Sometimes, it’s not about being first- sometimes, it’s about doing it best, and doing it in such a way that everyone can appreciate what you have done. The people and companies who get remembered for something, associated with things, are often not the ones who did things first- they are just the ones who did things best, did them to such a degree that that was the first time everyone took notice.
Apple did not create smartphones, Nintendo did not invent motion controls or analog sticks, and Sony certainly did not create the first console with CDs- but they all did them best, and caused the entire market to sit up and take notice. And that’s what matters. Which is probably the reason that PlayStation VR has been named one of the best inventions of 2016 by the influential TIME magazine- it’s not the first VR headset, not even the first one of this year, and it is definitely not the best one. But it is the one that is by the far the likeliest to see mass market penetration due to its accessibility.
“In order to access the most cutting-edge virtual reality, people typically have to shell out thousands of dollars–not just for a headset (like the $800 HTC Vive), but for a computer that’s powerful enough to support it,” Time magazine said, justifying their reasons to pick Sony’s headset over the other ones available on the market. “Sony’s PlayStation VR, by contrast, is designed to work with a console that millions of people already own: the PlayStation 4.”
Whether or not that is enough is something that remains to be seen- the headset got off to a great start worldwide, and Sony insists that sales for it are on track. How true that is, however, is not something we can find out till January at the earliest, when Sony will presumably, hopefully, share numbers during their financial report.
Meanwhile, the PlayStation VR certainly seems to be the VR headset with the most appealing games at the moment.