Should You Buy

Virtual reality. Its something many of us regard with considerable awe. A technological enterprise marshaled from the annals of science fiction. Conceived in prodigious realms and auspicious futures far beyond our primitive capabilities. A future when lost limbs are regrown by medical miracles, hover cars are affluent forms of transportation, and alien species have integrated into a society free from racial segregation. Where long theorised ideas about the consciousness of artificial intelligence and whether they indeed dream of electric sheep are arbitrary concepts, with androids now contributing to taxes and granted the right to vote. Yet here we are, in the here and now playing virtual reality games on a PlayStation. Simulated constructs where you can do anything, be anyone and go anywhere. You can scour the inhospitable continent of Skyrim. Drive various super cars from the drivers perspective. Or obliterate the swollen ball sacs of the hellish tormentors that litter Doom. The possibilities are endless, the immersion limitless. But is VR really worth the price of admission?

Let me start by saying that I don’t own one, because I flat-out refuse to pay for a peripheral accessory that costs more than the hardware I need to play it on, but I know a couple of friends who do. Both have praised the uniquely captivating experience, with one buying a PS4 specifically for the VR. After a time I began to find their ardent endorsement of the PS VR infectious, to the point that I had to sample it for myself. So on a blustery frigid Sunday afternoon the family and I visited one of them that lived within walking distance to discover what all the fuss was about.

My girlfriend and mates respective partner were largely apathetic about my first foray into virtual reality, so instead busied themselves with entertaining my daughter and engaging in other idle gossip, that I’d no doubt be privy to later. The first thing I noticed having adorned this conspicuous looking tiara is just how comfortable it was. It’s easily adjusted to even my bulbous shaped cranium, resting comfortably on my head without much discernible weight on my neck. It takes a few minutes for your eyes to comfortably adjust as your peripheral vision is severely compromised by the visual limitations of the headset encroaching on how you’d normally perceive the world. With the motion controls in either hand I took my first awkward steps into a virtual world.

I only played two games, the first was featured on “PS VR Worlds”, a glorified tech demo really where I fumbled my way through a diamond heist, which turned out to be an exercise in confusion. Trying to manoeuvre the controls that function as your hands is initially very disconcerting. It was however amusing sitting in a simulated pub admiring the very realistic interior, picking up a cigar from the table, lighting it, and then mimic the sound of inhaling the tobacco smoke and exhaling as if I were smoking it myself, with the character simulating my actions. The controls though functional are rather tricky to master though. Shooting for instance can feel disconnected and difficult to aim with any precision, with no reticle to aid you. But once you get the hang of it things become far more comfortable. Having finished my short, somewhat successful stint as a master criminal I delved into a far more familiar landscape: Skyrim.

“Skyrim VR” is ostensibly just virtual tourism, an ambitious destination considering the size and scope of the environment, prompting a desire to explore I hadn’t felt since I purchased it originally back in 2011. At times it felt like I was there, breathing the cold, piercing air. Observing the residents of Whitrun going about their scripted saunters. And even though the VR experience was coercing only two of my five senses into believing it was real, somehow that was enough to be entirely captivated by this world again. The motion controls are for the most part cumbersome, jarring and more than a little refractory, but so too is the combat system, which kind of neutralise one another. I wish I’d got more time here to really get a sense of what this has to offer, as my real life counterpart had to leave. But my temporary residency in the virtual world did inform one very apparent truth: that I need to get the PS VR, just not yet.

PS VR is just too expensive for what it is, despite being the cheapest premium VR device on the market. What it does is impressive, adding substantial creative expression to its extravagant dimensions. But as of right now it’s still adolescent and perhaps even a little shallow. Technically competent for sure, yet devoid of any substantial content that makes it a worthwhile asset. It’s perfect for socializing, having a few drinks with friends and indulge in the hallucinatory tech demos that are impressive to experience. Laughing at one another’s macarena style movements and spasmodic flinching. But as a solo experience it’s really rather hollow. Immersion is somewhat limited too, particularly when you have your daughter clamouring over you demanding that you take off the headset because she believes you’re hiding! Of course my daughters ability to antagonise you personally should be relatively reduced. Perhaps with a hand recognition software that could detect the faintest gestural nuances of your movements instead of an arbitrary move controller might provide a more intuitive solution to the stilted control scheme. I don’t know!

But my initial reservation to VR has drastically changed from a sceptical naysayer to someone genuinely excited about its future. There’s a definite potential with it, it’s just unclear what that explicit potential really is!

Do you own a PS VR? If so what do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

It’s a question that is more rhetorical than it is a legitimate query, because I’ll probably get one regardless and is certainly a curiosity that has aroused significant interest the more I think about it. You see money is not something I part with readily, without committed preparation to ensure that I’m not merely complicit to some impulsive desire. Yet when it comes to technology, particularly when I can elevate my gaming experience I can’t help but willfully abandon my reserved, contemplative rhetoric, one that can calmly analyse the benefits and disadvantages of a situation with measured consideration, in favour of more immediate “give it to me now!” gratification. Spontaneity is often my primary conviction as I get this overwhelming need for ownership, which leaves me having to dubiously advocate the purchase to my highly critical girlfriend. There is that momentary lapse of euphoric optimism when you finally win, out bidding some unknown auctioneer, until you remember that you’ve got to pay for it. But there’s a difference between buying a second-hand game and a new television.

When it comes to a device as explicitly prominent as a television, I don’t compromise. I need to make absolutely certain that the purchase I make is right not just for me, but for my family as well. As such it has to be a functioning amenity that facilitates all of our needs, as well as providing the necessary accessories that can justify purchase to my girlfriend, such as catch up TV and built-in applications. So for starters it can’t be too big, nor second-hand. Buying one new is the ideal scenario, provided the price is reasonable. Though a refurbished television, with the appropriate warranty is something I’m seriously considering.

The way in which our lounge is situated makes it difficult to have a television that’s 55 inches wide. Realistically we only need one that’s around the same diameter as our current 43 inch screen. 49 inches is an option, but not a prerequisite. For me it’s all about getting a setup that best utilises “Certified Ultra High Definition” resolutions and “High Dynamic Range” (HDR) and to achieve that with the moderate budget I have outlined, roughly £400, reducing the size rather than its capabilities is more important. So a good quality build and most assuredly a name brand I’m familiar with is priority.

Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, LG or even Panasonic are companies I would feel comfortable buying from. There are cheaper, less renowned brands that boast similar quality and picture clarity but it’s something of an unknown quantity that, unless garners universal recognition is not something I’m willing to consider. If I’m going to buy a new TV at considerable expense it needs to be something that will satisfy our needs for many years, so to have one that is the best that money can buy, with higher end specifications like HDR is preferable. I understand that the market fluctuates and that new innovations are being made to improve home entertainment all the time, so I’m really trying to gauge the personal perceptions of consumers who have purchased a 4k television, that they themselves would recommend to a friend, or in this case a nosy blogger.

Also its worth noting that my nearly two-year old daughter has an innate tendency to touch the television screen we currently have, trying to interact with the colourful animated characters exposed on the screen. Despite verbally reprimanding her, much to her umbrage she persistently ignores my rebukes, glaring at me with irritation as she ambles into the kitchen to hide the remote control in the washing machine. So the obvious solution would be to either get a new obedient daughter, a controversial proposition I haven’t entirely ruled out or purchase a wall mounted television, right? Wrong! Personally I find them vulgar, like decorative wall accessories rather than a home entertainment system. We would also have to completely reorganise our entire living room to accommodate it. Adjusting pictures, mirrors, sofas and bookshelves and due to the size and positioning of our living room windows, which facilitates eminent intrusion of the sun’s light, we would be forced to close the curtains permanently to reduce the glare from the sun.