PlayStation VR is out in the world, representing this nascent field of virtual reality’s first genuine shot at the mainstream; there are more than 40 million PS4s out there, and every one of them is ready to accept PlayStation VR. But there’s something else about the headset that people may not yet realize: the HDMI cable can actually be plugged into various other output devices, including PC, Wii U and even Xbox One. You can’t play any proper VR games like this, of course, but it does allow you to use your headset as a monitor for other hardware.
Eurogamer has specific instructions on how to do this. Basically, the machine still needs a Sony signature to operate, so you’ll still need to have the processor box plugged into the PS4 for it to work, meaning that this is exclusively a solution for people who own both the PS4 and another console or PC. Still, a fun little feature, and one that could get more interesting as time goes on. Cinema modes in VR aren’t much to write home about, at least so far. The resolution on a VR screen still isn’t all that great, meaning that you’re likely to get a much better picture with just a normal HDTV, especially since the headset will blow the image up to huge inside of VR. It could well go on to be a selling point for VR once the resolution increases to the point where it actually becomes useful.