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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

 

[DiscostewSM]

You know, Nintendo got a lot of flak for not including charging cables with the n3ds. Will the same happen here with Sony and the camera for PSVR?

 

[MionissNio]

Great i m so happy with such a low price point. Finally a vr headset I can use. Looks at requirement of PS camera and move.

Sigh, looking for old cardboard anyone? And a barf bag?

 

[shaunj66]

It seems like there's a lot of misconception regarding the price of VR. I think people need to remember that this is the first generation of a brand new technology and as such the price of entry will be higher. Anyone remember the first Blu-ray player costing $999? Or HDTV's costing well over $5000? These practices go way back and are to be expected.

These are products consisting of brand new technologies and components that are custom made and designed specifically for this first wave of VR headsets. These parts such as the screens, optics and motion sensors aren't already in mass production when compared to other products like your mobile phone or even PS4, which use a lot of "off-the-shelf" parts. And then there's the R&D costs for a first generation product to consider. I wouldn't be surprised if Sony is making a loss on each unit, but making that gamble in the hope that VR hits a stride and has a future for them.

If the price is too high for you I wouldn't worry, you can bet that the next generation of VR will be more affordable and much more technically impressive, just like all previous technologies have been.

 

[nxwing]

The set looks clean. I'll look into it and if I like it, I may get it.

 

[BurningDesire]

Yo. I am actually very exited for this. I just recently switched from being a Xbox fanboy to a Sony. All I can say is I am damn glad I did

 

[Foxi4]

Remember that time when the PS4 could handle the processing necessary for good VR? Because I don't. This gen's consoles are not VR ready.

Sure they are. Developers design games for the hardware, not hardware for the games. If a game can handle splitscreen, it can handle VR. All they need to do is drop the polycount in order to render two frames rather than one, what's the issue?

Alright grandpa

It's not a matter of being a grandpa, it's a matter of approach. When I'm playing video games, I'm not looking for an escapist fantasy, I'm looking for relaxation and entertainment. The fact that I'm sitting on a couch watching a TV doesn't somehow block immersion, immersion being the most overrated concept in the world.

 

[grossaffe]

Sure they are. Developers design games for the hardware, not hardware for the games. If a game can handle splitscreen, it can handle VR. All they need to do is drop the polycount in order to render two frames rather than one, what's the issue?

The issue is that resolution, framerate, and latency are hyper-important for VR. Resolution, because even 1080p is jaggy and screen-doory when pressed up against your face. Latency and Framerate because your brain has certain expectations that if not met will result in motion sickness. Even 1080p 60FPS isn't ideal.

 

[mightymuffy]

That's a good price, certainly more attractive than the Oculus rrp.... I'm gonna need to try it first before splashing out though!

 

[Foxi4]

The issue is that resolution, framerate, and latency are hyper-important for VR. Resolution, because even 1080p is jaggy and screen-doory when pressed up against your face. Latency and Framerate because your brain has certain expectations that if not met will result in motion sickness. Even 1080p 60FPS isn't ideal.

There's no such thing as ideal framerate or resolution for your brain because your brain doesn't process vision as frames, it's more akin to a consistent stream. Again, models already drop polycount depending on distance from the camera point, dropping them due to VR mode isn't an issue, you're only losing a level of detail. You're assuming that VR games have to be hyper-realistic - they don't.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

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.

How dare customers be entitled to an opinion. Let's completely forget that customers are those who actually purchase the products put out by companies. This comment of yours, Koz, reminds me perfectly of those who defended Street Fighter V (Early Access) as "entitled jerks, the content is coming"

 

[Anfroid]

Looks pretty meh. I'll probably still go with the vive.

 

[Deleted member 370671]

• 18ms latency

Isn't that an awfully big number? iirc, the Oculus DK2 had less than 2ms...

 

[IpsoFact0]

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.

Care to make a gentlemans wager? VR will fail horribly, worst than motion control and quicker.

 

[Joe88]

Isn't that an awfully big number? iirc, the Oculus DK2 had less than 2ms...

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/21zr2e/dk2_is_capable_of_beating_20ms_palmer_regarding/

generally anything under 20ms is considered fine
htc vive has 22ms

 

[DiscostewSM]

You know, I'm rather put off by this image someone linked on another site, when we've had this kind of feature back in 2012...

Spoiler

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

There's no such thing as ideal framerate or resolution for your brain because your brain doesn't process vision as frames, it's more akin to a consistent stream. Again, models already drop polycount depending on distance from the camera point, dropping them due to VR mode isn't an issue, you're only losing a level of detail. You're assuming that VR games have to be hyper-realistic - they don't.

Pffffffffffffffffft, your eyes can't see over 24 fps anyways! ;O;



On topic, neat, I absolutely guessed the price ages ago. Probably still won't touch VR for another couple years still, while they work out the kinks of this first gen hardware junk.

 

[DjoeN]

Nice, €399 less in myh pocket in october :/

OH, WAIT!!!

I don't have a PS4 camera, so that's another +/- €60 :/
Now i have to rethink everyting :/

1st plan was:
- Buy Xbox One
(Wife should be OK with this, but prefers not to)

Second plan was
- Buy Sony VR headset
(Wife should be OK with this, but prefers not to)

Thirth Plan
- Buy Sony VR headset
- Buy PS4 Camera
(Wife will protest but in the end she'll be OK with this), but prefers not to

Fourth plan:
- Buy Xbox One
- Buy Sone VR headset
- Buy PS4 Camera
(Wife will not agree and will not allow this)

Fifth Plan:
- Buy nothing of the above and go for a Raspberry Pi WD 1TB HDDKit for €80
(My wifes choice)

 

[Deleted-355425]

Nice, €399 less in myh pocket in october :/

OH, WAIT!!!

I don't have a PS4 camera, so that's another +/- €60 :/
Now i have to rethink everyting :/

1st plan was:
- Buy Xbox One
(Wife should be OK with this, but prefers not to)

Second plan was
- Buy Sony VR headset
(Wife should be OK with this, but prefers not to)

Thirth Plan
- Buy Sony VR headset
- Buy PS4 Camera
(Wife will protest but in the end she'll be OK with this), but prefers not to

Fourth plan:
- Buy Xbox One
- Buy Sone VR headset
- Buy PS4 Camera
(Wife will not agree and will not allow this)

Fifth Plan:
- Buy nothing of the above and go for a Raspberry Pi WD 1TB HDDKit for €80
(My wifes choice)

thanks for the life story.......... , i pre-ordered first thing this morning from GAME

 

[DjoeN]

thanks for the life story.......... , i pre-ordered first thing this morning from GAME

No Problem, You're welcome

Yeah i'll pre-order one anyway

 

[Foxi4]

Pffffffffffffffffft, your eyes can't see over 24 fps anyways! ;O;

My point was that no matter how high the framerate is, it will never perfectly translate to how our eyes see the world simply because we don't see the world as a set of frames. It's true that there is a golden spot where you can no longer distinguish between frames, 72 being the average, 100 being the "recommended" value, but all that is besides the point. Just making a game at the Xbox 360/PS3 level of graphics complexity would allow current gen systems to run at 1080p/60 FPS or higher, and that's perfectly acceptable to me as a separate VR mode, especially since I don't really care for VR.