17th March 2016

Sony reveals price and release date for PlayStation VR

Sony has announced that PlayStation VR, a virtual reality system for the PlayStation 4, will launch from October 2016 in North America, Japan, Europe and Asia, at a suggested retail price of $399 USD, 44,980 yen, €399 and £349.

“Ever since we unveiled PS VR during the 2014 Game Developers Conference, we’ve received a tremendous response from gamers and developers alike,” said Andrew House, President and Global CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “To make sure that we are able to prepare and deliver enough units of PS VR and a wide variety of software titles to consumers worldwide, we have decided to launch PS VR in October 2016. For those who are looking forward to its launch, we would like to thank everyone for their patience and continued support. We are beyond excited to deliver to consumers the amazing experience that PS VR offers.”

Currently, more than 230 developers and publishers are working on PS VR software – from smaller independent teams, to larger studios at the industry's top publishers such as Ubisoft and 2K Games. In addition to gaming, the system also has a Cinematic mode, which lets users enjoy a variety of content in a large virtual screen while wearing the headset. Supported content for the Cinematic mode includes standard PS4 games and videos, as well as a variety of PS4 features including Share Play and Live from PlayStation. Users will also be able to enjoy 360 degree photos and videos that are captured by devices such as omnidirectional cameras on PS VR, via PS4 Media Player, allowing them to feel as if they are physically “inside” the captured scene.

PS VR features a panel resolution of 1920×1080 (960×1080 per eye), refresh rates of 120Hz/90Hz, a 100° field of view and 3D audio processing. Although somewhat less technically advanced than its rivals, the PS VR is considerably cheaper. It costs $200 less than the Oculus Rift and $400 less than HTC's Vive. The global market for head-mounted VR is set to explode over the next few years, according to forecasts.

“When Oculus and HTC announced their relative headset pricing, Sony was offered an open goal opportunity to take an early lead in the consumer VR market, which it has taken with aplomb,” said IHS analyst Piers Harding-Rolls. “Sony's walled garden approach to the PS4 platform means it is well placed to provide a better controlled and consistent VR experience to consumers. This will be important in driving adoption and positive word of mouth.”

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