Since consumer-grade virtual reality became a real thing about two years ago, the high entry price for a complete VR setup has been one of the technology's main limiting factors. Sony is doing its best to reduce that barrier to entry, announcing last night that the price for PlayStation VR's popular "Doom VFR Bundle" is being reduced by $100, to $299.
That bundle includes a second-generation PSVR headset, the PlayStation Camera that's needed for head- and controller-tracking, a demo disc, and the virtual reality version of Bethesda's Doom remake. It does not include the system's optional, hand-tracking Move controllers, which retail for $100 a pair new (or often much less used). A separate "Skyrim VR" bundle, which does include those Move controllers, currently retails for $399 at most retailers. Those prices occasionally come down during sales.
Even with those caveats, the "all in" MSRP to get VR ready in the PlayStation ecosystem—including a console, headset, tracking camera, hand-tracking controllers, and a game—is now down to $700 without any retail discounts ($600 if you can suffice with a standard DualShock controller). That's the lowest price out there for a complete VR setup that features full head and hand-tracking—a similar PSVR package would have cost about $900 when the headset launched in late 2016.
While PlayStation VR does come with some compromises in terms of resolution, field-of-view, and pure pixel-pushing power when compared to its PC-based cousins, the headset remains a "good enough" full-featured VR experience for those that can't afford (or don't want) a high-powered PC gaming rig. Sony now boasts over 300 PlayStation games apps with VR support, though some of those are limited VR "experiences" included with more traditional screenbound games.
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Ars Technica
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