PlayStation VR to Cost $299

PlayStation VR to Cost $299

 

A Sony representative has stated that PlayStation VR will cost $299 without the Playstation Move controllers or the Playstation Camera, half the price of the PC’s Oculus Rift. A more expensive $400 version of the headset will include both the Playstation Move controllers and the Playstation camera. 

The VR headset is expected to release sometime in 2016, but the main stumbling block for the headset is the performance of the PS4, though Sony representative also claimed that this first generation Playstation VR headset will be supported throughout the lifespan of the PS4.  

 

 

Sony has already deemed that a stable 60fps is the Minimum required for VR gaming, but is pushing for 90fps to be the Standard for play as even a stable 60FPS can cause users discomfort while using VR.

As Sony says that “Going fast is not optional” when using VR, as a higher framerate and display refresh rate will counteract the side affects of motion sickness and other side effects of using VR. In VR you will notice the disconnect between your movement in real life and your movement in-game, so lowering the delay between action and visual response is crucial, making increasing the framerate a vital step when moving to VR.  

These findings are very similar to the findings of Oculus and HTC/Valve, since both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive headsets use displays which run at 90Hz, though with such a high refresh rate it can be argued that the PS4 will likely be unable to run many visually demanding games while using VR headsets, especially given how few 1080p 60FPS games that are currently available.

 

 

2016 is likely going to be the year that VR finally takes off, with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive finally releasing to consumers. Sony is making great progress with their Playstation VR headset, but right now it is very concerning that they have listed a steady 60 as a minimum, regardless of the fact that the same slide from Sony says that this will cause discomfort to users. 

 

You can join the discussion on Playstation Sony’s VR Headset on the OC3D forums.