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Sony’s PlayStation VR headset for the PS4 console will start at $399 and hit the market in October 2016, the company announced Tuesday in tandem with this week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
The PlayStation VR will debut across multiple regions, including Japan and other parts of Asia, North America, and Europe.
Though it has to be paired with a PS4, Sony’s pricing on the PlayStation VR undercuts the introductory pricing for two high-end VR platforms -- the Oculus Rift ($599) and the HTC Vive ($799), which must be tethered to high-performance PCs. Google is reportedly working some new VR products, including a more advanced version of Cardboard that will be made of plastic, but still requiring pairing with a smartphone, as well as a higher-end self-contained VR headset.
PS VR, which uses an OLED display, will support a resolution of 1920×RGB×1080 (960×RGB×1080 per eye), a field of view of approximately 100 degrees, and 3D audio processing.
Sony said more than 230 developers and publishers are working on software titles for PS VR, and that software titles in development for the platform currently number more than 160. Examples include Eagle Flight (Ubisoft), EVE: Valkyrie (CCP Games), Headmaster (Frame Interactive), Rez Infinite (Enhance Games), Wayward Sky (Uber Entertainment).
Additionally, The Playroom VR (from Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios) will be offered as a free download via the PlayStation Store to all PS VR owners simultaneously with the launch of the system.
Sony said PS VR will also feature a “Cinematic” mode that lets users watch a variety of content via a “large virtual screen” while wearing the headset. Supported content for Cinematic mode includes standard PS4 games and videos as well as some PS4 features, including Share Play and Live from PlayStation. The system will also support 360-degree photos and videos that are captured by devices, including the omnidirectional cameras on the PS VR.
