philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

VR is funny. Why isn’t it pitched that way?

... There is a silver lining, though. You wouldn’t know from the marketing, but VR games aren’t just fun. They’re also funny.

My most memorable moments with the PS VR2 came when the virtual reality tech empowered me to do something weird. Sometimes, the tech was built in a way that allowed me to get up to immersion-breaking mischief: destroying fancy ornamental vases, painting on walls or throwing random objects strewn around the world. (The novelty of picking things up and flinging them did not wear off during my demo).

Just as often, the tech misbehaved in amusing ways. While playing “Resident Evil Village PS VR2,” my in-game hands and head became disjointed from their correct positions and angles as Lady Dimitrescu hoisted me onto two meathooks. Ethan Winters’ sad dad head sank into his chest. Uncharitably, that could be described as a glitch. But truly, I found it very amusing. ...

VR wants to fit into that lineage: more immersion. But because consoles have by and large solved the problem of graphical fidelity and realism, the immersive qualities of virtual reality merely tinker around the edges, mostly producing interactions that are unintentionally funny. Virtual reality is weird and rough around the edges. It doesn’t always work the way it’s meant to, in ways that can surprise and please in equal measure. The sweaty ache to fill a niche our current games and spaces do is confusing to me. It won’t work.

For VR to succeed, it needs to lean into its unique qualities. Right now, its greatest strength is humor.

See the full story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/11/02/virtual-reality-funny-playstation-vr2/