PS VR won’t play nicely with your HDR TV

PS VR won’t play nicely with your HDR TV
James Orry Updated on by

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A nifty feature of PS VR is the Processor Unit which can pass through the signal from your PS4 to your TV, meaning you won’t need to rejig your cables every time you switch between VR and normal PS4 gaming.

Sounds great, unless that is you want to play games in HDR, the big new feature Sony made a bit of a song and dance about with the PS4 Pro and patched into all existing PS4s too.

A new PS VR FAQ posted on PlayStation Blog reveals the limitations of the Processing Unit’s pass through functionality.

“The PU supports video pass through so that you can enjoy regular non-VR content on your TV when you have the PS4 connected to the TV via the PU, and the PU is connected to power via the AC adapter and the PS VR headset is not in use. This pass through support works for regular 1080p signals and also supports 2160p (UHD or ‘4K’) content in YUV 420 colour format at up to 60Hz from PlayStation Pro.

“However, HDR signals are not supported for pass through by the PU. This applies to both 1080p and 2160p HDR. If you have a HDR capable TV and want to view PS4 content in HDR, it is necessary to cable the PS4 directly to the TV.”

This is certainly a little irritating for gamers who don’t want to be messing around with their cable management on a daily basis.

In the same FAQ, Sony also warns against the use of surround sound headphones when in VR as these will “interfere” with the 3D audio processing of the headset. Instead gamers should make use of a wireless pair of stereo headphones, or use those supplied in the VR box.

“3D audio simulates the effect of audio arriving at your ears from different directions and distances to more closely mimic the behaviour of sound in real life. Not only does PS VR create sounds coming from front, behind, left and right, but also above and below. This type of audio greatly enhances the feeling of immersion and presence in VR over traditional audio systems like 7.1 surround sound,” states the FAQ.

PS VR launches October 13 priced £349. You’ll also need the PlayStation Camera to make it work, which retails for around £40.

Source: EU PS Blog FAQ