This week at Fanfest 2016, CCP Games has announced that EVE: Valkyrie will not only find its way to all three major VR headsets, but will also allow cross-platform play between them. We went hands-on with PC and console versions of the game to see how the experiences will compare.

While EVE: Valkyrie started its life as an Oculus exclusive title, it wasn’t long before the game was announced to eventually be launching on Sony’s PSVR, with the existing exclusivity agreement apparently only addressing Oculus exclusivity on the PC platform.

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Now it’s been revealed that not only will the game also come to the HTC Vive through SteamVR (making the Oculus exclusivity seemingly time-based) but it will allow players from each platform to battle or team up with one another.

Cross-platform play between PCs and consoles has been something long desired by gamers and while it’s been attempted in one form or another throughout the years, it remains quite a rarity, with seemingly little business incentive to drive the feature. When it comes to VR however, it clearly benefits a company like CCP to open up to as many VR players as possible, not only for sales, but to keep the multiplayer population at a healthy size.

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A longstanding question about the logistics of cross-platform play has long been whether one platform could have an unfair advantage over another, possibly due to differing control schemes (keyboard & mouse vs. gamepad), or hardware performance.

We’ll have to wait to see what the stats bare to see if there’s any appreciable difference in the deadliness of EVE: Valkyrie players from one platform over another, but in the meantime we’ve done a hands-on with the Rift and PSVR versions to compare the game between PC VR and console VR.

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The latest builds were available at Fanfest 2016 where I played essentially the same demo back-to-back. There’s no doubt that the Rift delivers the higher fidelity, however, Sony’s headset is no slouch, with great optics and display quality. While the headset feels heavier, it has equally good weight distribution, and thanks to the reprojected 120 FPS display, EVE: Valkyrie on PSVR is an impressive match for visual comfort too.

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Fitting the headset, I was greeted by the ‘out of camera range’ message, likely to be a regular sight for PlayStation users, with the tracking volume being noticeably smaller than the Rift. For a seated experience like EVE: Valkyrie—which doesn’t demand that you do much leaning—it isn’t a major issue once you’re lined up.

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The second notable difference is the aliasing which swims across the angled HUD elements in the cockpits in a somewhat distracting fashion during the launch sequence. It’s soon forgotten with the acceleration into the vastness of space during the launch sequence, followed by the moment of silence, which remains stunningly effective.

In terms of performance, there was no sign of wavering from the target framerate on PSVR, even when faced with multiple explosions, ships and debris (although the mirrored ‘Social Screen’ TV output does stutter here). The action is so frantic, it’s easy to ignore the lower quality objects, but there are times when your focus dwells on a passing asteroid that you wish would resolve with finer detail. Overall however, CCP has managed to retain most of the visual flair of the PC version, and most importantly, all of the gameplay. Hopefully, this promises a level playing field for the cross-platform play between Rift, Vive and PSVR.

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Additional reporting by Ben Lang


Disclosure: CCP Games provided airfare and lodging for Road to VR to attend Fanfest 2016

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The trial version of Microsoft’s Monster Truck Madness probably had something to do with it. And certainly the original Super Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. A car nut from an early age, Dominic was always drawn to racing games above all other genres. Now a seasoned driving simulation enthusiast, and former editor of Sim Racer magazine, Dominic has followed virtual reality developments with keen interest, as cockpit-based simulation is a perfect match for the technology. Conditions could hardly be more ideal, a scientist once said. Writing about simulators lead him to Road to VR, whose broad coverage of the industry revealed the bigger picture and limitless potential of the medium. Passionate about technology and a lifelong PC gamer, Dominic suffers from the ‘tweak for days’ PC gaming condition, where he plays the same section over and over at every possible combination of visual settings to find the right balance between fidelity and performance. Based within The Fens of Lincolnshire (it’s very flat), Dominic can sometimes be found marvelling at the real world’s ‘draw distance’, wishing virtual technologies would catch up.
  • BigTake0ver

    I have little interest in console VR, but I’ve found Sony’s effort to be very impressive. I would have bet the house a year ago that the gulf between console and PC VR was going to be massive.

    • Hans Wurst

      Sony are hugely talented hardware designers and they manufacture class leading optics as well as screens as well. They even had years of experience with HMDs even before Oculus started development.
      Plus there even seems a new PS4K to come out soon with power equal to a GTX970.

      Sony are the ones who will make VR a big thing and bring it to the masses.

    • vizunary

      And you would have lost.. of course PC VR is the cost of a used car. So there is that

      • gavin innes

        Rift + PC (that does 1,000,000 more things) = £1000
        PSVR + Camera + PS4 Pro (because you will need it) = £750
        £250 for the upgrade to Oculus? yes please

  • Efrt

    Wired VR to a living room console is way worse than having to wear 3D glasses.

    And we all know how much people liked wearing 3D glasses.

    • Good point. There is an audience out there for it, but it’ll take some solid marketing to convince the average joe to buy and wear one in the living room.

      • jlschmugge

        My PC is in the living room. I don’t know why people haven’t figured out they can do this yet. I haven’t had a PC not hooked up to my living room set since 1999. Ever since video cards started having S-Video out.

        • Yuma55

          Wow

          • jlschmugge

            Yeah I don’t know where that came from.

    • CT206

      Obviously you haven’t even tried any VR headset making a comment comparing it to 3D glasses and 3D TVs.

    • CMcD

      That is exactly what everyone will think until they get to try it

    • logicman

      Yes, all of this could easily go the way of 3D glasses. But I genuinely expect the benefits of VR to overcome the inconvenience of the headset. With 3D glasses you were still watching the game on TV. With VR you are transported into that game world. The mind boggles at the kinds of experiences now made possible by VR.

      • Jayoriginile

        Say no more bro……

  • CMcD

    That is exactly what everyone will think until they get to try it.

  • I’ve got mine on pre-order. Can’t wait. VR is finally here!