PlayStation VR Unveiled: Sony Reveals Price, New Details At 2016 Game Developers Conference

Sony Corp. is getting into consumer VR, this time for real. The electronics giant announced the price ($399) and release date (October) of PlayStation VR at the 2016 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. The pricing means Sony is undercutting both the HTC Vive ($799) and Facebook’s Oculus Rift ($599).

The Japanese electronic giant unveiled Project Morpheus, as its VR headset was first called, at GDC in 2015. Since that time, consumers have seen demos and learned which developers are working on PlayStation VR projects, but the important details such as price and launch date have been kept under wraps.

In addition to a cheaper price, PlayStation VR offers a different vision for virtual reality. Facebook’s Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive require a high-end PC for use. The PlayStation VR is connected to the existing PlayStation 4 without any additional updates from the consumer.

The PS4 that runs PlayStation VR is a lot cheaper than the PC that runs Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Even with PS4 bundles with games like “The Last of Us,” “Batman: Arkham Knight,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops III” or “Star Wars Battlefront,” priced at $349, is much cheaper than an Oculus-ready PC with prices starting at $949.

Prior to Tuesday, there were a few details known about the PlayStation VR hardware itself. The headset plugs into a processing box, which is used to create a second-screen experience and process the VR graphics. Prior to the big reveal, Sony confirmed support for the PlayStation Move controllers. The wand-like devices can be used to interact with the virtual world or players can stick with the DualShock 4 controller.

PlayStation VR games will have a similar price as PS4 games, with smaller digital experiences at $10 up to $60 for a larger-scale game. For those worried about content, Sony previously stated there are 200 developers working with the PlayStation VR. “Tekken 7,” “Gran Turismo Sport,” “Ace Combat 7,” “Dead or Alive Xtreme 3,” “Adrift” and “EVE: Valkyrie” are among the titles confirmed for Sony’s device, according to VR Focus.