Diagram shows PlayStation VR needs a lot more space than you may think

By Gabe Gurwin July 29, 2016

Virtual reality has never been kind to players who live in small apartments or dorm rooms, and while the PlayStation VR won’t have you running around like an Olympic athlete, you’re still going to need quite a bit of floor space to use it.

In a small manual from PlayStation Asia spotted by Polygon today, a diagram shows off just how much room you’re going to want to get the most out of the PlayStation VR. At least 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) are required between you (ideally sitting in a chair) and the PlayStation Camera peripheral, and you’ll need almost one meter of space on either side of you.

This equals a space of about 3 meters by 2 meters, total, or around 60 square feet of total space required. And that’s the minimum — you’d probably want to keep anything fragile another foot or two further away.

Given that the average size of a master bedroom in a new house is only about 300 square feet, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to use the PlayStation VR in a room of that size unless you have cleared a designated VR area in advance.

The manual also makes mention of two different viewing modes for other people in the room. While you’re using the PlayStation VR’s headset, others can view the TV in either “mirroring mode” or “separate mode.” Mirroring mode lets other players see the same display that you can see on your headset — making it ideal for YouTubers and streamers, as well — while separate mode instead has other players viewing a different image for asymmetrical multiplayer.

It should be noted that the PlayStation VR is not intended for anyone younger than 12, and, strangely, the PlayStation Asia manual even dissuades prospective buyers from picking one up without testing it out in a store or at a trial event. Given the issues players may have with vertigo or other forms of motion sickness, particularly on games like Rollercoaster Dreams, this seems like some very wise advice.

The PlayStation VR launches on October 13 for $400.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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