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Sony have just announced the long awaited launch details for PlayStation VR at a dedicated press event at GDC 2016.

The headset will go on sale in October 2016 in a standalone package for a RRP of...

• $399 USD
• €399 EUR
• $549 CAD
• £349 GBP

The package will not include the PlayStation 4 Camera or Move controllers which may be required for certain experiences such as head-tracking and motion controls.

The final technical specifications of the consumer version of the PSVR have also been confirmed and are as follows.

• OLED 5.7" screen
• 1920 x RGB x 1080 (960 x RGB x 1080 per eye)
• 120hz, 90hz refresh rates
• 360 degrees of tracking via 9 LEDs with the PlayStation 4 Camera (sold separately)
• FOV of 100 degrees
• 18ms latency

Although the launch of the virtual reality headset has been delayed until October 2016 (previously slated for Q1) the price is much lower than that of its closest competitors - the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Will you be betting on the future of VR and picking up a PlayStation VR come October? Let us know in the thread below.

Discuss

 

[Pecrow]

I don't get why it costs more than a PS4 unit itself. Doesn't seem like a smart plan.

I know.... sad sad day it is,

 

[Luckkill4u]

In my opinion Sony is really jacking up the price and it's probably because of the competition. I have a co-worker friend that's in the loop though, his uncle works for Sony as the announcer for the PS Experience. Lucky bastard of a friend got to go to the PS Experience in San Francisco last year and tried out the PSVR. Of coarse he said it was awesome but after talking out all the pros and cons we both agreed we pay more than $300 for the add on peripheral. I can wait patiently for a price drop or someone sells one for cheap.

 

[Pecrow]

I realllllly want to get this,... but a 400$ add on for a 350$ console.... 250 would of been my top price... sigh

 

[oraisora]

399$ USD and 549$ CAD. great...
Gotta love that price gap.

 

[Awesomeaustin316]

So I can play the ps4 sword art online game IN THE GAME????

If only it was a first person game, I wouldn't even mind the controller at that point haha.

 

[IpsoFact0]

Can't wait till all this VR shit fails miserably like every other gimmick before it.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

Can't wait till all this VR shit fails miserably like every other gimmick before it.

Nintendo tried to make 3D an amazing experience on the go with the 3DS but it never really took off and so much so that they even made a budget 2D version of 3DS without 3D effect at all, called the 2DS. 3D and VR are kind of cursed to be doomed and then brought back as a way to make it popular again.

 

[grossaffe]

VR's not cheap. You think this would have been hammered home by now with all

399$ USD and 549$ CAD. great...
Gotta love that price gap.

USD->CAD exchange rate: ~1.34
399 * 1.34 = 534.66
So your gripe is with, what, less than 3% value?

 

[DiscostewSM]

Nintendo tried to make 3D an amazing experience on the go with the 3DS but it never really took off and so much so that they even made a budget 2D version of 3DS without 3D effect at all, called the 2DS. 3D and VR are kind of cursed to be doomed and then brought back as a way to make it popular again.

Well, some people just can't handle the sweet spot of the o3DS or have various eye problems that likely brought forth the 2DS, but it was followed by the n3DS, which not only improved processing performance, but also incorporated super-stable 3D, which took care of problem number one of the two I mentioned (can't really do anything about number 2).

I really don't mind 3D the way the 3DS does it because it makes it more like looking through a window into the game rather being in the game itself.

 

[Online]

Reminiscent of the famous PS1 price reveal. *Ahem* 299 *drops mic*

They're definitely making the right decisions for their VR unit. They also showcased some good third party developer support as well with an expectation of 50 games in the line up for October and by the end of the year.

I was honestly expecting it to be 499 or even 599 but 399??? Fuck me, I am impressed.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Typical Sony. I knew it there was a catch if their unit was to be the cheapest! They have always done this since the PS1.
"Here, buy this... but you are going to need this and this and this too!"

The ps4 has been out for 3 years now, a lot of people already own a camera or bought the ones bundle with it, it would be counter productive to make those people buy it again. At their current price point though and the move controller not being a requirement, its still a good price overall.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

I remember the first couple of times I played VR games... lol way back when it took a ten thousand dollar computer and looked like ass... (well at the time it was cool shaded polygons and a few high res textures sprinkled in lol) One had you swatting bee's or bugs or something and the other one was something even more lame...

Anyway that flopped....

 

[Meteor7]

Can't wait till all this VR shit fails miserably like every other gimmick before it.

Really? I'm bummed about it. True VR would be absolutely astounding and game-changing, not just for gaming, but the fact that everyone's blowing their VR hype-load on technology that essentially adds no new features or functionality makes me think that the drive to develop and perfect VR will die with everyone's expectations of the current generation. I feel like everyone will see this gen, realize "oh, it literally is just a 3D image with neck-based motion controls" and the VR market will crash. Maybe some rich visionary will continue development despite this, but I can't really see that as likely.

So in short, I'm not looking forward to seeing the consumer reactions to this first VR wave, because it may very well be the last.

 

[Sniffynose]

Damn that's still like $2000 Canadian with the way the retailers do conversion here >.>

Also we didn't magically all get raises to compensate for the shit dollar value =/

 

[KingVamp]

Hope it is successful, just to spite haters and the grumpy people. Seriously,I know it is a bigger hurdle than from black and white to color, but it is time to move on from just the flat screens in general.

 

[koz]

I love how people complain about the cost of things being expensive.

If you didn't care, then you wouldn't complain.

Perhaps you would all rather live in a time, place, or country where there are really serious things to complain about - like disease, water and food.

So first world.

 

[Hells Malice]

I don't see the need to strap a TV to my eyeballs, I don't get the boner everyone's getting over VR. I would trade every single VR headset tech out there to just get more splitscreen/local multi games - those are synonymous to the console experience to me. Each console this gen supports 4 or more controllers and local multi games can be counted on the fingers of one hand, at least the ones that don't suck.

Alright grandpa

 

[DiscostewSM]

Reminiscent of the famous PS1 price reveal. *Ahem* 299 *drops mic*

They're definitely making the right decisions for their VR unit. They also showcased some good third party developer support as well with an expectation of 50 games in the line up for October and by the end of the year.

I was honestly expecting it to be 499 or even 599 but 399??? Fuck me, I am impressed.

Here's the thing though. From what I understand, the headset is $400, but doesn't include the camera or motion controllers (the former I believe is required while the latter, I dunno), so unless you've got those already, the total you'll likely pay anyways is going to be around $500 or maybe a little more.

 

[XDel]

Reminiscent of the famous PS1 price reveal. *Ahem* 299 *drops mic*

They're definitely making the right decisions for their VR unit. They also showcased some good third party developer support as well with an expectation of 50 games in the line up for October and by the end of the year.

I was honestly expecting it to be 499 or even 599 but 399??? Fuck me, I am impressed.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


The ps4 has been out for 3 years now, a lot of people already own a camera or bought the ones bundle with it, it would be counter productive to make those people buy it again. At their current price point though and the move controller not being a requirement, its still a good price overall.

Aghh, OK then, that makes sense.

 

[FAST6191]

On being more than the consoles... how much did you all pay for your monitors/TV? Granted if it does not function as a standalone device/device you can hack about I will return to point at laugh at Sony, say remember the 32x and get ready to watch Sony's latest trainwreck but I am not seeing the comparison between console price and price here.

Alright grandpa

Local multiplayer is an undesirable thing now?

 

[Clydefrosch]

i guess that means sony is diving into red numbers again?