Sony surprised us all this week by announcing the next generation PlayStation VR administrators. It mentioned in the PlayStation blog post that they’re sent to development partners immediately, and that’s perhaps why it’s been decided to reveal them – there’s always a chance they’ll leak once they arrive in studios, right?
To be honest, I do not think the bulky accessories are so amazing – but it does not make them any less exciting. We know they’re followed by the headset, rather than by a forward-facing camera, enabling true 360-degree entertainment. They also have many of the same features as the DualSense, so you get good customizable trigger effects and haptic feedback.
I am especially eager to try out the fingerprint; I do not think the blog post makes it particularly clear how this is going to work, but I do remember watching some old prototype videos from PlayStation that really woke me up at the time. Hopefully it succeeds in delivering technology that way. It is noteworthy that the analog sticks will also make a big difference.
I do not think this setup is going to be cheap by the way, which is why we’re looking at a serious price for Sony’s next generation PSVR headset. The one benefit associated with it PS Move technology for its previous generation virtual reality solution was that it undoubtedly had a factory full of rods from the PS3 era, and this helped to reduce costs. This new one is going to be a big investment.
And that’s why software support is going to be so important in the end. There are rumors that a sort of Horizon Zero Dawn spin-off is being developed for the new headset, and if it’s a full-fledged experience rather than a Link’s Crossbow Training style, then it’s the caliber of release that the headset is going for to need. You should think that a new Astro Bot Rescue Mission is also underway.
But in terms of key software, Sony has to slam Valve’s door to get Half-Life: Alyx as the launch title. It was one of the best games in 2020, and while it did not win as many awards as it could possibly have earned due to the niche status of virtual reality, it was still able to achieve a 93 rating on Metacritic.
The game is extraordinary: a full-fledged first-person shooter designed specifically for virtual reality. Valve has always been open to the idea of bringing the game to PlayStation – designer Greg Coomer told us last year that it’s ‘nothing out there’ regarding PSVR. At the time, he said it was focused on the SteamVR release.
Of course, the reality is that the original PSVR, which was linked to the PS4 with PS Move controllers, could not handle the game’s ambition; presumably the company’s next generation headset, with brand new controllers and a next generation console, could be in force. Technology is just as good as the software support, and when it comes to virtual reality games, it is one of the best.
So I hope half and half begging here: Half-Life: Alyx needs to be a launch title for the next generation PSVR headset. I do not care what it costs or how much it costs, Sony should get Valve development kits as soon as possible and make sure it is ready for the first day. While I expect PS5’s virtual reality headset to be an expensive proposition, it’s worth paying for with releases like this in its library.
Would you buy Half-Life: Alyx for PSVR? Where does the Valve game count among your most popular titles? Shoot the comments below.