Sony is delivering press invitations for its presentation of the PlayStation VR that will take place in San Francisco next month.
The most important details that Sony keeps mum about are the price and the launch date of its virtual reality gadget. However, insiders hinted that fans could expect to see the PlayStation VR launch in the first six months of 2016.
We look forward to hearing details about Sony's VR headset, especially regarding the price point. What we know so far is that rival companies sell their similar gadgets at $799 (the HTC Vive) and $599 (the Oculus Rift). Seeing how Sony will launch the VR headset for the console ecosystem, there is a fair chance that the device will be more affordable.
One reason for this is that PlayStation VR peripherals are not that costly, and they were on the market for a bit of time. What is more, the VR from Sony is slightly lower in resolution when compared to Vive and Rift.
One serious advantage for the upcoming gadget release is that Sony already sold 36 million VR-compatible PlayStation 4 consoles. Also, the company is at the reins of an ecosystem that is heavily commended by gamers for its high quality experiences. Compatibility is another issue: while Oculus Rift and HTC Vive customers will have to read tomes of Reddit threads about the PC specs necessary for their devices, PlayStation VR owners will simply plug it into the PS4 and start exploring.
However, it should be mentioned that this can backfire. Due to the lack of upgradability on the PS4, Sony's VR headset is prone to hit a certain limit in its performance.
Whereas Oculus Rift and HTC Vive need a powerful PC rig to work their magic, the PlayStation VR runs directly on a PS4. This could prove both a blessing and a curse for the VR headset. Stability and optimization are self-implied, but the limits of the console gaming environment could be an issue sometime in the future.
Check out the spec details (or the video) below to see what Sony packs in its VR headset.
- The screen is a 5.7-inch OLED capable of displaying true R, G and B sub pixels per pixel and 1,080p resolution
- The refresh rate is a whopping 120 Hz while the latency sits as low as 18ms
- 9 LED positional tracking will deliver an immersive experience
- 360 degree head-tracking
- 3D audio with stereo mini jack and mic input
- Wide field of view of 100 degrees
- Motion sensing via gyroscope and accelerometer
The announcement comes only weeks before the first HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets reach their owners.
Sony will showcase the device at its Game Developers Conference event on March 15, 2016. Visitors will be able to witness the unveiling at 2:00 p.m. PST, after which a few hours of demos will ensue.
A CES 2016, Sony told the media that it's working hard to offer content for its upcoming VR headset. More than 100 different VR-enabled titles are being crafted and some of them will be available at the Game Developers Conference.
Some have deemed 2016 "the first year of VR reality," and we will keep you posted on the new details Sony reveals next month.
