Virtual Reality Technology Is On The Verge Of Going Affordably Mainstream: Could PlayStation VR Be The Greatest Reason?
Virtual reality technology appears to be growing more affordable now, and the PlayStation VR headset might be one of the biggest reasons. Until 2016, the VR experience was reserved primarily for PC users wealthy enough to afford it. With an average running price of $2000 for a system capable of delivering it, the budget gamer had to settle for a 60-plus-inch Ultra HD monitor.
The push for 4K displays has gone more and more mainstream already, as Sony and Microsoft are both pushing for the benchmark with their latest titles. The PS4 Pro and the Xbox One S both support upscaling via HDR, but neither truly reaches the 4K goal. This year’s release of Project Scorpio could change all of that as Xbox One could be outselling the PS4 regularly from that point.
Project Scorpio will deliver actual 4K resolution natively, and even support the Oculus Rift, a VR headset known for its hefty requirements (and whopping price tag).
Of course, the PlayStation 4 already has a solution for gamers seeking the experience, albeit with lower quality visuals. The PlayStation VR has been selling well over the Holidays, and it could be well-meaning relatives buying it for the gamer on their list. We’ll know more come Spring if this is true. Another possible reason for the headset selling so fast is that Sony finally made it affordable, even though one of their CEOs claims there is a lot to improve.
Sony won’t risk a price hike in order to improve PlayStation VR, however, and that’s probably a good thing for gamers craving the experience of having the screen only inches from their eyes.
It could be pure coincidence that there is now a bundle, which includes the Oculus Rift and a gaming PC which supports it, with the bundled PC at a discount price of only $499. Of course, the price without the VR headset is $649. CNet claims the CyberpowerPC system achieves the minimum requirements necessary for the device at a price which almost competes with current video game consoles. This bundle was made possible using AMD parts as opposed to Nvidia and Intel. The initial price of a PlayStation 3 was around the same range, but of course, it also featured a built-in Blu-Ray player.
Sony has been extremely instrumental in making new technology become mainstream and affordable, with all of the PlayStation consoles introducing cutting-edge ideas. The original made CDs an affordable form of media, PS2 made DVD take off, PS3 gave us affordable Blu-Ray, and now PS4 is making virtual reality technology affordable.
Only Nintendo can claim more innovation as their controllers up through the Wii always had something new which competitors added to their own controllers with later hardware. The NES gave us the first control pad. The SNES gave us the first shoulder buttons. The N64 gave us the first analog stick. The Wii gave us the first motion sensor. The Switch could be the start of a new trend of making TV-connected consoles portable, though many AAA titles would suffer from the simplified controls.
Red Dead Redemption 2, for example, most likely won’t be released for the Switch due to the limiting controls. It would have to be “dumbed down” in order to not be cumbersome or awkward.
Many AAA titles would also have to be “dumbed down” to work with virtual reality technology as Batman: Arkham VR has shown. The game is basically little more than a Batman simulator, and it was named the best VR title of 2016. Many have discovered that the genre which excels the most in virtual reality is horror, where you are seeing through the eyes of the survivor. The headset intensifies the experience.
Virtual reality devices have a long way to go before they are the norm, but thanks in part to PlayStation VR, competitors are beginning to make headsets and systems affordable.
[Featured Image by Halfpoint / Shutterstock.com]
