Long-time gamer Daniel Birchfield recently got the chance to take the Playstation VR headset for a test run. As you’ll read below, it was quite an experience.
PlayStation VR kit
For: PlayStation 4
From: Sony
Price: $630
Also needed: A PlayStation 4 console and PlayStation 4 Eye V2 Camera are required. They are sold separately (approx $450 and $100 respectively).
I've been fascinated by virtual reality since my first experience of it some 20 or so years ago.
It was at the Stafford St mall in Timaru. You know the drill, a guy standing about raving about this technological marvel.
I took him up on his offer of a test run and tried on a clunky headset with even clunkier visuals.
Even though by today's standards it would be considered awful, I was hooked right away.
So you can imagine my excitement when I got wind of the Playstation VR headset.
I recently had the opportunity to give it a crack and it was nothing short of incredible.
Thankfully, it's really easy to set the whole thing up.
You basically plug in the Playstation camera, line it up, hook up an adapter, plug the headset in and you're away.
The thing I noticed first was how streamlined, light and comfortable the headset was, a far cry from my experience of 20 years ago.
Another bonus was the fact that if you wear glasses, the headset fits comfortably over them so there's no need to take them off and risk missing out on one of the most wonderful gaming experiences you'll have.
The first game I tried was Battlezone, an area-type shooter that sees you strapped into the driving seat of a super tank.
Straight away I wanted to reach out and touch all of the tank controls to the left, right and straight ahead.
You can't, of course, but there is a virtual image of a Playstation controller in front of you when you look down.
The combat is fast and immersive and has an arcade feel - it's based on an 1980 Atari game after all - which I loved.
The sound is top-notch and the controls are a breeze.
At no stage did I think I was not actually inside the tank, which is exactly what the VR headset sets out to achieve and it passes with flying colours and then some.
After a good few sessions of Battlezone I moved on to Driveclub VR.
Which turned out to be a bad choice.
Not because it's not a fun, good-looking game, because it is.
Racing around tracks in the driver's seat of some of the world's fastest cars would appeal to virtually anyone, but there's one drawback that's not going to affect everyone some should be aware of.
You see, I tend to suffer from motion sickness and within about two minutes of my first lap, I started to feel a bit green.
Sadly, I couldn't handle it and had to stop.
So for those of you that do suffer from motion sickness - and there's warnings about it on screen before you start - Driveclub VR probably isn't for you.
Probably my favourite VR experience would be Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.
The horror-themed arcade shooter is actually pretty freaky and I admit I almost jumped out of my skin a few times.
There's an impressive array of weapons available to cut down the hordes of undead that swarm in your direction.
Think of your worst nightmare and this is pretty much it.
Much like Battlezone, you just want to reach out and feel the environment around you.
My VR experience, while short, was nothing short of spectacular.
If you've got the coin and plenty of free time, do yourself a favour and get hold of one - it's a fine additional to any gamer's arsenal.
