Sony surprised us this week by unveiling its next generation PlayStation VR controllers. You mentioned in the PlayStation Blog post that they are being sent to development partners soon, which is perhaps why you decided to reveal them – there is always a chance that they will leak when they reach the studios, right?
To be fair, I don’t think the orb-shaped accessories are that surprising – but that doesn’t make them any less exciting. We know that they are tracked by the headset instead of a front-facing camera, allowing for true 360-degree entertainment. They also have many of the same features as DualSense, so you’ll get good adaptive trigger effects and tactile feedback.
I am particularly looking forward to experiencing finger tracking; I don’t think the blog post makes it clear how this is going to work, but I remember watching some old PlayStation prototype videos that really piqued my interest at the time. Hopefully, he was able to provide a technology like that. It is important to note that analog sticks will also make a big difference when moving forward.
By the way, I don’t think this setup will be cheap, so we are looking for a very high price for Sony’s PSVR headset. The only benefit of reusing PS Move The technology for his previous generation virtual reality solution was that he undoubtedly had a factory full of wands from the PS3 era, and it really helped to lower costs. This new one is going to be a big investment.
And that is why software support will ultimately be so important. There are rumors that some kind of Horizon Zero Dawn spin-off is in development for the new headset, and if this is a complete experience instead of a Link’s Crossbow Training-style title, then this is the launch caliber. the headset needs. You have to imagine that a new Astro Bot rescue mission is also underway.
But when it comes to key software, Sony needs to knock on Valve’s door to have Half-Life: Alyx as a launch title. This was one of the best games of 2020, and while it didn’t win as many awards as it perhaps deserved due to its virtual reality niche status, it still managed to get a 93 rating on Metacritic.
The game is extraordinary: a first-person shooter developed specifically for virtual reality. Valve has always been open to the idea of bringing the game to the PlayStation – in fact, designer Greg Coomer told us last year that “nothing is ruled out” with regard to PSVR. At the time, he said he was focused on launching SteamVR.
Of course, the reality is that the original PSVR, tied to the PS4 with PS Move controllers, failed to meet the game’s ambition; the company’s next generation headset, with brand new controllers and a next generation console to power it on, probably can. The technology is only as good as the strength of its software support and, when it comes to virtual reality games, this is one of the best.
So I’m half expecting and half begging here: Half-Life: Alyx it needs to be a launch title for the next generation PSVR headset. I don’t care what it costs or how much it costs, Sony needs to get Valve development kits as soon as possible and make sure it’s ready for the first day. While I expect the PS5 virtual reality headset to be an expensive proposition, it will be worth it with releases like this in your library.
Would you buy Half-Life: Alyx for PSVR? Where does the Valve game rank among the most popular titles? Shoot in the comments section below.