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You Have Never Experienced a Gran Turismo Game Like This Ever Before

Virtual Reality fans of driving sims can rejoice, because Gran Turismo will get a free compatibility update for the PlayStation VR 2 when it releases on February 22, for $550. The good news for the VR aficionados doesn't stop here, though, as 12 other titles have also been revealed, bringing the release window headcount to an impressive total of 30.
Gran Turismo 7 on PlayStation VR 2 20 photos
Photo: PlayStation Blog
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While Gran Turismo has had its fair share of bad publicity on account of the microtransaction implementations, the truth of the matter is that it's still a good game with great gameplay mechanics, especially when you pair it with the DualSense, or better yet, a high-end steering wheel setup.

Now imagine being in an F1 car going 200 mph (322 kph) in one of the most advanced VR headsets to ever hit the market. Well, "most advanced" in theory, at least, because while Sony did pack the PS VR 2 with an entire slew of features, it's still too early to call it a resounding success.

However, it is the top-of-the-line VR headset Sony has ever produced in terms of technology. Couple that with the power of the PlayStation 5, which is theoretically 5.4x more powerful than the base PS4 released back in 2013, and you have yourself a recipe for success (on the VR market).

Last generation, the heads at Sony proved that they knew what they were doing with the first PlayStation VR that sold over five million units, according to sources from the industry.

Now returning to our neck of the woods, the President of Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo developer) Kazunori Yamauchi has said that, for people who own the game, the free upgrade will feature 450+ cars and tracks in virtual reality form.

Furthermore, it will have the headset's eye tracking and foveated rendering technologies that will ensure the highest possible graphical fidelity is rendered in front of your very eyes.

Without going into technical details, the eye tracking will relay to the device where you are looking exactly, while the foveated rendering will decrease the resolution outside your viewing area to improve gaming performance while maintaining a high level of graphics only where you're looking at.

There's no point in rendering the entire scene at a high resolution when it can pinpoint your gaze and simply enhance that area in real-time.

Now, you couple that with the 3D audio, controller and headset feedback, and you have (in theory) one of the most immersive driving experiences in the history of video games.

One particular feature was left out of the game, and it actually makes sense, to be honest. I'm talking about the two-player split-screen mode, which is not supported in VR. However, that doesn't mean you can't play with other players in virtual reality, because the online races will be up and running.

As I was saying in the beginning, over 30 titles are also joining the roster, and among them, there are some heavy hitters like Horizon Call of the Mountain, No Man’s Sky, and Resident Evil Village. In case anyone was wondering, no, PS VR 2 doesn't support the games from the previous headset.

Some games will overlap, like Moss 2, Thumper, Rez Infinite, Job Simulator, and so on, but you will have to buy the new versions if you want to have the updated experiences. There are of course exceptions to the rule, where developers and publishers will be offering free upgrades.

Tetris Connected would be another great title to try out, along with The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners: Chapter 2: Retribution, The Dark Pictures: Switchback, Demeo, Moss 1 and 2 Remaster.
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About the author: Codrin Spiridon
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Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive).
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