Sony finally launched its PlayStation VR as the cheapest mainstream headset that brings virtual reality to gaming consoles.
Sony's PlayStation VR Revolution
With a VR gaming console dedicated to the budget market, Sony has the potential to transform its PlayStation VR in the first generation of virtual reality gaming for the masses. The new gaming console can stir a revolution in virtual reality gaming. This is not unlike the gaming revolution generated by Sony's PlayStation 2 that helped to spread early into people's homes what it has been at the time the new technology of DVD players.
The Three Mainstream VR Headsets
According to Forbes, the PlayStation VR, the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive are the three mainstream VR headsets that are primed to succeed in the virtual reality gaming market. But before the release of the new Sony's PlayStation VR, the niche of virtual reality gaming did not make it mainstream Now, the new gadget is virtual reality's big chance to finally make the leap from curiosity to mainstream and to seize the general public's attention.
Each of the big three VR headsets came on the market in their own different way. The Oculus Rift, for instance, transformed from concept to reality as a successful Kickstarter project that involved the famed John Carmack from id Software. The social network giant company Facebook bought Oculus VR for $2 billion, around two years after being funded.
The Vive, Valve's VR headset, materialized from a collaboration between two unlikely parties. HTC, a mobile device designer and manufacturer formed a partnership with Valve, a PC game developer and distribution company, in order to develop the Vive VR headset.
Meanwhile, The PlayStation VR was developed by Sony as an internal piece of hardware. Sony is a Japanese company with good reputation in the gaming industry, crafted over the past decades. The company is the manufacturer of the best-selling console of the current generation, the PlayStation 4 as well as the company that designed the best-selling console of all time, the PlayStation 2.
What all three VR headsets have in common is their claim to fame and enough development, design and support to achieve that fame. However, they come with several technical differences. And among all, many well-regarded scientists, innovators, and creators in VR point to the potential of PlayStation VR to become the best VR gaming console so far.
PlayStation VR's Advantage
The online publication Polygon reports that Nonny de la Pena, the creator of VR-driven immersive journalism, said that Sony's launch PlayStation VR is a turning point for virtual reality. Sony is selling its newly released gaming console for $400. Now gamers have the possibility to buy a VR headset on a budget.
Scott Fisher, whose impact on VR dates back to the 1970s, said the Sony's PlayStation VR has a huge potential to lead to virtual reality distribution to a broader market. Shawn Layden, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment America and chairman of Worldwide Studios at Sony Interactive Entertainment said that the company made it sure to "have a great launch line-up."
The gaming console that launched on Thursday, Oct. 13, came on the market with a robust lineup of 31 live game titles and 20 games coming soon. This matches the launch titles for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Layden said that Sony will release another 50 gaming titles for PlayStation VR by the end of the year.
For now, all of the titles on "PlayStation VR Worlds" are meant to only be short gaming experiences. However, Layden hinted that at some point they could be turned into full games. Despite the fact that the PlayStation VR is just the third major release of a virtual reality headset, it certainly has the potential to become the best on the market so far.
