Riff Machine

Since I bought a Series X, I've put buying this on the back burner.  I've got my Elite 2 and friggin love that thing.  Typical Sony though.  

I really like the feel of the Dual Sense too.  My biggest complaint is it's durability.  I've had 3 fuck up on me, which I ended up fixing one with parts from the other 2.  The springs in the L2/R2 triggers are fragile as hell thanks in no small part to the haptic feedback.  It makes me wonder if they've managed to at least address this issue with newer version of the controller of even the edge.

Since I bought a Series X, I've put buying this on the back burner.  I've got my Elite 2 and friggin love that thing.  Typical Sony though.  

I was interested in this until I found out it's a straight up graphical upgrade.  I played the hell out of it on PSP way back, so unless it becomes a freebie, I'm gonna skip this one.

I gave the PSVR a go a few years back.  I wasn't all that impressed with it.  I think VR will eventually be a much bigger deal once the technology becomes much smaller rather then the big-ass headset required from the current crop.  I think most of the reason it's not as popular is due to the space, as well as the aforementioned headset.  
 
It's funny though, there is always something that takes a while to adopt with new innovations in gaming.  The analog stick, dual analog controls, motion controls, touch pad/touch screen controls, and such.  
 
Or maybe I'm just an old bastard that has a hard time with change.  LOL! 

I gave the PSVR a go a few years back.  I wasn't all that impressed with it.  I think VR will eventually be a much bigger deal once the technology becomes much smaller rather then the big-ass headset required from the current crop.  I think most of the reason it's not as popular is due to the space, as well as the aforementioned headset.  
 
It's funny though, there is always something that takes a while to adopt with new innovations in gaming.  The analog stick, dual analog controls, motion controls, touch pad/touch screen controls, and such.  
 
Or maybe I'm just an old bastard that has a hard time with change.  LOL! 

I gave the PSVR a go a few years back.  I wasn't all that impressed with it.  I think VR will eventually be a much bigger deal once the technology becomes much smaller rather then the big-ass headset required from the current crop.  I think most of the reason it's not as popular is due to the space, as well as the aforementioned headset.  
 
It's funny though, there is always something that takes a while to adopt with new innovations in gaming.  The analog stick, dual analog controls, motion controls, touch pad/touch screen controls, and such.  
 
Or maybe I'm just an old bastard that has a hard time with change.  LOL! 

Awww man. That sucks. Still usable, but not as appealing as first shown. I've got so used to wireless controllers even though they probably don't really need to be given how far I am away from the consoles.

Sony's solution to poor DualSense Edge wireless battery life: Plug it in | PC Gamer
WWW.PCGAMER.COM You couldn't make this stuff up...  
So the DSE has about 12 hours battery life which reduces to about 6 with 'wear' when compared to the Elite Series 2 which is up to 40 hours. The original DS5 wasn't great - topping at about 15 hours but to only get a piddly 12 hours for a device that costs almost half the price of a console is insane. Would've been better off going old school and having 2AA batteries🤣

Fair play @Greboth, I just don't think I could spend time doing that...and knowing full well I'd screw it up too 😅
 
If there are replacement parts for the most common areas that gto wrong, then this controller might not be all bad. The £20 replacement sticks make it sound like it may be something that we could work with.

Not yet but part of me believes I will. I have Crisis Core for the PSP which is a fantastic game on that device. If its been enhanced then it feels like its worth a go...although I'd rather get a physical version if they do create them at some point in the future as I assume its digital only for now?
 
You completed already too @Luseth ??!

i really loved crisis core on the psp, it's also the only final fantasy game that i have finished, sometime i will play another to completion, but the story, the sacrifice in the end, sephiroth, everything was really awesome

So they have re-released yet another Final Fantasy game and I picked it up as I tend to do, I did not give origins any time really but imagine I will try it again at some point.
 
This one however was originally a PSP title, they have done a fairly decent job though of giving it a new life with the visuals being uprezzed and in some instances redone and the combat has been improved.
 
It play's quite well, I suspect the only downside might be that it is a short game compared to a typical Final Fantasy release but it provides some of the villains back story to the FFVII games which is good to delve into.
 
Has anyone else picked this up?

I agree with you and I think that, much like many 3D films, many games do it as a gimmick or addon.  However a game like Alyx, much like Avatar for films, that is made specifically for VR then it can show off VR in it’s best light.
 
Though on second thoughts, I’d probably go for niche rather than gimmicky as the adjective of choice.  Which ties in to, as you said, the types of games people play.
 
Unlike 3D films though, VR seems to have more of a foot hold so maybe we’ll end up with Ready Player One and look back at this era as we do today to tiny black and white tv’s.

For me, VR just doesn't suit me. For some reason I feel like its extremely gimmicky for the price tag and the games you get with it just don't do much after the first 5 minutes of that 'wow' factor. Reminds me when 3D came out at the cinema. Great concept but never flies because everything is lost in the sub par graphics and basic movements you can only get with VR sticks.
 
I'm hopeful for PSVR2 though - more for my son who loves it. I personally think it hits a great spot for people with sensory needs. It can send feelings that their brain can feel extremely stimulated from.
 
AR is the thing that people have been saying for 4-5 years will be the dealbreaker. Remains to be seen clearly still, but I was definitely more blown away by the Magic Leap that Rich @tronic44 worked with than the PSVR.
 
Based on what people above like from VR, I think the games you enjoy are also a telling factor as to whether or not you'll get on with it yourself.
 
 

The PSVR was my first experience in to VR and it was great and it convinced me enough to go for a proper HMD.  Due to my large head and IPD my only choice was the Index, which if memory serves, is the same resolution as the Quest.  They're definitely a massive step up over the PSVR in both HMD quality and controllers.  I've only really played Half Life Alex on it and the rest of the time it's used for racing and rallying.  I do sometimes wish it would be more portable/wireless as it would have been great to take to Wales for example but the tracking accuracy and high refresh rate it hard to pass up.
 
As for good and bad, I can't say I've had any bad experiences with it and only got motion sickness a couple of times.  Though both were exception cases; doing corkscrew roles in No Mans Sky and using a 3rd person camera in ETS2.  Though it does vary person to person, my Dad has had a few goes with VR on my racing rig and after a few minutes has to stop.  Though I have read a number of people saying they've been able to build up a tolerance by playing a little each day until they can play for longer and longer.
 
As above, I bought mine with the almost sole intention of using it for racing which I think simulations are the best use for VR.  Though I know a few people who enjoy things like Beat Saber and games like Superhot in VR too.  There's a couple of of FPS games which look like fun but are apparently quite difficult.

Had a go on Magic Leap a few years ago thanks to @tronic44
Absolutely amazing.
 
I get dizzy from PSVR but I'd have a go on Steam's VR set up as the higher refresh rate apparently mitigates the motion sickness. @Greboth can tell you better on that!

Have any of you delved into it much?
 
I had a brief experience with the psvr when it first came out and I think I went in too hard and put myself off it, ultimately sold it and have not been back since.
 
However I got a deal on a refurbed Oculus Quest 2 the other day and my first impressions have been quite positive, a big improvement over PSVR, the controls are brilliant and it has additional features which are useful such as being able to double tap and see what's actually going on around you when needed etc.
 
I do need to work on my VR tolerance now so I am going to spend 10-20 minutes everyday if I can just having short experiences while I get comfortable but there are a number of games I want to try on it as well as wanting to try and model some architecture / building services in it as well (so try and explore the productivity side of things).
 
So yeah, has anyone else tried any of the headsets, what are your good / bad experiences?

Love this thread.
 
Early days I actually felt like the Sega 6 button controllers were incredible. Sega Saturn had it spot on, whilst my only 3rd party controllers I ever really got on with, was for my Mega Drive. Hate to admit it but the SNES controllers were unbelievably class, so lightweight you don't realise until using controllers in today's world and then go back to them.
 
Outside of these in later generations I was one of the very few who absolutely LOVED the old huge Xbox controller with the additional white and black button. For some reason it worked so well for Halo. The smaller versions they made afterwards were also incredibly satisfying to hold. The Gamecube was also one of my favourites, however the yellow right analogue stick, if you can call it that, was abysmal. I loved it had this weird extra button on the top which was the Z button.
 
The new PS5 controller is probably something I should add because of the haptic feedback concept. Feels amazing on certain games.
 
 
On the flipside, it probably didn't help that I never grew up with one but that N64 controller can stay in those golden ages. Anytime I've tried to go back and play an N64 game its a nightmare. So strange but get that some will love it like i loved the OG huge xbox one on my own 😅

Ok.  After spending some time with this over the past couple days, here's my thoughts.
 
There seems to be a trend lately with having gameplay zapped in from the early 2000s.  Visually, the game looks great and while the story is interesting, it gave me a lot of Gears of War vibes in the cheese department.  
The gameplay is straight-up, old-school 3rd person action-adventure from a very poor perspective that makes tracking enemies challenging.  If the camera had some more distance, like Devil May Cry,  behind it, I feel the action on-screen would be better conveyed.  
 
A lot of encounters, specifically some boss ones, have that annoying old-school rule of constantly throwing tons of ads and projectile enemies at you that draw your attention constantly away from the boss at hand.  A few either at the start or somewhere in the middle that are finite would be fine, but having them constantly respawn is just lazy game design and honestly ruins the fun in what could have been a great game.
 
If this released in the early 2000s, it'd have probably been a GoTY candidate.  Wait for a big sale or even a freebie on this one and save your money.

Ok.  After spending some time with this over the past couple days, here's my thoughts.
 
There seems to be a trend lately with having gameplay zapped in from the early 2000s.  Visually, the game looks great and while the story is interesting, it gave me a lot of Gears of War vibes in the cheese department.  
The gameplay is straight-up, old-school 3rd person action-adventure from a very poor perspective that makes tracking enemies challenging.  If the camera had some more distance, like Devil May Cry,  behind it, I feel the action on-screen would be better conveyed.  
 
A lot of encounters, specifically some boss ones, have that annoying old-school rule of constantly throwing tons of ads and projectile enemies at you that draw your attention constantly away from the boss at hand.  A few either at the start or somewhere in the middle that are finite would be fine, but having them constantly respawn is just lazy game design and honestly ruins the fun in what could have been a great game.
 
If this released in the early 2000s, it'd have probably been a GoTY candidate.  Wait for a big sale or even a freebie on this one and save your money.

Ok.  After spending some time with this over the past couple days, here's my thoughts.
 
There seems to be a trend lately with having gameplay zapped in from the early 2000s.  Visually, the game looks great and while the story is interesting, it gave me a lot of Gears of War vibes in the cheese department.  
The gameplay is straight-up, old-school 3rd person action-adventure from a very poor perspective that makes tracking enemies challenging.  If the camera had some more distance, like Devil May Cry,  behind it, I feel the action on-screen would be better conveyed.  
 
A lot of encounters, specifically some boss ones, have that annoying old-school rule of constantly throwing tons of ads and projectile enemies at you that draw your attention constantly away from the boss at hand.  A few either at the start or somewhere in the middle that are finite would be fine, but having them constantly respawn is just lazy game design and honestly ruins the fun in what could have been a great game.
 
If this released in the early 2000s, it'd have probably been a GoTY candidate.  Wait for a big sale or even a freebie on this one and save your money.

MW2 has been quite a success and plenty of us have been playing it.
 
However, two very different games stand out for me. 
 
1. Elden Ring 
I've just started playing Elden Ring for the first time, and already I wish I'd played it sooner. Pure quality and smooth as butter on PS5.
 
2. Vampire Survivors 
Addicive and perfect on Steam Deck. I only started playing properly last night and ended up playing until 3am. 
 
 

I just finished this tonight and man, that was fucking fun!  does it do anything revolutionary to improve the standard FPS formula?  Nope.  But, it was a blast from beginning to end.  Set your controller down without pausing and leave it.  After a few moments, the main gun "Kenny" will chastise and lecture you on not pausing and say things like "who the fuck does that anyway?"
 
I'd chalk this one up as my top xbox game of the year.  So much so, that I may do another run through just to finish up some achievements.  Awesome game!

Ok, I'm really enjoying this game.  It's still got me laughing and chuckling along as I fight my way through each bounty mission.  I picked up my second living gun, which is a shotgun/disc launcher that can create platforms in hot wall areas.  I also just got a Series X, so running this on that is silky smooth too.