PS4 Pro and PSVR

I have been enjoying PSVR since launch, it really does bring a new dimension to the gaming experience and it is quite an achievement for Sony to get it running as well as it does on a standard PS4.

But with the launch of the PS4 Pro and the news that 13 VR games had received Pro upgrades, I decided it would be worth investing in the new console to enhance my VR experience and thought I would share my thoughts on it.

First of all the Pro comes with a 1tb harddrive, and considering how full my hardrive got on my original PS4, it was welcome to have the space to install my VR games without deleting a load of stuff first, secondly Sony have thankfully fitted the Pro with a USB at the back, so that annoying wire I had running from the front for my VR can be now located more discreetly out the back.

Apart from the obvious power difference the only other minor change is to the controller, which now has the lightbar at the front also highlighted at the top so you can see any colour change just by looking down (absolutely no use in VR)

OK so does the Pro make a difference in VR? to find out I first played VR Worlds, one of the games that has seen a Pro upgrade, the loading screen did indeed seem sharper and more defined, but not massively different, loading Ocean Descent the experience did seem to improve, the softness I remembered seemed to be gone and as a result the experience was more enjoyable, the same was true of London Heist, where there was certainly more detail.

Next I moved onto Call of Duty, not the actual game, but a free VR space battle demo, I have got to say I was very impressed when I first played the game on my original PS4, the cockpit looked amazing and really added to the immersion, I dont know if it has Pro support but the cockpit now seemed to take on a new level of realism, the game itself also seemed sharper and seemed to have lost the softness I remembered.

Next I tried Batman VR ( my favourite VR experience) made by Rocksteady the game was already graphically very impressive so i wasn't too disappointed to see no noticeable change, maybe it will get a patch in the future, but for now it seems the same.

Finally I tried Until Dawn Rush of Blood, a game that has apparently been patched for the Pro, so it was disappointing to see no real difference, still it was a pretty good looking game to start with so not the end of the world, but it did leave me wondering what had been improved?

I was hoping to try Journey ( a Crytek game) so graphically it was always going to be something special and it was supposed to make a noticable use of the Pro's abilities, but sadly Amazon have failed to deliver so will have to wait.

Update: The Journey has finally arrived, only played for about 20 mins, this game looks pretty good, cant say how it looks on the Pro compared to my original PS4 as I'm not going to keep swapping my VR to test it, but it does a good job of putting you in an alien world.

the biggest problem is motion sickness with this game, although I have been ok, I have been very slow and deliberate in my movements, this game could take a while as if I move too fast you definitely feel it, still from what I have seen it is worth persevering, unlike that pile of poo The Martian

In summary is it worth buying the Pro for PSVR? If you already have a PS4, at the moment I would say no, the improvements although noticeable are not huge (at least not yet) so stick with your PS4.

But If you are looking to buy a new PS4 the Pro is easily the most sensible choice, if you have a 4k TV with HDR (high dynamic range) then the Pro could be worth the upgrade, if you have 4k HDR and PSVR, the Pro would be looking very tempting indeed, either way the Pro is a nice option to have.

On a totally different note, anyone with a PSVR it is worth making an American account, I have downloaded something called VRideo which offers a huge amount of VR video, from rollercoaster rides to a passenger in a jet fighter, even soft pawn (I cant use proper spelling) with women in various states of dress, (it shows my age that I spend more time looking round the apartments they are in) but I'm sure teenagers will enjoy it.