- Minecraft for PS4 is getting PlayStation VR support in September.
- Mojang announced on Monday that PS4 players will be able to play Minecraft in virtual reality this month — the full game with its own set of options and settings.
- Sony will make a new PS VR announcement every day this week.
Everyone is anxiously awaiting more details about the PS5, from the price to the release date, but instead, Sony has opted to focus on another piece of hardware this week: PlayStation VR. On Monday morning, Sony announced on the PlayStation Blog that it would be showing off new PS VR games and updates for existing PS VR games all week long, and the first major announcement is that Minecraft for PS4 is finally getting full PS VR support.
According to Mojang’s Robert Carpenter, PS VR support is being given “the final bits of polish” for launch and will roll out as a patch for the main game before the end of the month. If you own Minecraft or purchase it at some point in the future, you will automatically get PS VR support — no additional purchase necessary. Of course, you’ll need to own a PlayStation VR headset to actually experience the feature, but you probably knew that.
Mojang emphasizes that this is not a stripped-down version of the game or a VR-specific mode. Minecraft on PS VR is the exact same game you have been playing on PS4 for years, with all the same blocks, enemies, weapons, and features. If you can do it in non-VR Minecraft, you can do it in the PS VR version as well.
Of course, there are some additions to make VR Minecraft more palatable to the those who choose to play that way, as Mojang says it’s added “a bunch of new settings & guidance.” There are also two separate modes to choose from: Immersive and Living Room. Mojang doesn’t explain what these modes entail, but Minecraft’s Gear VR Edition also had an Immersive Mode, so it seems likely that the PS VR version will be the same.
“Despite the pandemic adjusting how we develop Minecraft, development on Minecraft for PS VR has been relatively drama-free. Dare I say it, normal, even,” explains Carpenter. “The Minecraft x PSVR experience itself is based on the Minecraft VR tech that we developed for other VR platforms a few years back. SkyBox Labs took that and have been working their magic to convert and optimise the existing tech for PS VR. And, of course, our friends at Sony have been there all along the way to guide us because they know their system better than anyone.”
In addition to sharing the Minecraft announcement, Sony is also discounting some of its most popular PS VR games starting on Wednesday, including Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Farpoint, and Tetris Effect.
