Virtual reality is coming to the PlayStation 4, and it’s surprisingly comfortable.



The newest version of Sony’s Project Morpheus headset made quite a splash at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco Tuesday night, boasting impressive tech specs and a definite launch window. It’s shaping up to be enticing piece of gear for PS4 owners.

It’s also the coziest VR headset I’ve ever strapped to my face. While the Morpheus can’t yet quite match the jaw-dropping fidelity of the latest Oculus Rift kit, it’s a fair share easier to take on and off. You can smoothly slide the monitor back and forth to accommodate, say, a chunky pair of glasses, and the weight has been distributed to the top of your head, a small tweak that that pays off big time by keeping the visor from pulling down on your poor nose.

It’s hard to overstate how important comfort is when dealing with a VR headset. Ultimately you want to forget about the hardware entirely and get whisked away into a crazy VR experience, but most headsets currently sport heavy, clunky frames and thick cables. The Morpheus is as close to “consumer-friendly” as you’ll find in a VR set right now.

Of course, without awesome software to back it up, it’s just a flashy set of goggles. Sony showed off a handful of new demos during their GDC presentation, and while they all offered a glimpse into the platform’s potential, two in particular stood out.

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The London Heist

Wondering how a shooter might fare in VR? The London Heist offers some answers.

Equipped with the Morpheus and two Move controllers (remember those?), I’m tossed into what seems like a deleted scene from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. A muscular bald guy is sitting across from me, and he’s not happy. He’s smoking a cigarette, and so am I, because he’s blowing smoke directly into my face. I eye the exit. He notices this, pulls out a gun, and shoots the sign. He’s about to beat me senseless.

Except he doesn’t, because he’s interrupted by a phone call asking me to explain the earlier events of the day. This cues a flashback sequence — and that’s where the fun begins.

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I’m standing behind a desk and am instructed to find a firearm. I do this by reaching out my hands, which appear in the VR space as, well, two little hands, and pressing the Move controller triggers to grip objects. It’s a terrifically convincing effect; I can even crouch down to search the lower drawers. Eventually I find the gun, a few clips, and a very large diamond, which of course I grab, and which of course triggers an alarm that sends a half-dozen bad guys into the room.

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