With the launch of the PlayStation VR2, Polyphony Digital offered a free update which allows use of the new headset. This alone for anyone in the virtual racing community is reason enough to pick up the headset. Diving even deeper to this aspect of the racing community,Gran Turismo 7with a racing wheel setup was already a given for PS5 users. Couple in a simple-to-use virtual reality setup that ups the immersion to an insane degree to the point that it actually will improve driving ability is a no-brainer. Playing in VR does come with caveats, however, and this may be mainly due to the hype that has come from a lot of new users who have never used a modern VR headset in racing games before.
The transition to VR in Gran Turismo 7 is seamless, which is a large positive. If one is familiar with trying to setup VR for a racing game on PC, it can be a hassle. The biggest attraction for that crowd with GT7 is that the VR mechanic works out of the box without any major compromises in visuals. Do I wish there was a way to improve the visual fidelity within the headset for this game? Absolutely. Draw distance seems to be a major setback for VR racing games on PC, and this is particular with GT7, but not to that same degree. There are a lot of options for tinkering on PC setups to get the most out of games like Project Cars and Assetto Corsa that ultimately end up with mixed results. This is without going in and having to add mods or change scripts. That’s the big attraction for me with GT7 VR is that it just works. Everything remains in the “theater mode” outside of the actual racing, as the game just transitions over to the cockpit once the actual in-game engine starts.
The actual cockpits in Gran Turismo 7 when using the VR are meticulously detailed to the point that different surface types can be identified and you would know how they feel when touched. Cars like the GR.3 Volkswagen Beetle and the GR.1 Bugatti Veyron offer much more eye candy due to how these interiors pop out at you. Then there’s the actual Vision GT cars that are futuristic concepts as these make the driver feel that they are in a spaceship. People have long complained that Gran Turismo tends to lack the sense of speed of actual racing, but I guarantee when your eyes are tricked in VR, the sense of speed is much greater. Finally, I was impressed with the detail of the cars in the rearview and side mirrors.
VR allows for a great sense of your surroundings on the track versus a static screen. The ability to instantaneously and numerously check your mirrors is something that’s missing with a static screen that’s vastly important without having a spotter on the radio. Another major aspect is being able to look directly at the apex of a corner before entering it and seeing if anything is a potential issue on the exit. This also helps to identify moves and goals in advance when making your way through traffic. Then there are the open cockpit cars, such as the newly-added 1965 Honda F1 car where on long straights at Le Mans, Watkins Glen, Spa and others, drivers can easily gaze at the stars at night or the sky in general. Rain plays an even bigger role in the immersion aspect, but the developers should add water hitting the helmet visor for open cockpit cars. It only hits the front glass yet the rain is still identifiable falling around the area.
While the PSVR2 headset does offer two 4K OLED screens, it’s hard to back up the claims that what’s seen on a television is the same as what is seen in the headset. The headset includes eye tracking, which is meant to provide maximum visual quality depending on what the eyes are looking, but I’m not so sure if that is working in this game. There are two abundant issues with the visuals in GT7 VR and the first is screen door effect. This will question the 4K OLED portion of the specifications of the display. It’s noticeable, but not nearly as bad as the first PSVR. At minimum, the screen door effect is on par with the Quest 2 headset on PC. It’s most noticeable when looking at the sky and once its discovered, it can’t be unseen. The game isn’t crystal clear, but clear enough.
The other issue comes with texture pop-in, and this is more of an issue at a distance. Yes, the game does offer all modes with full fields of cars on the track, so there’s no issue with seeing all cars in both directions. At times, however, you will see effects pop up on a car in front and more so on objects on the track. The trees and grass also seem to take a hit when it comes to the visuals. Shadow quality also tends to break the immersion as it may be the most-lacking visual aspect.
Polyphony Digital also included the VR showroom to look around at the details of cars and hop inside. There’s a limit on how far one can veer outside the car when sitting in it. The screen will go all black and show green outlines like an old Atari game. A couple of other notable things, for better or worse, start with the inability to use the PSVR2 controllers. I’m not sure why the game doesn’t pick up on these and I feel with the motion controls, the game could have included the option to mimic a steering wheel with them. Players can either use a wheel or the DualSense 5. Also, the haptic feedback in the headset is a big disappointment. Basically, vibration is only registered when hitting another car at high speed. It would have been a big bonus to include the same vibration that comes from the DualSense into the headset. These things could possibly get patched in the future, but there are missed opportunities here.
Gran Turismo 7 VR is worth the price of admission for any owner of the game. One could argue it benefits the cost the most out of the headset due to the immersion and the gains. The hype online is at about 75%, but believing that it looks exactly the same as the game does on a 4K TV isn’t true. The jump from what was available in GT Sport to what is here in GT7 is beyond monumental. If one has raced with a modern headset on other modern titles, however, the improvements of the seamlessness and ease-of-use of this headset also offers a major bonus. I would like to see more utilized from the headset itself, such as improving vibration on the actual headset and incorporating the actual controllers that came with it even if it’s just using them as a replacement for the DualSense. The actual immersion is real, and that’s what counts the most with using the headset in this game.
