Is Your Room Big Enough for PlayStation VR?

One of the big difference between the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift is that the former is built for room-scale virtual reality, while the latter is playable at your desk. It was assumed that the PlayStation VR headset would likely lean towards the Oculus Rift implementation, but that might not be the case. In an advertising pamphlet posted online, Sony's PlayStation VR is also looking for a decent-sized room.

The pamphlet shows that the PlayStation Camera needs to be sufficiently far away from the PlayStation VR headset to capture movements. It also shows a recommended play area of 6.2 feet by 9.8 feet, which is backed up by a similar image on the official PlayStation Asia website.

"Limit your use of PS VR to within the Play Area," reads the FAQ. "Clear an area larger than the Play Area of all obstacles before using PS VR and remain seated whenever possible. If the application requires you to stand while wearing the VR headset, follow the application instructions carefully, and maintain awareness of your surroundings."

Users have to make sure the PlayStation Camera is high enough to capture the entire Play Area. The higher the camera, the higher your total Play Area is. The FAQ goes on to detail Social Screen mode, showing friends and family what you're seeing on the television, and Cinematic Mode, letting users view 2D content on a virtual screen.

Hopefully these are just recommendations, as many users have severely compromised play spaces. Some game in smaller rooms, while others play at a desk, similar to a computer. If there are hard guidelines, it sounds like people will have to get creative or simply not jump into the PlayStation VR phenomenon.

PlayStation VR will be launching for PlayStation 4 on October 13, 2016.

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#1 camchow A year ago

It came close but no, doesn't fit in my living room. I live in an apartment in a city though. I guess I could make it work if I moved all the furniture around but no thanks. Cut it by a about a foot in both directions and I would only need to move my coffee table.

#2 otenko A year ago

Wii 2.0. I wonder at which point the VR technology will be adopted in games. I confess that I am really skeptical about it, specially because the development costs will only increase.

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#3 VotesForCows A year ago

@otenko It doesn't feel like a long-term home technology. These space requirements are ridiculous for people who live in normal homes.

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#4 _k1_ A year ago

I pre-ordered one of these, but I live in a small NYC apartment, and my living room doesn't have that much space. I guess I'm going to cancel and wait to hear if it really needs so much room.

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#5 otenko A year ago

@VotesForCows That's my case. I don't have a PS4, however even if I had a Sony console my room wouldn't allow me to play PSVR games.
VR looks an interesting concept, but it's a lot troublesome to implement in gaming. It requires a lot from users and even more from developers. Let's see how the history of VR in games unfolds.

#6 chaoticBeat A year ago

Haha no. I'm still going to play Rez Infinite though.

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#7 milomikic A year ago

@_k1_ don't cancel. 90% of gaming outlets lost their minds, their reading comprehension and should collectively be sent back to preschool.
That area shown is to tell you that it will not work BEYOND those limits, not that it requires that area. Chill.Edited July 2016 by milomikic

#8 VotesForCows A year ago

@_k1_ Just throwing in a dissenting voice to the previous poster - I think you're right to cancel. While these are the operational limits, we have no way of knowing at this time how many games will or won't make use of the full space.

#9 MetManMas A year ago

@otenko Sounds more like Kinect 2.0 to me.

I knew there were gonna be drawbacks to VR, and I knew one of 'em was gonna be needing ample space to flail around like an idiot. I'm not saying cool stuff can't be done with virtual reality in video games (I still think it'll likely be a boon for Mystlikes and the walking sim genre in general 'cuz immersion's their thing) but it's very likely that it won't be practical for most types of gameplay.

Vehicle cockpit sims, shooting galleries, arcade-like distractions, tacked-on first person modes...That's the kinda stuff we'll likely be seeing a lot of with VR.

#10 davidchambers98 A year ago

My room might be but my heart is not - I feel this is an expensive fad, only marginally better than the Kinect.

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#11 rumah-gamat-luxor A year ago

Wau.. it look like wonderful room. Regard

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