Playstation VR - $399 with October ship date.

[purbeast0]

surprised there wasn't a thread on this yet.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/15/11224988/sony-playstation-vr-release-date-price-gdc-2016

personally i think that is WWAAYY too high of a price point for a peripheral, and i think it's going to flop big time. tack on that you will then need the camera and 2 psmove controls to get full usage out of it, and we have the most expensive peripheral by far for a console. history has shown that peripherals simply do not last long, let alone ones that cost $400.

personally i won't start to really have any interest in this until it's around $200. i'm sure it's pretty damn cool and all, but i just can't see many people spending $400 on this, and when sales are weak i think we'll see a lot of developers pull out of making games for it. so far pretty much everything i've seen is nothing more than a tech demo.

 

[homebrew2ny]

Personally I think a 399 plig and play vr kit is pretty reasonable assuming it works well and has a decent library.

 

[purbeast0]

Personally I think a 399 plig and play vr kit is pretty reasonable assuming it works well and has a decent library.

i guess i should clarify.

i don't think it's too high for tech savy people such as those of us on these forums, and know it's 1/2 the price of the PC ones, and doesn't require a high end PC to run it.

i am talking more that the price point is way too high for joe consumer and think it is going to flop because of that.

 

[Aikouka]

i am talking more that the price point is way too high for joe consumer and think it is going to flop because of that.

You just need to show Joe Consumer why he should spend the money on it. Hell, that's what these gaming companies do at every console launch. It's what Apple does when they launch a phone that has a very similar look to a predecessor. I think that's really one of the biggest problems with all of the VR options... we don't really have a good killer app for them.

 

[ImpulsE69]

They are trying to market consoles as all in one living room PC's so price should be expected. The problem is people think it should be cheaper. If no one buys it, no one will support it, and vice versa.

The problem with console manufacturers is they've proven time and again they don't really support peripherals they come out with. If I was one of these consumers, I'd look at it and laugh given the history.

This sort of thing makes much more sense on a PC where you can mod things to work with it.

It's really hard to say if this will take off or not.

 

[RockinZ28]

Don't understand how this will even work well. PS4 can't even maintain 30fps on a single display, and they're targeting 120fps. Games must look like ps3 games or worse in VR.

 

[gorcorps]

They are trying to market consoles as all in one living room PC's so price should be expected. The problem is people think it should be cheaper. If no one buys it, no one will support it, and vice versa.

The problem with console manufacturers is they've proven time and again they don't really support peripherals they come out with. If I was one of these consumers, I'd look at it and laugh given the history.

This sort of thing makes much more sense on a PC where you can mod things to work with it.

It's really hard to say if this will take off or not.

Sony specifically has a pretty terrible track record with peripheral support. I fall for it too often and really need to stop biting.

 

[purbeast0]

You just need to show Joe Consumer why he should spend the money on it. Hell, that's what these gaming companies do at every console launch. It's what Apple does when they launch a phone that has a very similar look to a predecessor. I think that's really one of the biggest problems with all of the VR options... we don't really have a good killer app for them.

comparing phones to vr is not really comparable imo. a phone is a mini computer that is on you 24/7. new phones have new features (that are demo'd as you said) but they are always also more powerful.

i agree about the content. pretty much everything i've seen is nothing more than a tech demo. these videos of people getting "jump scared" using the same tired techniques that horror movies use now a days because they don't know how to give any other kind of scares looks gimmicky and dumb. and i love me horror flicks/games.

 

[zerocool84]

For VR yes it's cheap but yea expensive peripherals never sell well for consoles. It's just how it is. Me personally, I'd wait still a few more years to even jump on this technology.

 

[sze5003]

Haven't looked into this but I did hear about it for PC not console. I think a friend of mine who's never had a gaming PC asked me to build him something because he wanted to get this type of headset later. It makes more sense on a PC I think, because it will be dependent on your GPU.

I don't know if I could justify the cost myself. I'd like to try it first.

 

[ksheets]

Also, tag another ~$120 onto the price to buy the camera and Controllers. At first this looked like a promising way to hop into VR for a fraction of the occulus/Vive price, but honestly, they're ALL too expensive for me right now to sink into. Which is sad, because normally I would be all over this tech

 

[Subyman]

IMO, this thing will be dead within a year or two unless they expand it into the PC market. Also the price doesn't include the controllers or camera. The bundle price will likely be $100 more.

 

[Rage187]

I thought it was also a standalone device not requiring a PS4?

also, camera and move controllers can be had for $50, total.

The demos all looked like on rails shooters, guess we can expect The Rescue of Pops Ghostly 2.

 

[Aikouka]

comparing phones to vr is not really comparable imo. a phone is a mini computer that is on you 24/7. new phones have new features (that are demo'd as you said) but they are always also more powerful.

I mentioned phones because Apple usually gets a bit of criticism when they release phones -- mostly with the 'S' models -- that they don't change enough. So, they need to convince all the non-Apple faithful that there's enough to warrant a change, and, more importantly, a purchase.

 

[sweenish]

I consider this much more the entry model for people that want VR, and not a PS4 accessory.

Total cost of new everything for Sony's VR undercuts both the Rift and the Vive. At least with the Rift and Vive, most everyone already has a PC, it's just about how much of it would need to be upgraded. But you're still talking about nearly the entire cost of getting into Sony VR for just the Rift or Vive before PC upgrades.

I can see a lot of people going the Sony route, just to try VR and "save" some money.

I say a lot, but that's relative to the size of the VR crowd.

 

[iluvdeal]

$400 sounds right. If it were $300, I'd be worried they cut even more corners, this is a good balance. Sony is treating this as a new platform release, not simply just a peripheral. I'd agree as VR could be game changing for gaming.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I think all VR will not take off. It has a lot of hype but only in certain circles of geeks who like this stuff. The average person won't spend the money on this or other options for PC and won't want to wear headgear. Remember how 3D TV never really took off big time and one of the major complaints was "I have to wear glasses". Magnify that sentiment by a bunch for VR headsets/goggles. I've seen the demos of VR at best-buy for Samsung's version and everyone I ask about it after wearing it if I get the chance is the same. It's kind of cool at first but they wouldn't buy it. That might not be fair when you compare it to this or the other VR options on the PC but I do believe the impressions would be about the same.

I'm a pretty tech savvy person who likes all the newest gizmos and stuff but I have no desire to wear headgear when playing a game. I'd rather use my TV. There's a lot of talk about VR is the future etc but that depends on getting people to buy it. I don't see it happening on a large scale. This is even not taking into account people who have invested in very large home theater setups they use for gaming. I wouldn't give up a multi thousand dollar setup with Atmos sound etc for a headset I look into with a pair of headphones for simulated positional audio. I don't think I'd be alone in saying that either.

 

[zerocool84]

I consider this much more the entry model for people that want VR, and not a PS4 accessory.

Total cost of new everything for Sony's VR undercuts both the Rift and the Vive. At least with the Rift and Vive, most everyone already has a PC, it's just about how much of it would need to be upgraded. But you're still talking about nearly the entire cost of getting into Sony VR for just the Rift or Vive before PC upgrades.

I can see a lot of people going the Sony route, just to try VR and "save" some money.

I say a lot, but that's relative to the size of the VR crowd.

Yes but the cost to upgrade your PC to be able to use VR is more than the cost of a PS4. That's the biggest issue with those.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I think all VR will not take off. It has a lot of hype but only in certain circles of geeks who like this stuff. The average person won't spend the money on this or other options for PC and won't want to wear headgear. Remember how 3D TV never really took off big time and one of the major complaints was "I have to wear glasses". Magnify that sentiment by a bunch for VR headsets/goggles. I've seen the demos of VR at best-buy for Samsung's version and everyone I ask about it after wearing it if I get the chance is the same. It's kind of cool at first but they wouldn't buy it. That might not be fair when you compare it to this or the other VR options on the PC but I do believe the impressions would be about the same.

I'm a pretty tech savvy person who likes all the newest gizmos and stuff but I have no desire to wear headgear when playing a game. I'd rather use my TV. There's a lot of talk about VR is the future etc but that depends on getting people to buy it. I don't see it happening on a large scale. This is even not taking into account people who have invested in very large home theater setups they use for gaming. I wouldn't give up a multi thousand dollar setup with Atmos sound etc for a headset I look into with a pair of headphones for simulated positional audio. I don't think I'd be alone in saying that either.

One thing you are forgetting though is you are using your TV because of the size and immersiveness. Home 3D isn't immersive at all. In contrast, the headsets 'reality' are going to be much larger than most people's big screens or even projectors, plus much more immersive. It isn't going to look like you are staring at a screen (at least no one so far has said that). I do agree getting the average person to drop the money on it might be difficult, but I think we may be on the cusp of something truly new.

Watch the video someone posted of a guys live review of the Vive. It was quite impressive. I do think it will take some time for someone to master the VR scenario, meaning someone needs to build something spectacular built for VR from the ground up. Not tacked on and not just a tech demo.

 

[Sabrewings]

I'd rather use my TV.

I'm sure there was a time when a lot of people would rather have hard pieces they can feel with their hands and play a board game than have to sit and look at a box in the corner and move a joystick.

How'd that work out again?

Everyone I know is super stoked to try out my Vive when it shows up. And these aren't just "techies," but average joes I work with. Only a few have had any VR experience up to this point at all.

Beyond gaming, the applications for education and passive entertainment are vast. If "I have to put something on my head" is a huge turn off for some, let it be. Valve believes in it enough that they gave away 500 Vives to Epic Games for them to distribute to Unreal devs.

I personally have been finding it hard to go back to 2D gaming after spending some time in VR. It's that impacting.

 

[sweenish]

Yes but the cost to upgrade your PC to be able to use VR is more than the cost of a PS4. That's the biggest issue with those.

It was muddled, but that's what I said.

 

[gorcorps]

Isn't 1080p low for a VR headset? IIRC the note 4 and 5 are both 1440p and are still quite pixelated when used in Samsung's VR demo I tried.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Isn't 1080p low for a VR headset? IIRC the note 4 and 5 are both 1440p and are still quite pixelated when used in Samsung's VR demo I tried.

Yes, but at that distance most things are going to show some pixels until you get to 8k. I also imagine to get to 120hz they are going to have to create/run most games with much lower resolution anyway.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I can see a lot of people going the Sony route, just to try VR and "save" some money.

I really don't see it.

For those who just want to "try VR" something like the Galaxy VR headset has a much cheaper entry point if you already have a Samsung phone. Hell you can get a blacklist ESN Galaxy and the headset for just the price of a Ps4.

For those who want to be "serious" about VR then they are going to pay the extra to get Occulus/Vive. These are the people that will blow the thousands on gen 1 models, aka the people who make it affordable one day for all of us.

The Sony executive admitting their VR rig won't be as good really killed its potential with anyone serious about VR.

 

[Beer4Me]

Sony specifically has a pretty terrible track record with peripheral support. I fall for it too often and really need to stop biting.

THIS THIS and THIS! Sony drops support for every peripheral they push almost immediately after it's release if it doesn't gain initial traction. PS4 move? Camera? All dead at this point.

This will be no different.