To those who play Driveclub and Driveclub VR

[jp_footy]

If you could really choose just one to keep, which would it be?

(Stealthily trying to find out if the added immersion of Driveclub VR makes it a better game than OG Driveclub)

 

[Miths]

Absolutely DriveClub.

I'm starting to feel I made a bad choice jumping on first gen console VR - the VR immersion still wows me, when I can bother to put on the headset which I haven't in well over a week, but there are just too many trade-offs with primarily visuals but for me personally also mild motion sickness after more than short sessions as well as the mild annoyance of wearing a headset.
For those reasons I also don't really wish for more "full size" games as I just can't see myself enjoying eg. a 40+ hours RPG or even a 10 hours traditional shooter in VR.

Lately I'm actually using my new Gear VR with my Galaxy S7 Edge more than the PSVR (which still isn't saying much, like a brief session every few days), since the type of short "experiences" (and in some cases the same apps, such as video apps like Vrideo) I so far find most compelling with VR don't look much less sharp on the Gear VR, and it feels less arduous to put that headset on for brief sessions (and for video it also supports 3D, which is still lacking in the PS video player).

I've decided to keep my PSVR, hoping more compelling content will show up next year, but if it was easy to return or sell here in a country where it's not yet officially released and where I'm not conversational in the local language, I suspect I would be feeling inclined to sell it.

 

[Miths]

I don't think I quite appreciated how massive the visual downgrade is until I saw this new video from Digital Foundry.

 

[jp_footy]

Absolutely DriveClub.

I'm starting to feel I made a bad choice jumping on first gen console VR - the VR immersion still wows me, when I can bother to put on the headset which I haven't in well over a week, but there are just too many trade-offs with primarily visuals but for me personally also mild motion sickness after more than short sessions as well as the mild annoyance of wearing a headset.
For those reasons I also really wish for more "full size" games as I just can't see myself enjoying eg. a 40+ hours RPG or even a 10 hours traditional shooter in VR.

Lately I'm actually using my new Gear VR with my Galaxy S7 Edge more than the PSVR (which still isn't saying much, like a brief session every few days), since the type of short "experiences" (and in some cases the same apps, such as video apps like Vrideo) I so far find most compelling with VR don't look much less sharp on the Gear VR, and it feels less arduous to put that headset on for brief sessions (and for video it also supports 3D, which is still lacking in the PS video player).

I've decided to keep my PSVR, hoping more compelling content will show up next year, but if it was easy to return or sell here in a country where it's not yet officially released and where I'm not conversational in the local language, I suspect I would be feeling inclined to sell it.

Ah, thanks for your reply Miths. I thought it might be a case of once you go vr you can't go back. I think I'll hold off vr for a while.

 

[bloodsugar6]

Hey Jp,while I don't own DCVR,two of my DC buddies do,and both are of the same opinion that they find regular DC to seem lacking now they've had the VR experience.Once they'd got over the visual downgrade the immersion of VR had them hooked.I think it's one of those things that you just have to try for yourself tho,if you took the experience of say Games Radar as gospel,you wouldn't even try it.In contrast,the guy who did trashed DC in the original Eurogamer review seems to really love DCVR in his Top Gear review of it.One common theme I see is that motion sickness seems less if you're using a wheel.

 

[BrainsBush]

I spent a reasonable amount of hours in DCVR and now I cannot get used to the 2D racers anymore...Hopefully besides DCVR also PCars2, GTS will come soon with also a great VR immersive experience.

One "big" difference between multiplayer DCVR vs MP in other racers are that in DCVR more 'drivers' like to collide in stead of clean racing But hey DCVR is also more arcadish

 

[torque99]

If I could choose, I would have both now I have spent a while on VR but went with VR as I have certainly played to death the Original! The original DC wins for the graphics/photomode and chill out with a controller but the VR Wins for the immersion being in the car and with a wheel is so good, and I don't know if only me but the graphics seem to get better each time I put it on!

So don't be put off by reviews of the graphics, you have to try one out. Where abouts are you @jp_footy ? If you are near me (M25) then you are more than welcome to try out my VR and DC..For me the motion sickness (mainly headache) went very quickly after a few days and hasn't returned but I do use a wheel and it is far better than jolting or quick turns on a controller I do agree.

P.s @BrainsBush only 200ths behind on the Audi A1 but someone pipped us as of yesterday -better get back on top-I love this car/track tight turn combo! 👍

@bloodsugar6 Did I see your name come up on Xbone Forza 6/ Horizon 3 too? Did you pick up an Xbox one recently like I did?

 

[BrainsBush]

I have 44 pending challenges to follow now. haha. busy job. I will certainly check your Audi A1. After the intensive supercars the Audi, Beetle, Mini is a well deserved treatment for my hands and elbows...

Do not know if it is a bad rumour but I read on severals forums that DIRT Rally will may be get PSVR support???

 

[torque99]

wow 44 challenges..you shouldn't be so fast! I haven't read that about DiRT Rally @BrainsBush , that would be cool if it did (another racing game to VR) although I brought the game on day one PS4 and did enjoy it, great graphics and lighting there was no photomode only basic replay. I also tried loads of set ups and settings of the T300 wheel and other peoples settings on different forums but I could not find one that helped me, the centre of the wheel was always so loose and no feel/ffb grip with the bumps of the road compared to other games it actually got a little annoying for me as it kept resetting my wheel settings the next time I logged on and found one that was ok(ish) and I couldn't get on with the DS4 set up, so I had given up on it for the time being, and at the time AC took over (so much better on the wheel). 👍

 

[BrainsBush]

I eat gamba's for breakfast

 

[Denur]

In response to the OP: I don't want to make that choice, because DriveClub's graphics are just so breathtaking and the VR version is so much more immersive. I want to be able to switch between both. If DCVR had just some decent anti aliasing, it would be a no-brainer: DCVR any day, all day.

@torque99: It's not just you, I too feel that the graphics improve with each session. I guess we are better finding the sweet spot when adjusting the head set and, in my case, moving the driver seat closer to the windscreen. I'm still convinced that the PS4 Pro improved the visuals quite a bit. This is most apparent when looking into the rear view mirrors: they are actually useful now!

View attachment 610184

I eat gamba's for breakfast

I do my racing on an empty stomach, currently leading by almost 2 tenths.

 

[BrainsBush]

thx Denur! Now I have to explain my family (again) that I have to set a new time and skip breakfast this morning. haha. Like these racing challenges.

 

[Denur]

thx Denur! Now I have to explain my family (again) that I have to set a new time and skip breakfast this morning. haha. Like these racing challenges.

I have worstenbroodjes standing by, just in case.

 

[BrainsBush]

I have worstenbroodjes standing by, just in case.

just cold, no time to warm them up

 

[BrainsBush]

enjoy your Sunday

 

[GregOr1971]

Driveclub VR - with a wheel and a rig, nothing can't beat that immersion being in a car, especially when you sit in a Caterham or some other "topless" car) But there is no way to experience that when you watch recording on TV in 2 dimensions.

The only negative side efect of using VR for past two weeks is that now I found normal Driveclub quite dull, comparing to VR version, despite sharper visuals / higher resolution/ more foliage ... . If there is one thing I miss in VR it has to be rainy weather.

About a visual downgrade - I do know it is there, but frankly I do not notice it, when I'm too busy with racing.For me the easiest way to explain the difference is, do you prefer watching summer blockbuster movie with explosions and action on 4k tv in b/w or would you rather watch it in full colour on 720p tv.Of course later will be blurrier than former, but the colours make all the difference in experiencing that movie.

 

[Miths]

Lots of positive opinions here - looks like I'm in the distinct minority with my now very lukewarm attitude towards not just DriveClub VR but VR in general (I haven't tried the Oculus or Vive, only PSVR and Gear VR).
Can't say I'm unhappy about that though , I really think VR has a lot of potential and that it deserves all the support it can get from consumers and developers. I'm just so far rather more underwhelmed by the current generation than I had expected to be, and I actually felt I had kept my expectations pretty modest.

One thing I'd like to note for those who haven't tried VR yet (feel free to ignore the grumpy man here if you like ) - it's often mentioned, even written on some YouTube videos, that recordings from the social screen are visually inferior to what the person wearing the headset is seeing.
I don't personally agree with that. While a 2D video obviously can't in any way whatsoever convey the thoroughly impressive "feeling" of being immersed within a surrounding 3D game world, I regularly feel that if anything the general quality of the visuals (particularly sharpness, or the lack thereof) actually look slightly worse in the headset since you're also exposed to screen door effect (not bad on the PSVR though), blurriness and pixelation that I personally perceive as more irritating and different from on a 2D screen, as well visual artifacts I had never seen prior to VR, like tiny RGB dots being quite visible in some dark areas.

To me it feels very far from being mature technology - which of course is arguably the case - and it turned out that I was less prepared to jump onboard with that and it's various flaws than I had expected in advance.

 

[torque99]

@Miths It is nice to hear your honest opinion and how you feel, it will never please everyone's expectations and I hope it does just keep getting better and better with the new PRO extra power, although i think it will be quite a few years/next gen to see the quality of 4k/2D in to PSVR. I agree the graphics do take a hit (in DriveClub) to the original PS4 game but the immersion takes over for me as well and I personally think it looks great, I was actually the opposite to you and found my expectations were far exceeded having never tried VR until a short while before I brought it I was, and still am blown away with the things I see in there around me and the sense of scale/size of things. The 2D you tube videos of VR do actually look sharper as they are on a smaller screen.


I am glad you are keeping it, you never know the future improvements to VR games could happen quite quickly with the top development teams working hard and Sony backing them etc. If Batman and Robinson The journey can produce fine graphics so early on in its life I am sure if anyone can produce magic with the lighting and tracks it will be PD/GTS (fingers crossed)

 

[GregOr1971]

Lots of positive opinions here - looks like I'm in the distinct minority with my now very lukewarm attitude towards not just DriveClub VR but VR in general (I haven't tried the Oculus or Vive, only PSVR and Gear VR).
Can't say I'm unhappy about that though , I really think VR has a lot of potential and that it deserves all the support it can get from consumers and developers. I'm just so far rather more underwhelmed by the current generation than I had expected to be, and I actually felt I had kept my expectations pretty modest.

One thing I'd like to note for those who haven't tried VR yet (feel free to ignore the grumpy man here if you like ) - it's often mentioned, even written on some YouTube videos, that recordings from the social screen are visually inferior to what the person wearing the headset is seeing.
I don't personally agree with that. While a 2D video obviously can't in any way whatsoever convey the thoroughly impressive "feeling" of being immersed within a surrounding 3D game world, I regularly feel that if anything the general quality of the visuals (particularly sharpness, or the lack thereof) actually look slightly worse in the headset since you're also exposed to screen door effect (not bad on the PSVR though), blurriness and pixelation that I personally perceive as more irritating and different from on a 2D screen, as well visual artifacts I had never seen prior to VR, like tiny RGB dots being quite visible in some dark areas.

To me it feels very far from being mature technology - which of course is arguably the case - and it turned out that I was less prepared to jump onboard with that and it's various flaws than I had expected in advance.

Quite understandable.

At the moment it all depends how much are you willing to trade off resolution and clarity for vr immersion.I'm ok with that tradeoff,but I do understand someone is not.

To be true,tech is in infancy of first gen and it wont be mainstream until screens are extrawide with resolutions of 4 or 8 k and wireless conected.

I wish this first gen does well, so next one in few years will be much improved and even more consumer friendly.

About social screen - i've noticed it shows only upper 3/4 of actual vr picture and cuts some extra peripheral wiev left and right.

 

[Mike_grpA]

I don't think I quite appreciated how massive the visual downgrade is until I saw this new video from Digital Foundry.

Wow, the downgrade is enormous! I knew it'd be big, with everything in DC being dynamic, but even trackside textures are extremely basic in VR. Anyway, each caters to a very different audience. DC is the best arcade racer I've played in a very long time, like the ultimate imagining of the original Need for Speed games, while the VR version is catering to those who want that feeling that they are inside the car, to connect with the experience, and they wouldn't mind the downgrades to have the experience, because if they want to go back to the life-like graphics and dynamic weather and time of the original, they can quite easily do so (the game is ridiculously cheap these days).

 

[bloodsugar6]

If I could choose, I would have both now I have spent a while on VR but went with VR as I have certainly played to death the Original! The original DC wins for the graphics/photomode and chill out with a controller but the VR Wins for the immersion being in the car and with a wheel is so good, and I don't know if only me but the graphics seem to get better each time I put it on!

So don't be put off by reviews of the graphics, you have to try one out. Where abouts are you @jp_footy ? If you are near me (M25) then you are more than welcome to try out my VR and DC..For me the motion sickness (mainly headache) went very quickly after a few days and hasn't returned but I do use a wheel and it is far better than jolting or quick turns on a controller I do agree.

P.s @BrainsBush only 200ths behind on the Audi A1 but someone pipped us as of yesterday -better get back on top-I love this car/track tight turn combo! 👍

@bloodsugar6 Did I see your name come up on Xbone Forza 6/ Horizon 3 too? Did you pick up an Xbox one recently like I did?

Yes,FH3 was the game that finally made me go back to Xbox(combined with seeing a great deal on an Xbox one S package).It was a short lived love affair with those amazing skies though,swapping back and forth between Playgrounds' game and Driveclub, the gulf in driving/racing between the 2 is massive.I do enjoy touring around Horizons' take on Australia,but a lot of the event courses feel very samey/forgettable and the driving model feels very shallow compared to DC.

It's funny,I've had The Crew sat on my desk for over a year patiently waiting to be given a chance,but Driveclub just never took its claws out of me.This week I installed it.For the first hour or so I really didn't like it,the cars didn't handle well and the game started off fairly drably with lots of short boring missions.A few days later it's a different story.As I upgraded my car,the handling got better and the game has a truly enormous map to explore(and can look pretty good at times!).Now,given the choice between the 2 open world games,I'd pick The Crew over FH3 which makes me wonder how important initial impressions are in user reviews.Playground do a wonderful job in their introduction,giving you some awesome vehicles to drive in some beautiful setpieces where as in The Crew an underwhelming start could put many off progressing onto the more engaging content.

 

[torque99]

@bloodsugar6 I totally agree FH3 physics, races and car sounds seem samey, I can't quite put my finger on it, I love the scenery although it got repetitive very quickly for me, I enjoy the photomode and Auction house in this game. FH2 for the euro scenery and Forza 6 I am finding has more playability and quite enjoyable if you get the chance to pick them up.

I was like you, I had the crew sitting there for 12 months when Driveclub came out, I tried it twice, very bad design to start you off. One day I played an hour got further and got in the supercars, brought the bikes dlc and further on in the map and it got much better, even the photomode wasn't bad. But I think I must like circuit based games & sims and as I seem to keep going back to AC GT6 drive club and forza 6 as the games of choice. Sorry off subject!

VR is great too

 

[BrainsBush]

last couple of days more DCVR Multiplayer....let's say a couple of boys and/or girls (?) like bumper cars. haha sometimes frustrating, but apperently for 'clean racing' I need to fire up another driving game/sim

 

[jp_footy]

Thanks for the opinions guys. It seems VR is only really worth it if you have a wheel which I don't (unless you count a T80). I think I will pick up a PS4 Pro + wheel first and then invest in PS VR about the time GT Sport releases.👍

 

[torque99]

@Denur @BrainsBush or anyone else who brought the PRO, has it made a big difference to you? How are you getting on with it after a few weeks as I am thinking of getting one and getting tempted by it (not sure what I will do with the old PS4 though) it may come in handy as a dvd player as I like to keep my old consoles and not sell them.👍

 

[Denur]

@Denur @BrainsBush or anyone else who brought the PRO, has it made a big difference to you? How are you getting on with it after a few weeks as I am thinking of getting one and getting tempted by it (not sure what I will do with the old PS4 though) it may come in handy as a dvd player as I like to keep my old consoles and not sell them.👍

In my experience the Pro makes a significant difference. The only blurriness left is because of aliasing. And the rear view mirrors are actually useful now. But many people have reported seeing no difference, so I wonder if I only perceive a better image quality because I'm better at finding the sweet spot while adjusting the headset. Later today I'm going to re-connect the old PS4 in the game room (it now serves as a Netflix player in the living room) and make sure that there really is a difference.

 

[BrainsBush]

Fully agree with Denur. I recently did that reconnection of the old PS4 and I noticed the visual differences. Also for other PSVR games a graphical boost.

 

[Denur]

I tried DCVR on the old PS4, did a few laps and then reconnected the Pro to do the same laps. The improvement is there, but don't expect too much. I think that I have mostly gotten better at adjusting the headset.

On another note, since when do we have expert levels in DCVR? I haven't played it since the Last Guardian came out over a week ago.

 

[torque99]

Thanks guys I probably will just pick one up soon for the extra power on VR and the 4k of BF1 and UC4 upgrades and a few others mainly ready for GT Sport, that is why I am in no rush for the Pro while awaiting this game and a new tv one day.

@Denur I'm not sure I haven't played DC for a little while either I will have to get the VR/race seat set up again soon (been on Forza Horizon)

 

[PsuPepperoni]

Well this thread is making me less sure about buying the VR headset, but I still want it for the 360 youtube videos...