Former PlayStation Exec: ‘The Price Point of PSVR Puts PlayStation In A Strong Position’

Unless you are living under a rock, you must be aware about who Shahid Kamal Ahmad is. He was a former Director of Strategic Content for PlayStation and was one of the individuals responsible for bringing some fantastic games to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Furthermore, he also signed off a number of PlayStation VR games before leaving Sony.

GamingBolt recently spoke to Shahid and asked him about his thoughts on the PlayStation VR and its low entry price of $399/€399/£349.

“The price point of PSVR puts PlayStation in a strong position. They have a large, active installed base for their headset already, and probably the most consumer-friendly device of the serious contenders,” he told us. However just like with every new technology, PlayStation VR will take time before it becomes mainstream. “I think VR in general is here to stay, and it’s only going to keep getting better with every generation. TV will likely not go away, but VR is well poised to become the new medium; just don’t expect this to happen overnight!”

He also commented on the key ingredients that could make VR successful both in the short and long term. “I have a golden rule for VR: Don’t break the spell. Once someone is in VR, you want them to forget they’re there. That’s a combination of technique, technology, pacing and design. It’s a brand new challenge. Ergonomics will also be important, as will ease of setup. Input is also not quite there yet, but it’s moving in the right direction.”

Shahid definitely has a point here. With a price point of $399 and a possible 40 million PS4 install base by October, Sony may have a surprisingly successful launch with the PlayStation VR.

Stay tuned for our full interview with Shahid soon.