Minecraft PSVR Guide

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Minecraft has become one of the biggest names in not only gaming but pop culture. What started out as a simple game that allowed you to build your own world has become one of the most popular games in videogame history. The somewhat simple graphics have allowed the game to travel to every platform imaginable, and the countless user mods have turned it into one of the most open-ended experiences you could imagine. What I didn’t expect was for Minecraft to make the jump into VR, but after experiencing it, it makes perfect sense as the game’s simple movement and combat mechanics work perfectly in VR, and getting to witness some of the amazing things you can build up close is an experience that flat screen gaming simply cannot convey. 

I’m far from an amazing builder in Minecraft, so I generally play to see the things that the geniuses of this game can come up with, and it’s honestly astounding. From entire castles to projects that have taken years to make, some of the most amazing pieces of art I’ve seen have actually been the work of Minecraft players. 

The PSVR version of Minecraft is an amazing experience, but this version of the game comes with a few caveats. Let’s explore everything there is to know about Minecraft PSVR. 

Bottom Line Up Front

Minecraft PSVR is an amazing experience with some limitations due to the PSVR hardware. It’s one of the most endless games you can find, and being able to experience it all in VR is just a one-of-a-kind experience that should not be missed for fans of the series. 

What’s New in Minecraft PSVR?

Minecraft PSVR Guide

Unlike many VR games, Minecraft PSVR is a conversion of the actual game of Minecraft into the world of PSVR. What that means is everything you can do in the base game, you can now do in VR. If you already own Minecraft and you also have a PSVR, you can get a free update that automatically puts the game into VR mode. 

Movement

Minecraft is a very unique-looking world, so veterans of VR might have a bit of trouble getting oriented at first. Luckily, to help with that, we’ve got several options for movement in Minecraft PSVR.

Smooth Turning

For some, the feeling of snap turning will be best as it separates the real-life feeling of turning from the game and rather gives you an automatic turn to whatever direction you want to face. If you don’t like that, go with the smooth turning, which turns you normally like you would in the base version of Minecraft. 

Teleporting

While it’s the popular thing to have in most VR games, I have always found teleporting to be a massive negative in VR. Minecraft provides both teleporting, which instantly shoots you over to a place of your choosing within a certain distance, as well as smooth movement, which lets you move normally like you would playing the base game. 

Head Tracking

Hard Tracking

This game is meant to be played sitting down, which differs from most PSVR titles. Because of that, you have options to use your headset to direct what direction you’re going in. For example, if you’re looking left, pressing forward on the controller will send you that way and that way only. You have the option to turn this type of tracking at any time, and for those sitting while playing, this is definitely the preferred method. 

VR Modes

Living Room Mode

Minecraft PSVR comes with a few different options on how you’d like to experience it. The first is Living Room Mode. What this does is basically set you down in front of a giant TV screen in a Virtual Theatre, and from there, you can play Minecraft as usual. You have a 3D space around you, but the game itself is taking place on a massive flatscreen in front of you. You can activate this mode by hitting up on the D-Pad or clicking in L3.

This mode is a good one to start with if you’re unfamiliar with VR. It gives you a small space to look around while keeping the colorful world of Minecraft at a distance. Try this one out to start, and if you want to dive into it in full VR, then you can do so with a button press at any time. 

Immersive Mode

This is the real VR mode. You get put into the very world of Minecraft, and anything you can do in this world with the regular game you can do in Minecraft PSVR. This mode works like any other VR mode, and regardless of whether you’re playing with others or alone, you will be in VR for the duration of the game. 

Controllers

This is where the bad part of Minecraft PSVR comes to rear its ugly head. For some reason, its’ only playable with the PS4 controller. That means no movement controls are supported whatsoever. It’s a questionable decision by the developers, considering the PCVR versions of Minecraft gives you full motion controls, but alas, it is what it is here. Because of that, everything is done via your controller. 

You will have a heads-up display that you will see along the bottom of your screen, and here you will choose your items and weapons. Equipping them is the same as in the base game, so just press X on the ones you’d like, and you’ll see them appear in your hands.

Combat

minecraft

The combat remains the same in PSVR due to the lack of motion controls, but it does at least immerse you enough so that you need to be facing your enemies physically if you want to hit them. You can still play the game standing up, and with headset tracking on, this lets you at least feel a bit more immersed in the action because you’re physically looking your enemies in the eye before you do battle with them. 

Seeing your weapons in your hands is a cool touch as well, but the swinging of them lacks any sort of weight as it’s derived from the base game, so even if you had motion controller support, there wouldn’t be a great deal of immersion involved here anyway. 

Differences Between Minecraft and Minecraft PSVR

Being inside the massive world of Minecraft is pretty incredible, and while you can’t use the motion controllers to get that full immersion, you can still get a great time out of this and a thoroughly more relaxing one considering you won’t be swinging your arms around. 

Because of that, the differences don’t come from the gameplay itself, as it remains identical to the base version of Minecraft, but rather the experience. Playing Minecraft on its own isn’t much of a visual marvel, and you don’t get the OMG moments that consistently come at you in VR. For example, encountering the Ender Dragon on a flat screen is a cool moment, but in VR, it can be downright scary, as the scale of the creature is on the level of, say, the dragons in Skyrim VR. 

Multiplayer

You can play multiplayer not only with players on PS4 but also ones on PC as well. Minecraft PSVR is cross-platform, so whether you’re in VR or not, you can play with anyone out there. This is the most fun way to play Minecraft, in my opinion, and getting to build and fight in VR with your friends is an absolute blast. 

Differences Between Minecraft PSVR and Minecraft PCVR

The biggest difference between the two is the option for motion controllers. With the PSVR version, as we discussed earlier, you’re only able to use a PS4 controller to perform tasks. With PCVR, you have a full, motion controller-supported game. That means everything from cutting down trees to digging holes and fighting enemies can be done with your motion controllers. No real physics are involved here as the game is still cross-platform, but it’s still an amazing experience in VR. 

The biggest thing is being able to build using your own hands in Minecraft PCVR. This is an amazing feeling and one that can be equated to painting or building a sculpture in real life. It’s seriously that cool, and unfortunately, the PSVR version doesn’t support motion controllers, so you’re stuck building with the controller, although you still get to witness it all in VR, which is still pretty cool.

Games Like Minecraft PSVR

Green Hell
  • Green Hell
  • The Forest
  • Valheim
  • Skyrim VR
  • Fallout 4 VR
  • Into the Radius

FAQ

Question: Is Minecraft PSVR Multiplayer?

Answer: Yes, not only is it multiplayer, but it’s also cross-platform so that you can play with your friends on PC and other consoles as well while in VR. 

Question:  Is PSVR Compatible with Move Controllers?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. It is possible it will have support when the PSVR 2 drops, but for now, you’re restricted to the PS4 controller. 

Question:  Is Minecraft Free?

Answer: Yes, Minecraft is 100 percent free in its base version on PS4, and you can get the PSVR upgrade for free too.

Conclusion

If you have a PSVR, there is no reason you shouldn’t give this one a try. It’s completely free and has a literally endless amount of content to explore. Minecraft is one of the most important games to ever exist, and to have it all in VR is just a massive achievement and one that should be experienced by fans and newcomers alike. 

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