VR: Can Consoles Compete?

PlayStation VR

There have always been some things accepted as doable by PC, but not consoles: Ultra high definition graphics, extensive modding, the ability to feel smugly superior to the peasants.  In a few years time, will virtual reality be on this list?

VR is a power-hungry technology.  With the proximity of the screen, every jagged edge, every framerate drop, every tiny imperfection is magnified a thousand times more than on a TV or traditional monitor.  To encompass these needs, the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have a 2160x1200, 90Hz screen.  Including the fact that there's a different image going to each eye, rather than a single image going across the screen, you're looking at about 3 times the raw rendering requirement compared to 1920x1080 60Hz.  If you add on the other challenges presented by VR, such as head tracking and low latency so you don't throw up, you get a recommended spec of at least an NVIDIA GTX 970, and an Intel i5-4590.

This recommended specs are far and away more powerful than the PS4, so you may have some misgivings.  However, Sony have a few tricks up their sleeves.  Firstly, the PSVR specs are lower.  1920x1080 120Hz, as of the last prototype.  120Hz looks like a lot, but realistically it means the most things will be at 60Hz, with the option of an in-between frame that is the same render as the previous frame, but shifted based on the head-tracker's new position.

Sony have also announced the PlayStation Neo (The console formerly know as PS4K/PS4.5).  This will have the exact same game library as the PS4, be significantly more powerful, and is believed to cost the same as the PS4 did at launch.  This means it should have no trouble handling VR, but this calls into question the PS4's abilities.  Why would they make a new console for VR if the old one could handle it?  PS4 owners may end up with a substandard experience.

So, do I think the Sony can compete in this new market?  For the time being, yes, as even a PS Neo and the PSVR headset are significantly cheaper than a Rift or Vive PC setup.  However, as the market matures and costs go down, Sony may lose the advantage of being the budget option, and PC's better hardware price/performance may render Sony's market virtually non-existant.