Sony have announced the price of its virtual reality headset will be significantly cheaper than its competitors, potentially opening the VR market to a new audience.
The Playstation VR will be priced at £350; in comparison, the Oculus Rift will be £410 before VAT, with the HTC Vive set at £689. With a later October release date than originally planned, we may have to wait a bit longer before the VR movement beams into our lives.
It’s been universally recognised that virtual reality tech won’t be exclusive to gaming, despite the initial push seeming to focus on the games industry – it is bigger than the film industry after all– there will certainly be more programs created for VR over the coming years. It’s already looking likely to become a fundamental part of education, so the sky’s the limit as the old phrase goes.
So why is this significant? Simply put, an undercut by Sony will likely trigger a response from Oculus, HTC and other VR tech companies. VR is the next big thing that is sure to alter the way our personal and professional lives work. If Sony can release a headset around £60 cheaper than the Rift, surely it can only get better for the consumer.
As we’ve seen with all technology, when a new model is released, the older version is available at a cheaper price. We may not see VR rocket into stockbroking anytime soon, but as these devices become more widespread, your job will likely involve the use of VR technology, both directly and indirectly – imagine having a far more visual and engaging version of the stock markets on display, perhaps it’ll simply alert you of any changes while you get on with your normal day – VR will find its way into your job, I can assure you.
Research firm IHS anticipates 1.6 million people will purchase a Sony VR headset by the end of 2016, with Sony’s proposed 50 VR games to be launched alongside sure to encourage sales. While Playstation VR is said to be less advanced than its competitors, anyone in sales will know this isn’t necessarily a concern for many consumers, so VR technology companies may be worth watching for any future investments.
All we need now is a game that mimics reality entirely – go to work, earn money, achieve success, all from the comfort of your bed. We can dream, can’t we?
