PlayStation VR is one of the more interesting side-projects to come out of Sony HQ in recent times. We’ve had the PS Vita, but that’s more or less in the past as Sony hasn’t really paid it any attention. Instead, Sony has decided to focus all efforts on the PS4. It makes sense really: the PS4 is bringing in bucket loads of cash for the firm so it’s best to keep that cow fed, as they say.
The latest feed for the PS4 is the PlayStation VR – a wearable headset that allows players to become fully immersed in-game through virtual reality technology. It’s an interesting concept that we’ve seen in dribs and drabs in the past, but now the future is literally just around the corner. There’s no word on a release date or price just yet, but we know it’s on its way in 2016 and that it’ll be priced as a new platform, but despite that, Sony doesn’t intend to profit on the hardware itself.
One of the studios working with the high-tech headpiece is Sony Computer Entertainment London. The head of the London-based studio, Dave Ranyard, recently took part in a Q&A session in Lisboa, Portugal, where he answered some questions from fans. The likeable studio head seemed quite excited about the PlayStation VR and said that “games and the system itself will become better over the years” going on to explain that “there are many possibilities that we are exploring and only time will see and experience all that VR is, and will become.” One of those avenues that Sony is exploring is the potential for interaction between smartphones and PlayStation VR, though there’s nothing else being mentioned so far.
It’s not hard to look at the PlayStation VR and not expect things to progress in the future. It’s the same with all games consoles: as time goes by developers become more familiar with the hardware and find all sorts of tricks to get the best out of the technology. So what we see on release day may look impressive to begin with, but give it a few years and it’ll soon seem dated by the newer, more technologically advanced games.
Well, that’s assuming Sony doesn’t ditch the PSVR in the river with the PS Vita and the PSTV…