The PS4 Isn't Powerful Enough To Run PSVR, Will Need An External Processor

So, there we have it.

As many suspected, the PS4 is not nearly powerful enough to support the PSVR headset all by itself, at least not at the level of visual fidelity that Sony presumably wants for it. Instead, the headset will require an external processor that will supplement the PS4 to even be able to run.

Polygon

VG247

Looks like I'm not getting a PSVR.

I'm not getting any VR anyway, so....

I'm not interested in VR at all, so pass.

How is that anything but good news?

Wooow....how much will it cast?

This thing is going to be a PR and marketing nightmare...

Also the PlayStation 4 not being powerful enough goes without saying.

Think MS for once did the smart thing here, just wait for next gen when consoles will be sort of ready. Let the grassroots of PC set the foundation for VR. There's really no hurry, AAA won't focus on VR for 5+years anyway. Adding a "Wii" will make it more expensive, look dumb and it still won't touch the capability of proper PC VR.

Shite.

I wonder how much this disaster will cost Sony. Just when they were beginning to turn it around with PS4, they make the Kinect of Gen 8.

No,I believe sony has thought it through, you make a logic mistake if you think game machines could handle VR in 5-10 years.

VR gaming will always suffer from performance,it will always be a downgraded version from the big screen visual.You think the VR is not ready because those games look weak on the console,it is all the same for next gen.

But I agree the price is all that matter now.

This is not news, it's been known for some time that the "box" will process both the video output and sensor inputs. It's been stated before it will also do interpolation to push low frame rates to higher frame rates for stuff that is below 90FPS. It will not process 3D stuff.

Probably because it will cost too much. Not in terms of it being a better product.

I mean I'm of the opinion that VR is going to fail regardless, whether such a headset cost $100 or $500 I don't see it hitting the mainstream in terms of gaming. However if it's something like $500, it will fail even harder.

Huh, I wonder who could possibly have said this before? :D

It was always going to cost $300-$400. Who cares?

I linked this week's ago.......

I don't see what the big deal is, the headset plugs into a intermediary device, that plugs into the PS4, not very complex.

My understanding is most of the vr headsets are going to cost a lot.

At least this way game graphics won't have to be downgraded to accommodate VR.

Are we literally dumping on VR for any reason now?

Can I start a thread about Virtual Reality starting with a 'V' so it is doomed?

The problem with VR is that you are going to need vastly more power to make it look anywhere close to ordinary games so I think its going to be a fairly niche PC thing for a while. Even with the next gen of consoles you're still going to struggle to have the same gameplay and fidelity on VR compared to straight on the console. You can't get away with lower framerate or drops or laggyness of any kind or you're just going to have people vomitting all over the place. I just don't see VR being mainstream enough (this gen certainly) to have made it worthwhile for any of the console manufactures to have invested in it. I really hope I'm wrong.

@Sushiglutton: I dunno....getting some experience with the tech and all that is a big part of whether or not the VR for next gen will be good.

I'd rather then try and fail with some experience under their belt than not try at all and then go into next gen as a rookie.

No, we are starting a thread on new news, the same as it has always been.

All of which aside, I'm not even sure how this thread is 'dumping' on VR, especially since its focus seems to be the PS4's specs mandating an external processor. Stop being so sensitive.

Except for consumers who buy it and get stuck with a bunch of useless tech like move or kinect when support gets dropped and you get bugger all games.

Or the Vita.

There's alot of positive in the link:

The headset itself felt refined in a way that only a company like Sony can deliver. Everything felt comfortable, futuristic, neatly designed, from the way the headset slipped onto your head and tightened with a dial built into the back of the headband, to the ability to pull the 5.7-inch OLED display away from or against your face while playing.

It is, to date, the most comfortable VR headset I've tried on, a list which includes both Oculus and Vive. It feels like a device designed to be treated like a game controller or a remote; something that you can pick up and put on with out much fuss.

I was thinking about pointless periphery add on's to consol..... never mind so were you! :P

Meh I'm not surprised nor am I interested in VR in its current state.

I'm telling ya'll. Make way for VR. It's going to win gamers who try it. The kind of consumers that upgrade smart phones every other year are not going to bat an eye at the price for a well fleshed out piece of technology that gives them a real different gaming experience.

When the VR apps start coming along, that's when the writing is really going to be on the wall, and Facebook is spearheading all of this. Even if PSVR just gets run-off pinoche from that game, it's going to be like Generation 8.5 up in here.

This is what's needed for X1 to handle VR.

Sounds like a good thing. Everyone was worried about whether or not the PS4 has enough power to run VR, now we know it will tap into some additional power. If anything, that should help mitigate some of the concerns (even if PC is still better suited for the tech).

I can't really muster any concern about this. It's news, but how is it bad?

People were worried PS4 couldn't handle it, we now have info on how it will. So what?

@charizard1605: I dont get this obsession Sony has with such gimmicks ( for now even ) ways to play Video games ... Imho , its TOOOOOOOOOO soon for VR for games to play great on it and by games i mean AAA caliber hits like lets say MGS etc ... Hardware wise doesnt make sense for consoles especially , developers dont even think to focus on VR yet ,in serious mode even and so many other obstacles for now ... Its damn too early for VR to come and stay forever.

I never said it's bad news. It's just posted as news. It is being highlighted, however, to emphasize that those who believed that the system will be too weak to handle VR by itself were right. But apart from that, the OP, or anything else I have said in the thread, does not ever pass any value judgements on whether this news is bad or not, nor does my tone imply any such thing.

makes since these consoles are a joke

Day 1. Cant wait to try this sucker out.

Is the breakout box sold separately or something?

@Heil68: I'm with you there bro. All I see is another maybe fun to experience thing like motion controls but not something I will make use of enough to warrant the price. I bought the first Kinect because my nephew can make me buy anything, and I wanted the full X1 so got the second and enjoy it's non gaming uses. But I won't be dropping cash on anyone VR

@Shewgenja: Well the smart phone comparison is iffy because upgrades are subsidized.

So you truly feel that most gamers that try VR will opt to play their games this way more often than not, and it will catch fire? I'm honestly asking because I would love to believe and double up on my SNE shares.

@charizard1605: I never said you did. No need to get defensive on that one. I am referring to people overreacting to this. There are some in this thread and no doubt across the web reading way too much into this.

I knew the PS4 wasn't powerful enough on its own. At least they aren't trying to fool themselves and are going to tackle the problem.

This is very good news, though the OP tries to put a trollish spin about how the PS4 is too weak yadda yadda. The PS4 could handle some sort of VR on it's own but whatever extra processing needed for doubling the image or whatever would mean that only specific graphically gimped games tailor made for it would be able to run on it. With the PlayStation VR doing whatever lifting is required to produce the image it will be able to run all the games in the PS4 library.

@topgunmv: for real? It's going to cost nearly the price of a new console for unproven tech, and an extremely limited lineup... The wave of bloated hardware add-ons is coming down the tracks... Not to mention, did you SEE how foolish that guy at the Playstation event looked playing that awful looking game/demo?

Pass all day long.

Buying VR for these consoles is a joke.

OCULUS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

But Sony just unlocked extra core from their super computer, how can it not be enough?

PS4 and its external processor make it powerful enough to run PSVR! What a relief.

I imagined myself looked very dumb when I talk to my hand,in eyes of those who never heard of mobile phone.

...why? Everyone would know it's a phone, phones had been around for decades before mobile phones...

they always find a way to **** themselves lol.

Last Gen it was the PS3 and 600$ and now this. The end is nigh. Goodbye Sony.

I know my videogame choices are based on how good I look playing them.