Wasn't it also developed by retro studious, who helmed the Metroid Prime series?
@ROTTIEMAN16 Oh thanks! Good to know, just give me stick controls!
Bummer to read that you're locked to on-rails during combat, just let me walk around. Just make the machines a little slower to make up for the fact that you won't be rolling around like a crazy video game character.
@Octane I'm now picturing a PSVR2 video featuring Yoko Taro....
This looks like a wow moment like playing ALYX, F1 and lone echo in VR on my PC.
I donβt need many VR Games, I can play regular games in between like on PC. But those few that make you feel things are moving forward and blows your mind made my VR investment on PC worth it.
Skipped PSVR but now Canβt wait for PSVR2
But itβs so damn expensive! Can I justify Β£530 in the current economic climate, as much as Iβd love oneβ¦β¦. Unfortunately not.
@ROTTIEMAN16 thanks, I was going to ask about this. Weβve waited so many years for Sony to give us thumbsticks & Iβd be annoyed if they only gave us the gimmicky wave arms solution.
I guess with the sideways circular combat game weβre not going to get the next Half Life Alyx or Contractors experience, but Iβll reserve my judgment until I get my hands on it.
Was so excited for this but am now tempering my expectations.
Looking forward to GT7 & Firewall though.
@neonpizza donβt forget about the great games available on Quest 2 already. It has a much better library than the release lineup & combined with a PC - which you can still play wirelessly, you have access to the great titles like HL: Alyx & Contracts, Automobilista 2, Onward, Resident Evil 2 (modded) etc.
Iβm saying that, Iβll be getting the PSVR2 & Quest 3
I just hope Sony bring out a single player & co-op SOCOM game
Thats all well and good ,but what about the clarity and the sense of being there ,what about the eye tracking ,any pixellation goin on ,what do the graphics look like when you move your head close to them,whats the sound design like ,you seem to have only covered, whats already available on the majority of other vr titles ,on other platforms, your description of the game ,quite frankly ,makes it sound bloody awful.
@Slug_full_of_metal Wireless quest will be night and day on this. I found wireless quest worse than psvr1 in many instances, just so blurry and pixelated. Wired it's a wildly different beast, but then you need a $70 cable and a powerful PC. On top of that quest feels like you're wearing binoculars with poor FOV. Improved FOV is a game changer literally, send immersion through the roof. I love my quest linked to my PC, but for the price I think this looks like better kit.
@neonpizza Where did you hear it's 60fps, I didn't see anything about this? Not ideal if true
@Sequel All PSVR2 will run at 90fps or 120 fps.
@R_Ryder
I thought COTM ran at 60fps, but as always itβs 120 when you actually look around. If itβs in fact 90fps instead of 60fps, well, Color me content ππ
Day 1 for me. Love the horizon world
@neonpizza There is no actual solid information on this as far as I can tell; just speculation based on the limited experience, of an early build during trade shows.
In VR we are very sensitive to framerate variations. What would only cause tearing on a monitor/TV, will instead make you nauseous. To this end, it is incredibly important to always hit the frame target.
What headsets do (all of them), to "solve" this problem, is attempt to render at the panel frequency (90, 144, etc...) and if there are any dips below that (even by a few frames) then it immediately cuts the frame rate in half and uses reprojection techniques (that resample the head position) to double the framerate.
This could result in some awkwardness if you are not careful. For example if your rig is capable of 120 FPS in a particular game, and you set your headset to 144, you will get 72, reprojected to 144. But if you set your headset to 90, you will get a true 90.
It is entirely possible for a game to be perpetually in this state (which, presumably, is what people are thinking that Horizon does), if the developers decided that the reprojection artifacts are worth the trade off of having a larger performance budget.
@neonpizza
Not sure where you got 60 from, 90 is the industry standard in VR as anything below is tempting the user to lose their lunch.
@PegasusActual93
Somebody on here said COTM was actually running at 60fps. Aren't PSVR1 games running at 60fps(but 120fps for head movement) and then reprojected into 120? I've heard there are only maybe 2 PSVR1 titles that run at a native 120.
It's weird, because I was just playing a bit of Resident Evil 7 on PS5(at 120fps/High frame rate mode)a few days ago, and then messed around with RE7 on PSVR1, and in VR, everything looked like it was running at 60. Same deal with Astro Bot Rescue mission. That life like 120fps buttery smooth motion didn't exist aside from looking around with my head.
Tap here to load 70 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...