Wipeout VR Hands-On – Getting Trippy With It

Sony is continuing to devote itself to creating unique virtual reality experiences for its PlayStation VR, and PlayStation Experience is huge proof of that. A huge chunk of floor space is set aside for games like The Inpatient and Firewall, amongst other upcoming releases.

But one in particular that caught our eye was Wipeout VR. For those unfamiliar with the property, Wipeout Omega Collection released earlier this year, bringing back the popular racing series for a new generation of players to enjoy. The gamble paid off, bringing the series back to relevance and getting people excited for high-speed futuristic hover racing again.

Now it's going to expand even further with a Wipeout VR experience, which will be offered as a free download to Omega Collection owners next year. There's not much to it – it's just the game reconfigured with several tracks from a VR perspective. But the rush it creates is second to none.

We had a chance to check out a couple of races with the VR headset. You can race from a third-person perspective if you choose, but the best way to go is first-person, as you sit in the cockpit and watch as the tracks rush at you. It's a phenomenal feeling. The game maintains its solid 60 frames per second performance throughout, and when you hit the walls, you actually feel the impact as your unit shakes for a brief second, before you get back on track and try to take the lead. (The game controls with a regular PS4 Dual Shock controller.)

The display settings in the VR mode are excellent, as you can keep track of your progress (how you're placing, etc.) as you take part in each race. And, again, the way you whoosh down the track is something else, even if some roads can make it a little tough to see what's coming. But once you get the hang of it, it's a spectacular view – and a nice demo piece for the VR.

There's not much to see on the sides – you're sitting in a pretty dark cockpit. But the front view works, and that's what counts when it comes to getting your racing on. This may not be a fully immersive Wipeout racing game like we all want, but it's free, and it'll definitely suck you in for a few races.

Wipeout Omega Collection is available now for PlayStation 4, and Wipeout VR will release early next year.