What’s more remarkable, however, is that there haven’t been any serious compromises in DiRT Rally’s transition to VR. DriveClub’s fetching fidelity had to be significantly reduced, while some features, such as the awe-inspiring weather effects, had to be removed entirely to optimise the game for VR. By contrast, every car, track and racing discipline is playable in DiRT Rally on PSVR, and weather effects can be applied to every stage.
Granted, DiRT Rally doesn’t have to cope with multiple AI opponents (except for rallycross events, of course) like DriveClub VR, but it’s still an impressive feat – particularly as WRC developer Kylotonn has highlighted the difficulties converting WRC 6 for VR.
With so many variables to consider such as different stage, car and weather combinations, there’s a danger that different scenarios will cause the game engine to perform poorly in VR. This isn’t ideal because smooth performance is paramount for VR experiences to reduce the risk of motion sickness, but DiRT Rally consistently runs without a hitch on PSVR.
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“DiRT Rally is built on a very robust framework and physics system that allowed us to develop for VR and it felt like a natural progression,” DiRT Rally’s Chief Game Designer Paul Coleman explains. “A lot of work goes into creating the assets to make the game VR ready and we put a lot of focus into the player experience once you are wearing the headset. Both Sony and Oculus provided excellent feedback and advice about how to get the best out of their technology.”
Of course, what seasoned DiRT Rally players have really been craving for is more content. Only six rally locations were available at launch, and no DLC has been released since, despite constant player requests – though that’s not likely to happen now that DiRT 4 is on the horizon. Still, you can’t help but wonder why the team prioritised developing the PSVR update rather than creating extra content for DiRT Rally.
“It was not a case of developing the PSVR update instead of new content for the game – game development is not as black and white as that,” says Coleman. ”We’ve been working with VR technology for quite some time now because we see it as a great fit for racing games. We believe that DiRT Rally on PSVR and Oculus proves that to be true and the reviews and feedback we have received back that up.”
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The DiRT Rally PSVR update has enjoyed a positive reception since release, which should hopefully pave the way for future VR support in DiRT 4, but Coleman was unable to clarify if it’s being considered for the sequel. “We will continue to monitor the take-up, response and reaction to DiRT Rally and VR in general and that will inform our future decisions. It is certainly a technology that we are interested in but it is a little too early for us to state that we will definitely support it for DiRT 4.”
There’s no doubting that VR has the potential to revolutionise racing games in the future, but right now the technology is still in its infancy. “It is going to be interesting to see how VR develops as a platform and whether there will be more mass market uptake,” says Coleman. “It’s a great fit for racing as generally speaking you are sat down and it feels extremely intuitive. You can look around you and judge where the car is with far more ease than using a controller or wheel. When you combine VR with a decent wheel and seat you have a very compelling experience.”
Hopefully, we’ll soon start to see more PSVR-compatible racing game releases, but it’s doubtful whether any game will be able to match the unbridled intensity of DiRT Rally in VR.
Source: Team VVV