PEGI Rethinking Game Age Ratings In Light of VR Games

A little while ago, Sony Worldwide Studios’ Shuhei Yoshida said that it might not be a bad idea to rethink how game content is rated for age appropriateness, at least as far as VR is concerned- since VR offers such a visceral and real experience, content in VR games can be far more affecting than content in regular games is.

This is advice that PEGI, the European games rating board, at least seems to have taken seriously. MVC UK reports that PEGI is looking at rethinking its age ratings in context of VR games. “PEGI should examine the coming wave of VR products using the current questionnaire, but reserve the right to reassess certain elements – more specifically the criteria around fear (currently rated PEGI 7) and horror (as in non-violent scary imagery, currently rated PEGI 12) – once a broader range of products hits the market in the coming period of time.”

I think this is a good idea- in fact, I think that instituting an entirely new system of ratings for VR games, independent of regular ESRB/PEGI ratings for non VR games, might not be a half bad idea.