Age Concerns for Virtual Reality Platforms

We’ve had our hands on some of the original PlayStation VR release titles for some time now and have been testing them out to find out more about what it’s like to play them. While VR is a highly incorporative and full-on gaming experience, we have come to wonder if some of the titles on the ultra-immersive platform have age ratings that are perhaps a little too low.

The PlayStation VR console is sold with a PEGI age rating of 16, however the age rating stated on many of the actual games are much lower.

Take an example, Rigs: Mechanized Combat league. A fast paced and action packed first-person shooter, Rigs is without a doubt an immersive and exciting game to play. We found that the PSVR almost completely disconnects you from the outside world, forcing you to focus on the game in hand, which begs the question, is it too immersive?

When you find yourself at the helm of a mechanised combat robot gunning down your opponent for sport it can certainly be an exhilarating and exciting experience, especially with the addition of online competitive ranks, but we have to wonder if the PEGI age rating of 7 for this game is perhaps a little too low, especially with its added online compatibility.

Dirk Bosmans from PEGI decided to help us out with his expertise on the subject: “There are various ways in which ages are used to indicate a certain threshold, and they don’t necessarily have to be in sync. The level of difficulty is one example, while the legal disclaimer of a product often also carries an age indication. The Nintendo 3DS had a minimum age recommendation of 7, despite the broad availability of PEGI 3 games. The legally required age to register for an online account to play online games is 13 (based on the American COPPA act), even though the content of a game has been classified as PEGI 3, 7 or 12. This can be confusing to consumers, but they all point to different aspects of a video game.”

So like other consoles, the games for PlayStation VR console have a recommended age rating for its content but the actual difficulty level or target audience of the game might not be the same, in addition the online features have a separate age rating. “The age of 12 for VR devices may be a safety precaution. In any case, in order to provide clear information about individual video game titles, PEGI will continue to focus on the content of games, not on the suitability of devices.”

Although it may be slightly unclear, there are certainly content classifications in the various aspects of the console and video game, as PEGI mentioned, “ultimately it is up to the parents to decide whether they think a game is suitable for their children to play.”

Parents who are concerned about the kind of games their children are playing ultimately have the final decision on anything. There are plenty of options available for to help make a decision:

• Always check the PEGI rating of any games you purchase
• Check the PEGI rating of any gaming equipment you have
• Research the game! There are many resources you can use including Twitch.tv and YouTube to see the gameplay for yourself.  The PEGI site itself offers comprehensive details of why each game has been given its rating
• Express caution, these effect of these systems on the  body and mind have not been properly tested yet
• Don’t be put off!

Although there are themes that inevitably going to exist in many games, there are also a plethora of alternate options available. Rigs for PSVR features themes of violence however it also features sportier elements which can be fun for all ages to play, so perhaps it would be a game that children are more suited to play with parental guidance or at least with someone of the recommended PEGI 16 rating of the PSVR.

Don’t forget that there are VR games specifically designed with children in mind and even a number of informative or educational applications are available for some platforms. Virtual reality gaming systems in our opinion are exciting ways to get yourself a truly immersive first person gaming experience, something that could be great for people looking to delve a step further into the virtual realms, or even something to enable people with disabilities if they weren’t able to use handheld controllers.

At the moment the market seems a little focused on the older generation for VR games, which makes sense because only older people can really afford the equipment and are responsible for how it effects them, however as things progress we hope to see how virtual reality platforms evolve and with it their functionality across the age spectrum.

We would never recommend you allow your child to use a Virtual Reality console for extended periods and always keep an eye on their behaviour , there are further risks associated with health when using these platforms such as the effect on the eyes and the potential for manipulation of media in highly immersive platforms. We will cover more on the potential health and psychological risks of Virtual Reality platforms in the near future!