Gran Turismo 7 on PSVR2 is a game-changer (pic: Sony)



After a relatively disappointing launch line-up of games the real reason for buying a PlayStation VR2 at launch has finally been revealed.



New hardware launches are such a rarity that even if you don’t immediately take the plunge, it’s an exciting time to be a gamer. As we already discussed, in our review of Horizon Call Of The Mountain , the concept of the killer app – a game so incredible it’s worth buying new hardware just to play it – has fallen away in recent years, with the launch line-up for the PlayStation VR2 being composed almost entirely of tech demos and reheated games from other formats.



Although we got to play most of the launch games ahead of time the VR updates for Gran Turismo 7 , No Man’s Sky, and Resident Evil Village weren’t available until now. The VR-only games might not have given much reason to want to buy the headset at launch but these updates to existing titles definitely do. Resident Evil Village is a revelation on the PlayStation VR2 and Gran Turismo 7 is equally transformative.



The first surprise in Gran Turismo 7 is not a pleasant one though, as you’ll once again have to sit through the game’s unskippable 10-ish minute introductory sequence. Along with everything else in the game that’s not an actual race, it’s presented just as it would be if you were playing the regular version of the game, on a flat screen hovering in front of you.



The menus, too, are exactly as they are without a VR headset. But start a race, and once you’ve got the rolling start out of the way, you’re dropped straight into the cockpit of your car, free to look around and take in the working speedometer and dials, detailed dashboard and upholstery, and, if you’re feeling brave, whatever’s going on behind you as well.



Unlike many VR games, your avatar has fully connected arms and legs, rather than the peculiar disembodied floating hands favoured by Horizon Call Of The Mountain and others. That means you can see them steering, shifting gears, and if you can tear your eyes away from the road, stamping on pedals.



More impressive than that, though, is the extraordinary impression of speed and of being present in a race. Now you can look in your rear view and wing mirrors, or glance out of a side window to check the position of rivals. You can look towards the distant apex of a corner to judge your approach and make sure the track’s clear. In short, you can behave like an actual racing driver rather than someone in a neck brace watching the race on TV.









It makes for a far more visceral experience, the game’s immaculately recorded 3D sound staying true to its position in the real world as you turn your head, and everything seeming much more immediate. The camber of the road, the nuance of the racing line through sets of corners, and the feel of missing your braking distance and helplessly drifting off into a sand trap, are all heightened sensations in VR.



If you played Gran Turismo Sport with the original PlayStation VR, you’ll immediately be struck by the differences. Gone are the blurry edges and abbreviated draw distance, replaced by something significantly more colourful and gripping. It’s not as pin sharp as the game is on a 4K TV, and distant objects especially are still a bit hazy, but it’s more than enough to fool your brain into thinking you’re in a car rather than sitting in the living room.



Gran Turismo 7 is also a far more fleshed out game, with a huge number of races and championships presented in VR, along with specially made VR showrooms for cars in your garage and that are available for sale. Although the latter is probably not of long term interest unless your car fanaticism is bordering on mania, it’s an inspiring demonstration of what the new headset can do, because showroom cars are absolutely razor sharp in every single detail.



Gran Turismo 7 – all the cars already have fully 3D interiors anyway (pic: Sony)



While Gran Turismo 7 isn’t a particularly nausea-inducing game, VR motion sickness is very much a personal experience. For us, once it kicks in there’s no way to ride it out, you just need to take a break, but equally, after a week or two’s VR play it’s unlikely to bother you again. That’s a problem for VR manufactures, because the initial experience can be off-puttingly emetic, even if for most people that’s a short-lived problem.



Another unanticipated side effect is that anyone used to slumping on their sofa is in for a shock, because as your head sinks lower it becomes progressively harder to see over the top of your steering wheel. It’s probably healthier to sit up straight anyway, but PlayStation VR2 is going to have a lot of armchair racing drivers inadvertently working on their posture. Especially as that issue doesn’t exist in games like Resident Evil and Horizon, where the optimum way to play is standing up.



Conversely, you can’t just sit on a cushion to cheat and get a Range Rover’s perspective of the track ahead. Pop up too high for the cockpit and your view’s replaced by a wireframe of your car, letting you know that you’re breaking the virtual laws of physics. It’s a reminder that this is a simulator, and bending the rules is absolutely verboten.



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As first impressions go, this one is hard to beat. After its free patch, Gran Turismo 7 is a fully fledged VR racing game with a vast list of cars, a roster of beautifully rendered tracks, and the game’s full complement of events in which to take your new headset for a spin. Your first few hours with it are likely to convince you that PlayStation VR2 does indeed have a killer app, with the bonus that there’s a good chance you already own the game anyway.



We’ll have a full review of Gran Turismo 7 and it’s VR experience in due course but even after a few hours it’s clear that it, and the other pre-existing games, are far better justification for buying the PlayStation VR2 than any of its exclusive titles.









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MORE : Resident Evil 4 remake VR mode has started development – will still be free







MORE : PlayStation VR2 headset review – the all-new future of gaming







MORE : Horizon Call Of The Mountain review – the summit of PSVR2 achievements





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