Tag: VR

Farpoint + Aim = Instant classic 10/10 game for PSVR

Farpoint + Aim defines the future for FPS in VR. It paves the way for FPS VR. It shows FPS VR can be done. It is the ‘Quake of VR’. Story? Did Quake have a story? Did Quake need a story to become a game legend? Nope. Anyway, Farpoint has an acceptable story. But it isn’t about a story. It is about opening the gates to FPS in VR. In this respect it is an instant classic. It will be remembered, not for the story but for the impact it made on VR. Farpoint + Aim do so much new stuff, it’s simply incredible. With it we set foot on another gaming continent. The FPS VR world. And with it comes discoveries and mapping of this unknown FPS VR territory. Farpoint + Aim is synonym for gaming history in the making … and I was there. I bought it day 1. Because I wanted to be part of it. Glad I did. Farpoint + Aim … I love you!

Video below contains spoilers!

Driveclub VR (PS4)

Virual Reality has arrived for me. I bought the Playstation VR, together with the Playstation PS4 Pro. The game at hand is Driveclub VR. This is a video of me being the passenger in my own replay of a race. Keep in mind, the VR experience is much stronger. With VR you are ‘really there’ in the car. Enjoy. Music by Joe Satriani (Ceremony)

Microsoft has to upgrade the Xbox One to support VR (Scorpio)

Microsoft insider Brad Sams wrote on Thurrott.com, saying that he expects to see new hardware and a new controller at E3. So what hardware could that be? My guess (and hope) is that Microsoft announces a VR capable upgraded Xbox One. To support the Oculus Rift VR headset. I don’t think Microsoft has other options. If Xbox does not do VR, Microsoft will loose gamers who want to enjoy VR. They will switch to a VR platform, and probably stick with it. VR could be addictive as hell and truly the next step in gaming. I am a firm believer that VR indeed is this ‘next step’. It will take the First Person View to a level beyond what has been offered the last 20 years since Doom and Quake. From Doom in the mid 90’s to the latest Call of Duty and Battlefield, you look at a flat screen. 20 years gave us a bit more pixels, but that’s it. But in VR you turn your head. The immersion is on a completely other level. The adage will be ‘Once VR, never look back ~ Max Qubit’

VR is trippyThe problem for Microsoft is the price of the hardware to support the Oculus Rift. The lowest price for a ‘Oculus Rift pc’ I saw was around $900. Maybe in 6 months that drops to $750. So Microsoft faces the problem of announcing a $750 Xbox One VR … just to support the Oculus Rift.

A possible way to solve this might be to first announce an Xbox One VR upgrade (supporting Oculus Rift) but toy with the release date. Releasing later means the Xbox One VR can have a less expensive price tag. It might also benefit from a less expensive Oculus Rift, and it would give developers time to build VR support into the Xbox games. I think Microsoft could get away with a 2017 Q2 release of the Xbox One VR without losing an army of gamers to Sony (PSVR) or HTC/Valve (Vive). Most Xbox gamers interested in VR probably would argue ‘Well, I wait a bit longer for the Xbox One VR to arrive instead of switching platform’. My estimated price tag for an Xbox One VR releasing in 2017 Q2 is around $600. Perfectly acceptable for hard core Xbox gamers who want to go VR.

With above strategy, Microsoft would offer a VR upgrade path for Xbox gamers. Eclipsing Sony’s PSVR solution, which is cheaper but also less powerful, by releasing 6 months after Sony’s PSVR, an Xbox One VR system which can handle the Oculus Rift.

Microsoft needs an answer to VR. Above is my suggested move. It is Microsoft’s only option.

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Edit (may 27, 2016): Kotaku and Polygon brought out the news that Microsoft indeed is working on an upgraded Xbox under the name ‘Scorpio’. To be expected in  2017.

Microsoft is feeling pressure to announce the upgraded Scorpio at this year’s E3 ~ Polygon

In line with what I was suggesting in my post:)

Edit (aug 9, 2017): We now know Scorpio is coming Q4 2017, under the name Xbox X. Somewhat surprising is that Microsoft has stopped talking about VR on Xbox X. Sure they will say Xbox X is VR enabled, but there is no concrete VR available at launch in Q4 2017. Not like, plug in Rift and go. VR on Xbox X will come, but the wait will be longer than I expected.