GT: Sport on PSVR (E3 2017)

[akira3d]

Yesterday, I luckily managed to try the PSVR mode with the latest build of GT: Sport at E3. Though no one has provided any real details of how it will be integrated into the release game, I suspect that the demo implies what we can expect.

In much the same way as previous Gran Turismo's introduced 60fps (GT on the original PlayStation) or 1080i modes (GT4 on PS2), GT: Sport's PSVR mode looks to be more of a proof of concept than full integration into the game. There were only two cars on the track...yours and an AI (I assume that the AI car could be another player, but it wasn't demonstrated this way). As with the earlier efforts, the visuals hold up quite well in VR (car interior...in my case, a top-down Miata...looks as detailed and, in some ways, more impressive than the main game because you have the freedom to look around it, the materials look as they should, there was still noticeable bloom from the sun reflecting off the AI car's paint). Even the mirrors work as one would expect (a better implementation than Project Cars 1 & 2...cockpits that look like someone pasted video on to the surface of the mirrors). I was driving the big track at Willow Springs and didn't notice any significant reduction in environment detail.

I have been a strong supporter of VR in driving games. I've tried Project Cars 1 & 2, Driveclub, Asseto Corsa, and now GT: Sport. All benefit from the freedom to look further ahead into turns and assist with passing as you are much better informed of the proximity of competitor's vehicles. Wearing a VR headset is more comfortable than wearing a racing helmet, so putting it on does not distract from the experience as it might with other types of games. I am really looking forward to playing GT: Sport in VR, but have a feeling that it won't be able to play most of the game from this perspective.

Note that I played GT: Sport from one of their standing kiosks (I didn't have a reservation and risked not getting any time with the game if I wanted to wait for the wheel setups...and I really wanted to try the new Thrustmaster TGT wheel). I didn't experience any motion sickness from playing while standing (which I thought might be an issue). The frame rate was lock solid...not sure if it was running at 90fps or 60 with 120 reprojection, but it felt really smooth (and is likely why we won't see a full grid of cars on the track in this mode).

 

[Vspectra]

Thanks for the impressions. Kaz said the VR in GTS will be limited to only 1 vs 1 like you experienced and only available on certain tracks. I assume this limitation is because they wanted to keep the quality of the image up to be as close to the non-VR portion of the game as possible, and one of the reasons why the resolution and graphics in GTS VR is so much better than DriveClub's.

 

[hankolerd]

This is exciting. I think VR for GT will not be able to really come alive until the next gen console, but it sounds like they have nailed down 90% of the work for VR. Now they just need a console powerful enough to enable it for the full game. My thought is with the PS5 there will likely be a new PS VR unit, and with any luck GT Sport will be able to run natively on the new hardware, and VR support could be added through the entire game with a software update.
It makes me wonder if they have a prototype PS5 or high-end PC that they are able to test their game engine in to see what will be possible with more power.

 

[akira3d]

Thanks for the impressions. Kaz said the VR in GTS will be limited to only 1 vs 1 like you experienced and only available on certain tracks

Then this is exactly how things played out with GT and GT4. Heck, even the early GT games had wet tracks that were limited to 1 vs 1 (so they could have reflections). On one level, it is kinda disappointing since the primary focus of GT: Sport is competitive online racing...but VR certainly lets you appreciate the amount of realism in a way that even 4K cannot (and it would have been really annoying if they didn't let you actually drive the car from this mode).

I will be disappointed if the Nordschleife isn't among the "certain tracks" though...

 

[BrainsBush]

Thx for sharing this info. Looking forward to the PSVR although 1:1...sorry that's really a disappointment but will still enjoy the PSVR mode anyway.
I think I've read somewhere on this forum that PSVR /Nordschleife was "confirmed".

 

[akira3d]

I think I've read somewhere on this forum that PSVR /Nordschleife was "confirmed".

They only had a couple of tracks on PSVR at E3...both the big track and Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs and at least one of the new tracks that appears in the closed beta.

 

[DMacs13]

KAZ if you are still popping into the forums and reading some post I sure hope that you stumble upon this thread! We would all really love to play the whole game with PSVR! If there's any more delays please think about implementing this content. I really don't see how it's not possible when almost every racing game out has it now. Of course I will be buying the game regardless of this factor but it will surely bring joy to your true fans

 

[isamu]

KAZ if you are still popping into the forums and reading some post I sure hope that you stumble upon this thread! We would all really love to play the whole game with PSVR!

Amen to that! Pretty hard to go back to regular flat screen once you've tried racing games in VR.

 

[akira3d]

I forgot to mention, at the moment all of the menus are in 2D, so PSVR functions in cinematic mode (the UI looks like it is on a large screen TV in front of you) until the view changes to cockpit. I didn't bother checking to see if you can change your perspective from within the cockpit, but, if you look down, you do have a body and your arms connect with the hands on the wheel.

 

[Snake206]

KAZ if you are still popping into the forums and reading some post I sure hope that you stumble upon this thread! We would all really love to play the whole game with PSVR! If there's any more delays please think about implementing this content. I really don't see how it's not possible when almost every racing game out has it now. Of course I will be buying the game regardless of this factor but it will surely bring joy to your true fans

Play the whole game in VR I think is pretty impossible with the actual hardwares, especially considering the e-sport nature of the title
and that must run equally to all the players.
Driveclub also suffered heavy cuts to run on the current hardware (weather, number of cars on track, volumetric clouds, screen space reflections and more)
Experience, however, earns a lot despite the cuts:tup:

I forgot to mention, at the moment all of the menus are in 2D, so PSVR functions in cinematic mode (the UI looks like it is on a large screen TV in front of you) until the view changes to cockpit. I didn't bother checking to see if you can change your perspective from within the cockpit, but, if you look down, you do have a body and your arms connect with the hands on the wheel.

Replays were available?
They were also in cinema mode or they run in some VR mode? It's an info that I can not be able to find.

However the ideal would be like driveclub with gameplay cameras + passenger mode (very cool to see the pilot and the animations), like dirt vr instead I do not get very excited (very flat in 2D cinema mode), but the worst of the worst would be like pcars with the same cameras of the 2D game,
really hard to sustain without risking being sick

Anyway I think it will be a great experience GTS in VR and be able to see all the details as if I were actually there in the cockpit will be amazing. GT also renders the whole car model and there will be no LOD problems and missing parts like dirt or project cars (really ridiculous some things seen in VR with these games. Lazy devs)