Sony is infamously (I know, I know pun intended) known within gaming circles for failing to deliver on their peripheral promises. See PS Move, PS Eye, Sixaxis as evidence to that claim. Well strap in because news from multiple sources (Eurogamer and CVG) has pegged Sony as being deep in development of a Virtual Reality headset for the PlayStation 4. In fact, it was reportedly scheduled to be shown at gamescom before being pushed to the Tokyo Game Show before being pushed again until next year; although closed door developer demos will be conducted at TGS.
So why are people not skeptical? They are! But what Sony has going for it this time is two fold: momentum from the PS4 and the Oculus Rift. Having tried the Oculus Rift myself, I can say with near certainty that Virtual Reality is the future of gaming whether you like it or not. (The brief demo I played was with an Alma look-a-like and I jumped out of my seat)
However, problems arise when you begin discussing price and developer support. Currently the Oculus Rift developer kit runs $300 and doesn’t include HD; soon updated versions will support 720p and 1080p. Secondly, Virtual Reality adds an entirely new dimension to video games. The player has the ability to turn in any direction they want which makes developers jobs more complex AND expensive.
Virtual Reality will catch-on in the next 5 years. The question is whether Sony will pull that day in sooner with their VR headset or just be another failed peripheral. Let’s wait and see!
The PlayStation 4 will launch on November 15th in North America for $399.