PlayStation VR Can Display Video From Xbox One and PC
By John Jacques 11 October 2016
Gamers discover that the PlayStation VR headset has the ability to work in tandem with an Xbox One or PC, thanks to the Sony headset’s cinematic mode.
The PlayStation VR officially launched today, and thousands of VR-hungry console gamers have already put the headset through its paces. While Sony has already built up a decent library of titles for PlayStation VR gamers to test out, enabling the headset’s Cinematic Mode allows PS4 gamers to play any PS4 game with the headset too.
As one Redditor quickly discovered, it turns out the PlayStation VR’s cinematic mode enables users to experience more than just the intended PS4 games. Since the headset plugs into a device that is essentially an HDMI splitter, it’s possible for gamers to plug in another device instead of the recommended PS4. That is to say, gamers can plug in an Xbox One, a PC, or even a Wii U into the PlayStation VR, and it will work in cinematic mode.
Of course, using the PlayStation VR headset with a non-PlayStation device does have its drawbacks: users haven’t found a way to re-center the headset, which is typically done using a PS4 controller. Since the PS4 controller won’t sync with an Xbox One (for obvious reasons), gamers can’t re-center anything when using Microsoft’s console with Sony’s headset.
Should any developer craft a proper USB driver for the headset, it’s also quite possible that the PlayStation VR could become a bona fide PC headset, although this certainly isn’t what the developers intended it to be. In any event, we certainly weren’t expecting anyone to be playing Splatoon multiplayer with the PS VR on launch day, but here we are.
The PS VR is expected to sell about 1.6 million units before 2017, mostly thanks to the fact that many gamers already have a PS4 at the ready. When it comes to PC-based competition, many gamers need to spend steep amounts of money to upgrade their hardware, and that’s simply something the average consumer may not be ready to do for the relatively untested field of virtual reality. In the meantime, Sony will be hoping the PS VR fits well in the middle ground for most gamers.
Gamers interested in picking up a PlayStation VR headset for themselves should take a look at our all-encompassing PS VR guide, which shows everything from all 22 launch games to what titles are coming to the platform in the near future. The headset will come in two bundles (priced at $399 and $499 respectively), which puts Sony’s headset firmly underneath the Oculus Rift’s hefty price point.
Will you be picking up a PlayStation VR, Ranters?
PlayStation VR is available now.
Source: Reddit
