Home Gaming PlayStation VR works with any HDMI source for cinematic mode – even Xbox One

PlayStation VR works with any HDMI source for cinematic mode – even Xbox One

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22

PSVRP

PlayStation VR was released in much of the world yesterday, and it’s causing a bit of a frenzy in the VR market – selling out in many parts of Europe, the US and Japan. It’s the first real monumental shift in gaming to come along in a long time. It’s early days, yes – but I think VR’s potential to change the way we play games shouldn’t be understated.

VR does more than that though. One of the features of the PlayStation VR is to use it in cinematic mode. What that means is that you can watch movies or play regular non-VR games on a simulated giant screen when you have the headset on. It’s worth noting that because of the relatively low resolution projected to each eye, you shouldn’t expect the greatest visual fidelity when using the feature.

Interestingly, it can be used for more than just PS4 games. Since its launch yesterday, people have discovered that the HDMI in to the PSVR’s extra processing box will accept input from just about any HDMI source – including Xbox One and PC. That lets you play Xbox One and PC games through the headset in cinematic mode. Naturally, because the system isn’t made for these platforms, there are some features that are missing, like head-tracking and 3D positional audio.

Still, if you live in a household where there’s one TV and many people vying to use it, it’ll let you game or watch media in a projected VR cinema from almost any HDMI source.

Your own private theatre hmm? I could think of a good few uses for this…

Last Updated: October 14, 2016

22 Comments

  1. HairyEwok

    October 14, 2016 at 09:07

    Wait, so will PSVR work with Elite: Dangerous? The game has headtracking in it. Or will it still be disabled even if the game has the feature.

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      October 14, 2016 at 09:16

      Still disabled. Sorry. 😛

      Reply

      • HairyEwok

        October 14, 2016 at 09:19

        Damn, I really, REALLY don’t want to buy a Vive. It’s just too expensive.

        Reply

        • Archdruid Kromas

          October 14, 2016 at 09:23

          Sony is so super anti-pc that the PSVR will never work on PC games natively. (apart from cinmatic mode)

          Unless modders make it work (will happen eventually)

          Reply

          • Guava_Eater

            October 14, 2016 at 09:30

            if it can accept the input be sure that modders will find a way……

          • Archdruid Kromas

            October 14, 2016 at 09:35

            Modders always find a way. Look at the PS controller. Took a while but eventually they got it working on PC and forced Sony to give it native windows support.

          • Guava_Eater

            October 14, 2016 at 09:38

            If they had locked it in with some kind of proprietary HDMI interconnect authentication or something it may have been a different story but then their “Cinematic Mode” would be pretty useless for almost every DVD/Blu-Ray player. I think they were forced into it luckily 🙂

          • Archdruid Kromas

            October 14, 2016 at 09:59

            True but then they would have been called Apple instead of Sony. 😛

        • Guava_Eater

          October 14, 2016 at 09:31

          More expensive than the R7k for this?

          Reply

          • Geoffrey Tim

            October 14, 2016 at 09:35

            Vive is twice the price. Including shipping, it’l set you back around R20k locally.

          • Guava_Eater

            October 14, 2016 at 09:35

            Holy crackers !

          • Pieter Kruger

            October 14, 2016 at 09:40

            SOLD!

          • HairyEwok

            October 14, 2016 at 10:00

            A single Vive will set you back R12 000, that’s without shipping and tax, so yeah it’ll end up something like R20 000

      • VampyreSquirrel

        October 14, 2016 at 09:37

        Welcome back, how was your leave?

        Reply

  2. Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0

    October 14, 2016 at 09:28

    Hhnhnnngghnghgng……

    Reply

  3. Nikola

    October 14, 2016 at 09:37

    Let’s talk about what we all really care about VR porn when is that coming?

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      October 14, 2016 at 09:45

      Already available. It’s not that lekker.

      Reply

      • Original Heretic

        October 14, 2016 at 09:47

        Yet.

        Reply

      • Nikola

        October 14, 2016 at 09:48

        ah wooorst!!! I was REALLY looking forward to it….well let the perverts work their magic maybe they improve it.

        Reply

  4. BakedBagel

    October 14, 2016 at 09:42

    Im waiting for Microsoft to disable this.
    Thats something that they would do.

    Reply

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