Sony's virtual reality headset, the PlayStation VR, is weeks away from being released, but the company went ahead and uploaded an unboxing video of its PlayStation VR core bundle, prelaunch.
In the unboxing video, Sid Shuman, PlayStation's director of Social Media, sifted through the contents of the box to let everyone see what they're getting when the PSVR hits shelves this Oct. 13.
The "PlayStation VR Core package," which is unfortunately not available for preorder anymore, costs $400, and it includes the PSVR headset, obviously; the PSVR processing unit, which is a small flat box used to connect the PSVR headset to a TV and a PS4; an army of cables; and, most importantly, the PSVR Demo Disc, which is an omnibus disc package loaded with 18 playable demos so you can jump right in the VR experience.
The PSVR is a console-based VR headset, and notably the first one there is, meaning the PSVR will readily integrate with the PS4. Other significant VR headset manufacturers like Oculus with their Oculus Rift and HTC plus Valve's HTC Vive require powerful computer units apart from the headset itself, adding to the cost of the overall setup to jump in the VR gaming experience.
The PSVR headset features a 5.7-inch vertically split display, delivering a 960 x 1,080 resolution in each eye. It has a high-end 1080p OLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Refresh rate is just a fancy phrase that pertains to how many frames a monitor can display in one second. The 120 Hz means that the PSVR can display 120 frames per second, thumping the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive's meager 90 Hz. The 120 frames per second means smooth gameplay, reduced eye strain and motion sickness because a higher frame rate means less blurring.
LEDs are interspersed around the headset for motion sensing. An in-line remote is connected to the PSVR headset, which allows for volume control and mute on/off options for the integrated microphone. The remote also has an headphone jack that can output a 3D audio signal. You can use your preferred headphones, or you can use the headphones that come with the bundle.
As previously mentioned, the bundle is not available at the moment, but if you're planning to get one, it'll be available on launch day. Several retailers have the PSVR available for demo, so users have plenty of time to try it out for themselves before the headset ships.
Sony is set to hit Anaheim, California, this coming Dec. 3 and 4 for the PlayStation Experience 2016 where they'll set up the PS4 Pro on 4K Television sets and a slew of demos available to play on the PlayStation VR.
