Thanks for what info you could offer. Have decided to cancel my pre-order anyway because after tasting vive, anything less just isn't going to cut it for me. Gen 2 PC VR will be here soon. In the meantime I'm sure PSVR is going to be a lot of fun for PS4 users, esp those completely new to VR.

over and out.

Super helpful post. Thanks for that. You clearly didn't read a word I wrote. The guys who tried them can answer these without me having to try anything, hence me bothering to write the posts instead of seeking out somewhere to demo one in public (which isn't my idea of fun)

This is true, which is why people writing it off completely based on resolution or system power don't quite get it, the HMD (PSVR HMD) is shaping up to be the best/most balanced one for the tech available at this time. Personally the res is STILL too low on even the vive for my liking, so PSVR will be DK2 level or feel a bit better, but if the rest of it feels good that's part of the battle.

What I would like is for Sony to enter the HMD race properly, with a NON PS HMD with competing/better spec than the rest. THey can both afford to do so, as a larger company with tons of experience with lenses and screens and as a mass-seller with proper distribution that puts even HTC in the shade. So I think Sony would be missing a trick if they didn't at least consider making a Vive/Rift rival on PC and clean up there due to japanese QUALITY of design and execution. Next year Gen 2 is going to be on the way, and it'll make PSVR seem like Virtual Boy, with foveated rendering, higher res again (maybe MAYBE even 4k with Foveated making it do-able) and much much better tracking inc hand tracking, eye interaction etc. Sony can't rest on the PSVR mk1 if it means to take VR seriously. The playstation will hold them back if they only focus on that, but is perfectly valid for PSVR (Neo esp but bring on PS5 for a machine designed from the start for good VR using VR centric GPU with mutli view rendering built int). Xbox (ugh) scorpio is going to be bringing it's A game for VR specifically (with Oculus providing a custom HMD probably better than anything we currently have on the market) so Sony really can NOT stop with just PSVR mk1. It needs PS5 + a much better HMD for when scorpio hits, or just after.

Fingers crossed they enter the game, and don't just see VR as console thing.

[ specifically to this OP as you have more details than where I posted this post below originally: Are the blacks JET BLACK in PSVR? I feel the grey blacks in rift CV1 and Vive are killers to feeling presence in scenes where you have blank space. This was never a problem in DK2. Same goes for god rays - none on DK2 nor on PSVR I hope? - thanks to non fresnel lenses which both DK2 and PSVR have)

I sold my Vive for various reasons I won't go into, but as a full system it's clearly the best out there but still - HMD wise - it's not good enough for the money. My DK2 rift was more pleasant in many ways, due to solid blacks and no god rays/lensflare. Now, PSVR is meant to be similar to DK2 in spec AND in that it doesn't use fresnel lenses (like Rift CV1 and Vive do) this is what causes immersion breaking god rays.

PSVR also uses superior RGB screens instead of PENTILE. So this should aid in better contrast, blacks, colours (more natural) and combined with the BETTER lenses from Sony should make for the most 'visually connected' HMD of the big 3 (even with less power and lower res).

So my question to those that have tried it, did you notice this glassy/non foggy connection to the world in PSVR, where it felt more immersive, more impressive than rift/vive due to these things? I have it pre-ordered and I won't be buying a PS4 neo though clearly that has come out to make PSVR more future proof, there's only so much they will be able to do with VR on a standard PS4 and my future big spending is going towards PC VR Gen 2 with massive tech improvements hopefully.

So, given that PSVR is running on less powerful system, with lower res, those that have tried all/many VR would you say it felt the best ergonomically (it looks it) and visually (other than resolution), did it feel 'effortless' to the eyes and without visual annoyances? Am trying to work out whether to cancel my pre-order or not (And probably will) but am trying to see if there's any hope left... really GEN 2 VR is where it's going to be at. Also I have doubts about Move being good enough, compared to my ex-vive wands which were perfect. I already have 2 move wands from PS3 days though.

Also - one thing that would def have me keeping my pre-order would be if Sony were going to open up the HMD to use on PC. There were rumours they might, anyone heard any more on that? I really don't want to just be locked into whatever PS can offer up for my VR, as a developer and Unreal engine VR tinkerer, lots of my VR fun has come from making my own stuff. I know they will probably have the most polished VR games for a while but the ability to use it away from $30 game purchases constantly would be a no-brainer to me.

I sold my Vive for various reasons I won't go into, but as a full system it's clearly the best out there but still - HMD wise - it's not good enough for the money. My DK2 rift was more pleasant in many ways, due to solid blacks and no god rays/lensflare. Now, PSVR is meant to be similar to DK2 in spec AND in that it doesn't use fresnel lenses (like Rift CV1 and Vive do) this is what causes immersion breaking god rays.

PSVR also uses superior RGB screens instead of PENTILE. So this should aid in better contrast, blacks, colours (more natural) and combined with the BETTER lenses from Sony should make for the most 'visually connected' HMD of the big 3 (even with less power and lower res).

So my question to those that have tried it, did you notice this glassy/non foggy connection to the world in PSVR, where it felt more immersive, more impressive than rift/vive due to these things? I have it pre-ordered and I won't be buying a PS4 neo though clearly that has come out to make PSVR more future proof, there's only so much they will be able to do with VR on a standard PS4 and my future big spending is going towards PC VR Gen 2 with massive tech improvements hopefully.

So, given that PSVR is running on less powerful system, with lower res, those that have tried all/many VR would you say it felt the best ergonomically (it looks it) and visually (other than resolution), did it feel 'effortless' to the eyes and without visual annoyances? Am trying to work out whether to cancel my pre-order or not (And probably will) but am trying to see if there's any hope left... really GEN 2 VR is where it's going to be at. Also I have doubts about Move being good enough, compared to my ex-vive wands which were perfect. I already have 2 move wands from PS3 days though.

Unbelievable! I'm a big fan of the original PC DOOM 3 - faults and all, 'simple' gameplay and all... at the time, and even still, it did what many games had tried to do, immerse a player fully and make them feel like they 'were there' in a fairly realistic envionment. This wasn't realistic in static shots, or compared to what today's version of realistic may be. It wasn't about super high texture quality or being a perfect mimic of reality. What it did was invoke the imagination from it's slightly OTT use of light and shade and even it's hard shadows cast from the flashlight added to this. Who cares if they weren't as accurate as real life, they were exaggerated on screen but while playing the brain compensated and made it feel like reality!

The game was misunderstood by many due to it's simple gameplay, failing to realise that it was one of few games (even today - crysis being another example) that felt like we were in an environment rather than staring at a cartoon. I will always love Doom 3 (original) for how it made me feel, the shadows were vital, the flashlight either/or tension was important too. To see the latter gone without an option for 'original' flashlight was questionable already, but the shadows it used to cast gone too? that was a massive part of the immersion!

I remember the times I'd be crouched down some pit soaking up the atmosphere, gazing up to the wall mounted steps with my flashlight on, watching the shadows dance and move creating darkness of their own... it was so damn eerie and oozed immersion.

Doom 3 was never about the gamplay that came from it's shooting element, but more than most games, it felt fun just 'being in there'. I found the talk of the oculus rift to go with the BFG edition exciting as I always imagined how cool playing D3 would have been with a decent HMD if one had existed at the time for a good price.

All of this pre-amble is basically to say I am very disappointed in this BFG edition - BFG obviously has changed meaning to "basically F*** gamers" now!

DO NOT BUY THIS ON PC.

I also believe this has undergone consolisation after re-conversion to now-gen consoles. It's a lazy port, the only reason it works as well as it does is sheer luck I think, because it was originally made for PC. Any new additions are not PC-Centric, and in fact have taken stuff away? wtf??

To those asking why do we need options on an old game, the point is it's NOT even running at max settings! They have obviously settled on a medium ground quality bar (for consoles) then LAZILY not allowed it to be pushed too much on PC, probably to save on QA time or some other poor reason.

The game itself is still good imo - if you've never played it and get it cheap and can't get the original (+ mods) then do. It DOES still have atmosphere, it does still look relatively good (especially considering how old it basically is) which is a testement to how amazing it looked at the time. However for the fact they have tried to rip PC gamers off - in principle alone I'd avoid it and track down a 2nd hand copy of the original and vote with your wallet.

I don't know who's idea it was to get rid of so many dynamic shadows but it was a stupid idea, doesn't matter that some may have pointed out they were 'too dark' or 'too sharp' and that they could layer ontop of ambient shadows at times - it was FUN and immersive! what the hell are the industry doing when they get chance to revist it a game and remove one of it's most unique features, especially in a game like this that really paid off with atmosphere.

Even un-modded the original Doom 3 was better for the shadows alone, I'll take whatever may have not been perfect in it over the so called 'improvements' in this ridiculous downgrade.

With mods Doom 3 is still one of the best immersive environments a player could play through on PC today! The way it was built/textured originally gave it a very chunky solid quality that is sorely missing in many newer games, too many 'pretty' modern games are more like walking through 2D paintings, original Doom 3 felt like a solid environment with depth and character. I love the freakin' thing even in 2012 for many things it has not been bettered (unfortunately many will now judge it's legacy based on this BFG edition and not 'get' what was so awesome about it originally - a shame).

Bethesda are really starting to annoy me - I believe they had too much say in this and they hold the purse strings, part of IDs descent into mediocrity can be pinned firmly on them having to answer to bethseda now I think.