Sony sets October for PlayStation VR release

To describe Sony’s PlayStation VR which launches in October as the gamechanger of the decade is a perfectly accurate statement.

Virtual reality is tipped to be the next generation of gaming. It is one step closer with Sony putting the finishing touches on its PlayStation VR. Prototype. Image Supplied

To describe Sony’s PlayStation VR which launches in October as the gamechanger of the decade is a perfectly accurate statement.

Today Sony Entertainment announced that its virtual reality headset will be available from October this year in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

In Australia its recommended cost is $549.95 and it can be pre-ordered now. It will also be available in local retail outlets including EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, Target and Big W.

Some long awaited details were announced this morning at a Games Developers Conference event in San Francisco. They included basic specs: a 5.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, an approximate 100 degree field of view, 18 millisecond latency and head tracking with 9 LEDs.

More than 50 virtual reality games will be available this year, although there’s much more in the wings with more than 230 developers involved in creating VR experiences.

“Software titles in development for PS VR from these developers and publishers as well as from SCE Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS) are now totalling to more than 160,” the company said in a statement.

Sony Entertainment Australia chief executive Michael Ephraim warned that there could be a shortage of the headsets if they proved incredibly popular.

“If everybody in Australia that owns a PS4 wants a VR, we’re probably going to be a bit supply constrained initially,” he said. “We would be completely flabagasted if that’s the case.”

He said adding a PlayStation VR headset to a PS4 console was “plug and play”.

But why the gamechanger of the decade? That’s because Sony’s current PS4 console is the most popular on the market by a street mile. NPD Group Australia says the PS4 comprised 59 per cent of current model units sold last year. Globally it sold 35.9 million PS4 consoles last year.

And soon every kid and big kid in the street with a PS4 will want to experience virtual reality through it. Currently gamers sit in front of TV screens twiddling their fingers on gaming consoles to intercept aliens trying to attack their moon buggy.

With VR, when they put on a headset, they will be sitting inside the moonbuggy operating its controls directly. Who wouldn’t want that experience ahead of using a games console in the living room?

And once one kid in the street has a PlayStation VR, everyone else will want it. Come October and beyond, PlayStation VR will catch on like a bushfire. Come Christmas, Santa’s sleigh will be heavily weighed down with VR headsets. Gaming will be changed forever. That’s why it’s the gamechanger of the decade, literally.

Apart from its formidable gaming content, Sony has another advantage ahead of its rivals: the PlayStation VR uses an existing PS4 console so gamers don’t have to buy a new computer to drive it.

Sony PlayStation VR and accessories

In contrast, the competing Oculus VR and HTC Vive require users to have a computer with a fast processor and graphics — many a home PC simply may not measure up to requirements.

So many of those wanting these units will have to upgrade their hardware as well as buy a VR headset.

Having said that, I have tried all three headsets and each has the capacity to blow away the user with a stunning virtual reality experience.

Sony Entertainment however is taking a risk coming later to the party with both the Facebook-inspired Oculus Rift and HTC Vive out sooner.

HTC Vive pre-orders for its consumer edition began on March 1 with commercial availability from May.

For $US899 ($1215), users get two wireless VR controllers, room scale movement sensors, a head-mounted display with a built in camera, and three VR titles: Tilt Brush by Google, Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption.

The Oculus Rift will cost Australians $US649 plus shipping. Users get a headset, a stationary USB sensor with head tracking, an Xbox One controller for games, and the Oculus Remote, which lets users navigate non-game menus and entertainment while wearing the headset.

The Rift will start shipping on March 28. But if you haven’t ordered yet, you’re likely to be waiting months for it.

Last year, Australians spent almost $3 billion on video games and related hardware, software and subscription services, according to the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association.

Last week Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi told The Australian that virtual reality offered through consoles such as the PS4 looked set to achieve the largest share by value in the Australian market for at least the next two years.

Beyond 2017, the availability of advanced mobile and PC-based options should help lift the share of non-console based VR.

“Sony has 25 years experience in building games consoles. There are about 1 million PlayStation 4 consoles in the market in Australia. It is an advantage for Sony, it (the headset) is an accessory to a project they own.”

Sony today listed some of the upcoming VR content titles. It said Eagle Flight (Ubisoft), EVE: Valkyrie (CCP Games), Headmaster (Frame Interactive), Rez Infinite (Enhance Games), Wayward Sky (Uber Entertainment), RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, Tumble VR, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and PlayStation VR Worlds (SCE WWS) were expected to launch by year’s end.

It said DICE and Lucasfilm were working on an all-new Star Wars Battlefront (Electronic Arts Inc.) gaming experience for PS VR exclusively.

It said The Playroom VR*4 by SCE WWS would be available as a free download from PlayStation Store to all PS VR owners when the system launched.