We’ve heard this a fair bit (and seen it happen too)- every time a console manufacturer launch a major new peripheral for their console, they argue that it will end up lengthening their console’s life. To their credit, that’s what happens usually- for instance, Wii Motion Plus and Kinect certainly prolonged the Wii and Xbox 360’s lifespans far beyond what they would otherwise have been
So it’s not a shock to see Sony claiming that the upcoming PlayStation VR could make the PS4’s life longer. PlayStation’s Global Head of Sales and Marketing Jim Ryan said that this might happen in an interview with MCV UK, though he did add the caveat that he’s not sure whether even with that help, the PS4 will manage to reach PS2 levels of mass market penetration.
“It could definitely enhance and prolong the lifecycle that we are in the middle of,” Ryan said. “Whether it has the potential to take PS4 to the heights of mass-market acceptance that we saw with PS2, I am not sure about yet. It is easy to forget that PS2 was retailing for £99. With PS4 you are going to have to spend £300 on a PS4 and a further £350 on the VR set. We are quite proud of the price point we have been able to achieve relative to other offerings, but there is a gating factor of price and to what extent that allows us to get into the mass market remains to be seen.”
I don’t know if the PSVR will be key to that kind of sustained long term success. On the other hand, I am very sure that the PS4 Neo, when it launches, will contribute towards making the PS4’s lifespan longer.