Developers wanting to create games for PlayStation VR need to take note: Sony has very specific requirements for games created for the headset.
Speaking at GDC, Sony outlined some of the things that developers for PlayStation VR games must keep in mind when creating for the system. This includes a minimum for frames per second, as well as other game features and design elements that will work well for gamers using the headset.
"We're all friends; the VR industry is really small and really tight," senior dev support engineer at SCEA Chris Norden said, as reported by Gamasutra. "The VR industry needs to succeed, and everybody inside of it needs to succeed."
The most important feature developers must consider in developing PlayStation VR games is frame rate, and that should not be lower than 60 fps, the bare minimum Sony will allow. And Sony won't play around with that number.
"Frame rate is really important; you cannot drop below 60 frames per second, ever," Norden said. "If you submit a game to us and it drops to 55, or 51 ... we're probably going to reject it."
Norden advised that games need development specifically for a 1920 x 1080 OLED panel that can track several PlayStation Move controllers or a PlayStation 4 gamepad. The game must also have at least a 120Hz refresh rate.
Norden also mentioned something that may seem like common sense: play area. VR means that players will probably move around in their environment. It makes sense to keep them in a defined area, specifically so that gamers aren't walking into real walls. Although many games will have players seated, it's still important that devs indicate how much space a player needs to play particular titles. Sony promised that PlayStation VR devs will have the ability to code in signals to players when they get too close to the edges of that space.
Although it's not a hard rule, another thing Sony suggests is that developers consider the interpupillary distance of players during game design. This helps create a more accurate world for players, as well as makes it comfortable (and less nauseating). However, players can adjust this distance on the headset to customize their own game experience.
Finally, Sony will launch a consultation service for developers wanting to create PlayStation VR games. This will help developers early on in their process so that the titles they create work well with the headset.
PlayStation VR hits store shelves in the fall.
