After two months of PSVR 2: This is what PC VR feels like
I used Playstation VR 2 for just under two months and switched back to PC VR for one evening. Here's what I experienced.
I wanted to fire up Google Earth VR and get a bird's eye view of a recent hike. This five-year-old app is still one of the best and most impressive VR experiences you can get, and it's exclusive to PC VR. Google Earth VR is not natively available on Meta Quest 2 or Playstation VR 2, and for a variety of reasons, it will likely remain that way.
It took me about 45 minutes to get the VR app to work with my Meta Quest 2, due to problems with Air Link, Windows updates, and a broken Rift version of Google Earth VR. I ended up having to switch to SteamVR, which caused more problems and bugs. But at least Google Earth VR worked, so I could finally take to the skies.
The cable is not a deal breaker
PC VR doesn't have a good reputation when it comes to usability, and the above list is just a sample of the problems you can expect in everyday use.
I welcome the fact that I can use Meta Quest 2 wirelessly on a PC thanks to Air Link, but I also think that this option adds more hurdles and pitfalls to the user experience.
I certainly would have had less problems with Valve Index or any other wired PC VR headset, and after almost two months with Playstation VR 2, I don't see the cable as a huge issue anymore (yes, really!), at least for the VR apps I use. I'm happy with the cable as long as it saves me a lot of (network) hassle.
Optical differences
When I switched from PC VR to Playstation VR 2 almost two months ago, I noticed one thing visually: The same VR games looked blurrier on Sony's VR headset.
This wasn't an optical illusion: When I turned the Meta Quest 2 back on yesterday with its LC display and turned on Air Link, the picture looked sharper. But, and this was the first time I noticed it, the colors were more washed out.
As we know, the Playstation VR 2's OLED displays supports a higher than usual brightness and the colors look more vivid. In terms of contrast and brightness, Sony's VR headset clearly beats common PC VR headsets. I wish we could have the best of both worlds, but we'll probably only get that with OLED microdisplays.
PC-VR: Significantly more games and apps
A major strength of PC-VR, it was also clear again, is the large selection of available content. No other VR platform offers so many games, apps, and experiences, including many older gems that will likely never be ported to other platforms.
Not to mention the vast world of VR mods that make Skyrim VR the best VR RPG and brought 2D classics like Half-Life to VR. The brand-new Playstation VR 2 will take a long time to expand its app portfolio and will likely never match the app diversity of PC VR.
You can see: Every VR platform has its pros and cons and its right to exist. I will stay in the Playstation VR 2 ecosystem for the time being because of the great user experience, but I will certainly take a detour into PC VR territory from time to time. There are enough reasons to do so. Google Earth VR, for example.
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