Ideally, every interaction we’d have for PS VR would be in virtual reality but until such a time comes, VR content will be limited. That however doesn’t mean that Sony’s headset is a one trick pony that’s only good for VR tasks. One of the less advertised features of PlayStation VR is its cinematic mode, and as Simon Sayers writes for PSU:

 you can use PSVR cinematic mode to play normal (non-VR) PS4 games, watch movies and browse the internet in 2D. The main advantage is that you’re getting an upgraded screen size that is way larger than your standard television set – up to a massive 226 inches. It basically feels like you’re in the cinema. 

It’s quite simply mind blowing and at first a bit overwhelming to use PS VR like this – especially if you’re used to a smaller screen. I’m lucky enough to use a projector as my main means of watching with a 120-inch setup and even for me, the whole experience was a bit surreal. It’s as if you have a IMAX screen strapped to your eyeballs and the best part is that it works with anything on your PS4.

As for personal favorites, give Uncharted 4 and Destiny a try and you might not want to go back to playing them without it. As for the mode, Sony does give you a few different options if a 226-inch screen is just a bit too much.

As Sayer notes:

 Just turn your PS4 on, plug in your headset and you’ll immediately be able to view the PS4 menu through the visor in cinematic mode.

PSVR’s cinematic mode offers three screen sizes:

• 117-inch
• 163-inch
• 226-inch

You can change the size of the screens in the settings menu.

Go to Settings > Devices > PlayStation VR > Cinematic Mode 

One thing to keep in mind is that the larger the screen, the less quality you’ll be getting as it’s taking a game (or movie) with a finite amount of pixels and blows it up way beyond what it was meant to do. Perhaps this won’t be a problem when PS4 Pro launches and you use Pro-compatible titles but until then, you’ll certainly see a drop in visual quality when you go to the larger cinematic modes offered.

Discuss:

If you’ve given PlayStation VR cinematic mode a try, what are your thoughts on it?