VR is undoubtedly exciting for the tech enthusiast- there can be no question about that, after all. However, the long term survival of VR relies solely on its feasibility for the wider consumer market, and that’s where we run into issues- the question of wearing a headset, the fact that VR is a socially isolated experience, the fact that it is so expensive, and the failure of 3D technology from a few years earlier all provide compelling arguments for why VR may not take off.
But Sony thinks that the PlayStation VR is the answer to all of these problems, that it resolves all these longstanding issues. Because it is a plug and play solution that relies on the PS4, Sony’s belief is that PlayStation VR may succeed with the wider market where Oculus Rift or Vive may scare customers off.
“What we expect is to be able to deliver a fantastic PSVR experience to our customers and consumers and you mention a lot of reasons there that I absolutely buy into,” said SCE Worldwide Studios VP Michael Denny in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. “We have a large installed base of keen gamers who we know want to try these new experiences, and we have a plug and play system.”
Maybe that might work- consoles have been instrumental in technology being adopted by the mainstream public before, after all (such as DVDs and PS2, Blu Rays and PS3, Wii and gyroscopes, and DS and touch screens). But with this ultimately not being an out of the box solution – it is an add on, a peripheral, one that needs to be purchased separately – I am not sold on the long term viability of this venture yet.