Photos courtesy of Sony Thailand

As clichéd a sentiment as it is at this point, it really is difficult to explain how incredible it is to experience virtual reality until you've tried it yourself. While I never doubted that the PlayStation VR -- Sony's recently released virtual reality headset, meant to be used with their PlayStation 4 console -- was going to be a game-changing (pardon the pun) piece of technology, I was resigned to the fact that, like all first-iterations of new hardware, the PlayStation VR would most likely be a cool experience that will be marred by troubles with reliability and convenience. And while I wasn't entirely proven wrong by the week I spent with a review unit (courtesy of Sony Thailand), I had a great time with the device nonetheless, so much so, actually, that it has become an instant recommendation in my book.

Design

In terms of the headset itself, the PlayStation VR's outward design looks rather unwieldy to wear, despite the sleek, futuristic black-and-white colour scheme augmented by the sci-fi blue lights on the front and back of the headset. On the front of the device is the bulky visor section, strapped to your face with a retractable, overhead plastic strap, which can be unlocked by pressing down on a button on the back of the strap. You can also fine-tune the fit of your strap with a wheel located just above the button.

The inside of the visor section is covered in black rubber strips that help conform to your face and block outside light from interfering with the image. You can also slide the visor in and out to make it fit better by holding a button on the bottom-right side of the visor. Overall, wearing the headset is surprisingly comfortable, even for hours at a time. While there is definitely a weight on your face, it is hardly noticeable, and definitely not uncomfortable in my experience. That said, the rubber straps can become stuffy in warmer rooms, which can lead to fogging of the lenses inside the headset.

Connecting the headset to your PS4 is the PSVR processor unit, a square-ish brick of ports that connects your PS4, PSVR and TV together. Putting the unit together (and disassembling it) is a real pain, as the device takes half-a-dozen different connections between three devices, including two HDMI cables (one for your TV, the other for your PS4), a power cable, a micro-USB connection to your PS4 and two more dedicated cables connecting the headset to the processor unit, which effectively tethers you to the device with a thick cord that snakes into the headset close to your head. That's not counting the PlayStation Camera peripheral, which acts as the device's sensor unit.

The setting-up process is time consuming, and the device itself takes a little getting used to as the thick cord connecting the headset to the processor unit often can be an annoyance since you can't see it while wearing the device. But once you learn the intricacies of the headset, putting it on and fitting it to your eyes and head becomes a much faster and easier process.

Performance

Displaying two 960x1080p (for a combined full-HD resolution of 1920x1080) through the two lenses in the visor, the PSVR's images are very noticeably pixelated, sort of when you stare real close to a flat-screen TV. This didn't exactly affect any of the experiences I had with the device, however, as I was too fully immersed in whatever fun was occurring on screen.

Job Simulator.

To my very pleasant surprise, the PSVR's ability to present an immersive experience is awe-inspiring, especially when paired with the PlayStation Move controllers, which gave me the ability to interact with the virtual game world in various ways through motion controls, as well as the surround-sound headphone jacks which actually produced realistic, localised sound. The connection was so seamless, in fact, that at one point I instinctively leaned out to brace myself against a wall in a game, only to almost trip when I realised it wasn't actually there. While this could certainly seem like a safety hazard for some, (it is highly recommended that you use the headset somewhere you won't knock over something or someone) for me it speaks to the level of immersion the headset was able to give me, that I actually forgot -- even for a moment -- that I was actually in a video game.

If there was anything that could be criticised about the entire experience, it is the limitations in the PlayStation camera's (the sensor's) rather limited detection field and range. Sitting anywhere more than 2m from the camera, and an "Out of Play Area" message pops up right in the middle of the visor display. The same applies to sitting anywhere more than a metre on either side of the camera's middle. This problem is especially pronounced in games that require the player to be standing up, which can really break the immersion of the experience, as I instinctively reach under a table to pick an object up only to find my in-game hands stuck on the edge of the sensor range. That said, as long as you stay within the range of the PS camera, the experience is reasonably seamless. It's not perfect, but it's definitely possible to get used to it, in which case everything feels much more organic.

Verdict

While navigating the jumble of required wires and the intricacies of the headset's fit can be a little annoying at first, once you actually fit the headset to your eyes just right, it's very easy to lose yourself to the experience, especially with the motion controllers. I highly recommend this great piece of hardware to all existing and prospective PS4 owners alike, and I can definitely see myself picking one up for myself in the very near future. For the price of 17,490 baht (15,490 if you already own the PS Camera), the PSVR probably isn't something you can buy on a whim, even if it is much more accessible than it's PC counterparts.