The Ultimate Guide to Buying PlayStation VR

On October 13th the enormously anticipated PlayStation VR headset will launch in the UK. The PSVR will launch with a price point much lower than its rival PC VR headsets at £349, and with extremely positive feedback from critics and users alike, what’s not to love?

In preparation for this exciting new launch, we have prepared the ultimate guide to buying a PlayStation VR headset, whether it is for yourself or as a gift to a loved one.

We will try and answer any questions that you might have about the PSVR in this article, but if you have any other questions about this headset or VR in general, please leave a comment at the bottom and one of our team members will respond.

Quick-jump Navigation

• What is PlayStation VR?
• How does it work?
• Multiple PlayStation VR headsets on one console
• Available games for PSVR?
• In-store PlayStation VR demos (UK)
  • What games will be available at launch?
• What’s in the box?
  • PlayStation VR unboxing
• PSVR room space requirements
• Is the PS4 Pro better for VR?
• Where can I purchase PlayStation VR?
• PSVR trailers

What is PlayStation VR?

If you’ve not been following the virtual reality revolution of the past year, you may not be familiar with why it’s become so popular, and why pundits are speculating an enormous rush and world-wide sellout of VR this Christmas. So should you believe the hype?

PlayStation VR brings a whole new medium to gaming: using a lightweight headset and PlayStation Move controllers, the player is able to transport themselves into an immersive 3D world that brings storytelling and gameplay to life. Whether your genre of choice is first person shooters, racing, horror, role-playing or anything else, the VR experience will provide something totally new and unique.

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How does it work?

As with all virtual reality headsets, the key ingredients are in the lenses and the two OLED displays (one for each eye). The housing that surrounds these important components keeps light out to ensure full immersion.  Each display caters to your eyes individually, and by serving a different image to each eye, a sense of depth is provided (referred to as stereo vision/stereopsis). One of the main challenges with VR is that the user must have these OLED displays placed very close to their eyes, and such a proximity means that the focus of the image worsens; imagine looking close up at your computer or smartphone screen – it would be very hard to see it clearly at all! Fortunately, the PlayStation VR and other headsets have overcome this challenge by using specially crafted lenses to help the player to focus, and for most users the experience is a very comfortable one.

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Multiple PlayStation VR headsets on one console

PlayStation VR is a powerful piece of kit that puts a strain on the console’s graphics card – not only that, but each headset has its own individual and crucial head tracking software/hardware. Unfortunately, for these reasons you will be limited to using one PSVR headset per PlayStation 4 console. If you were hoping to buy multiple headsets this Christmas, you’d need to purchase a new PS4 (original, Slim or Pro) to run each one individually – and of course you’ll want a spare room and TV to go with that!

PlayStation VR does however, come with a ‘processing unit’ that connects your headset with the PS4 and TV. This processing unit will also allow other people in the same room to watch and interact/play with your game (albeit, without the VR experience themselves).

What games are available for PlayStation VR?

PlayStation VR will be launching with an impressive series of games (some to be released in the months following launch), ranging from short demos and indie experiences through to full blockbuster titles. As with all new tech, the amount of available content will increase over time as more developers get in on the new market.

• Batman Arkham VR
• Resident Evil VII Biohazard
• EVE: Valkyrie
• Star Trek: Bridge Crew
• Star Wars: Battlefront X-Wing VR
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Thumper
• Beyond Flesh and Blood

For a comprehensive list, see Wareable.com’s list of the best PlayStation VR games 2016.

PSVR Launch Titles

While the blockbuster list sounds great, most of them will not be available at launch. Here are some of the games to expect on the day that PlayStation VR is released:

• The Assembly
  Originally released for Oculus and Vive in July 2016, The Assembly is an interactive story for mature audiences; built from the ground up for VR.
• Superhypercube
  A 3D puzzle game that brings a whole new angle to ‘brain training’.
• Thumper
  A horror game with a strong rhythm-based mechanic, emulating what it’s like to play a musical instrument.
• Job Simulator
  A fantastic way to show off the PlayStation VR’s Move controllers – with an extremely comic angle, as you’d expect from the name.
• Wayward Sky
  A ‘point and click’ adventure game with a beautifully designed world and some unique interaction mechanics.
• Batman: Arkham VR
  We’re most excited about Batman: Akrham VR. An unsettling and eerie detective game.
• Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
  A track-based shooter with a fair amount of carnival horror thrown in.
• PlayStation VR Worlds
  Not the most well received game, but a number of experiences that will show off PSVR nicely. Don’t miss The London Heist.
• Harmonix Music VR
  A slightly repetitive series of music mini games that do very little for virtual reality.

Update 7th October 2016: The entire list of PSVR games at launch (1st and 3rd party) have been announced and can be found at the bottom of this page.

You’ll see from this brief list of games (there are dozens more), that the PSVR has attracted some of the largest gaming franchises in the world such as Resident Evil and Final Fantasy. This clear show of support by game developers to produce content for the PSVR suggests an extremely positive outlook on the future of virtual reality. We’re confident it’s going to be a sell out this Christmas.

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In-store demos for PlayStation VR (UK)

Update 22.09.16: A UK tour of the PSVR is now open to bookings!
To book a place on the ‘Try PSVR’ tour, register at http://www.trypsvr.com/en_GB and select a time and location that suits you. The tour will be operating across the UK.

For our US readers, you can find your nearest PSVR demo at a store near you – visit the official PSVR trial page.

What does the PlayStation VR headset come with?

What’s in the box?

Here is a comprehensive list of all the items you’ll find in your new PSVR box:

• Headset
• Processor unit (connects headset with PS4 and TV)
• Connection cable
• HDMI cable
• USB cable
• Stereo headphones
• AC power cord
• AC adaptor
• Demo disk (here’s a comprehensive list of games on the demo disk)

PlayStation unboxing video
On September 29th, PlayStation released their official ‘unboxing’ video demonstrating all of the components that come inside the box. Watch the video below:

Whether you’re buying the PSVR for yourself or as a gift, you’ll want to know whether the headset contains everything you need to get started with virtual reality. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to successfully run PlayStation VR.

• PlayStation VR headset – £349.00
• PlayStation Camera – £44.99
• PlayStation Move controllers (optional) – £69.99 for two

Do you need a PlayStation Move controller for PlayStation VR?
No, you do not. However a lot of the games, especially those listed above, will require that you use 1 or 2 PlayStation Move controllers. For the full experience, we recommend buying Move controllers along with your PlayStation VR headset. We have experimented with all 3 of the major VR headsets (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR) and we have to say that the motion controllers make for an enormous difference during gameplay.

The cost certainly does add up, however there is some good news – if you choose to purchase the PlayStation VR, you’ll often find that many of these accessories are bundled in with the headset at a discounted rate. For all available bundles from major UK retailers, see our list of available PlayStation VR bundles.

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How much room space will I need to use the PSVR?

Also referred to as ‘room-scale’, the PlayStation VR headset will support the ability to move around your room while in virtual reality. Room-scale adds for an even more immersive (and somewhat uncanny!) experience and has been an enormous selling point for the rival VR headset, the HTC Vive. We fully expect this to be a major boon to PlayStation VR.

While many games will make use of ‘room-scale’ experiences, many will also allow you to play from a stationary standing or sitting position. To ensure that you can make the most of PlayStation VR, Sony stated that a space requirement of 3.0m x 1.9m (9.8ft x 6.2ft) is needed. We’re not yet sure how essential this is, and many games will no doubt provide a good experience without the need to move around and make full use of the camera – however at this stage, it would be important to check the game specifications and details before deciding.

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Will the PS4 Pro be much better for PSVR?

In September 2016, PlayStation announced the launch of its latest series of consoles, the PlayStation 4 Pro and the PlayStation 4 Slim. The PlayStation Slim carries the same graphics and processing specs as the original PlayStation 4 (expect little difference when running VR), however the Playstation 4 Pro does have some performance improvements, most notably an improved graphics card from AMD Radeon 1.84 to AMD Radeon 4.2 i.e. over twice the performance.

PlayStation have claimed that the PS4 Pro will provide an ‘Enhanced’ VR experience. We aren’t certain as yet, but the graphics quality should be undoubtedly better on the PS4 Pro than on the original PS4. There are currently no hints that PS4 Pro will be a requirement for VR games, so using your PSVR with the original PS4 will be a fine decision.

For clarity on the differing specs between the PS4, PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro, we have provided a full spec comparison table below. Note, all 3 of these consoles will support the PlayStation VR headset:

Will PlayStation VR run on PlayStation 3?
Sadly, the short answer is a simple no. You would have to upgrade to one of the consoles in the PS4 series to use the new PlayStation VR headset.

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Where can I purchase PSVR?

Many retailers are currently accepting pre-orders of the PlayStation VR headset. View our list of VR retailers to find one that offers a great deal.

PlayStation VR Trailers

Official Pre-release Trailer

PSVR Worlds

The Assembly (launch title)

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Full list of launched and soon-to-launch PlayStation VR games

• 100ft Robot Golf
• Ace Banana
• Allumette
• Batman: Arkham VR
• Battlezone
• Bound
• Carnival Games – 28 October
• Driveclub VR
• Eagle Flight – 8 November
• EVE: Gunjack
• EVE: Valkyrie
• Harmonix Music VR
• Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X
• Headmaster
• Here They Lie
• Hulu
• Hustle Kings VR
• Invasion!
• Job Simulator
• Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
• Kismet
• Littlestar VR Cinema
• Loading Human
• Moto Racer 4 – 3 November
• Pixel Gear – 20 October
• PlayStation VR Worlds
• Rex Infinite
• RIGS Mechanized Combat League
• Rise of the Tomb Raider: Blood Ties
• SportsBar VR – Fall 2016
• Super Stardust Ultra VR
• Superhypercube
• The Assembly
• The Playroom VR
• Thumper
• Tmble VR
• Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
• Volume: Coda
• Vrideo
• Waddle Home – October
• Wayward Sky
• Weeping Doll – 27 October
• Werewolves Within – 6 December
• Within
• World War Toons