Ten years ago, Minecraft wasn’t a thing, Fortnite wasn’t a thing, Twitch wasn’t a thing, Game Pass wasn’t a thing, Xbox Live was the only service that charged for multiplayer, most games were linear cinematic titles leading to people to long for more open titles, Skyrim and Dark Souls hadn’t come out and irreversibly changed the landscape of games available on the market, Pokemon hadn’t even transitioned to 3D (!), Halo was still developed by Bungie, God of War hadn’t even completed its first trilogy (let alone begin its second one), Assassin’s Creed had just been reinvented for the first time with Assassin’s Creed II, Hideo Kojima was still working on Metal Gear with Konami, Diablo 3 had not yet come out, League of Legends hadn’t blown up in popularity yet, DOTA 2 didn’t even exist, BioWare was on top of the world with Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins, Valve hadn’t even put out Portal 2 (let alone gone on a hiatus from making single player games that would become the stuff of memes), and Angry Birds was the most popular mobile game in the world.

That excessively long run-on sentence probably gives you some idea of just how different things were back then, because video games have honestly, legitimately, changed a lot in this period. It’s been a momentous and extremely important decade for the video games industry – new genres have been created, new stalwarts of popular genres have arisen, new IP has launched, beloved franchises have been reinvented, and so much more.

The incredible thing, additionally, is how much has happened to each of the three console makers this last decade/ But the best way to understand just how much things changed is to look at each part of the gaming market individually, and see what things were like back then, and what they are like now. So without further ado, we’re going to do exactly that.

PlayStation

In 2010, PS3 was still trailing Xbox 360 and Wii, but was on a strong upswing, thanks to a series of inspired exclusives (LittleBigPlanet, Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, infamous, and, of course, Uncharted 2). Sony had yet to introduce PS Plus, and on the handheld side of things, they had carved out an extremely sizeable portion of the market to themselves with the PSP, which had become the market leader in Japan in terms of third party support, if nothing else. The PS3’s reinvention had started a year before, with the PS3 Slim, a new logo, the “It only does everything” ads, and a renewed focus on Sony expanding its first party portfolio to account for the exclusives that third parties would no longer make for them (given the rising costs of HD development, and the encroachment on PlayStation audiences by Xbox 360), although the actual quality of their output was a bit hit or miss (if wildly experimental). Sony was publishing games for PC, via Sony Online Entertainment. PS Move had not yet come out, though Sony had announced it, and promised to support it in the long term. Which, I suppose, technically they did, given that it is now an indispensable part of the PSVR package. Finally, Sony’s big push at the time was stereoscopic 3D gaming, and they were trying to push sales of 3DTVs with 3D enabled PS3 games.

Things have changed for PlayStation immensely since then. PS4 is now the market leader, and the incumbent going into the next generation. Sony treats online services as an integral part of its PlayStation offerings (PSN made more money in 2016 than all of Nintendo). There is no PlayStation handheld on the market, thanks to the spectacular failure of PSP successor PS Vita. And Sony is now the publisher of some of the best games in the world, with almost every single year since 2012 having had a Sony published title be a Game of the Year contender. This is without counting the fact that several Sony games, such as God of War, Bloodborne, and The Last of Us, are widely considered among the best games ever made. Sony’s emphasis on gimmicks is now at a minimum, and they appear to have doubled down on a few core things that they know work – mostly, their home consoles, great single player games, deals with third parties, and VR (I suppose some may think VR is a gimmick, but that’s not where I am at). And, after almost a full decade of publishing games only for PlayStation – they sold off Sony Online Entertainment early in the decade, which would go on to become Daybreak Entertainment, and spectacularly miss the boat on battle royale games, even though they had a hand in pioneering that genre – they are finally going to start publishing PlayStation first party games on other systems. Titles such as Death Stranding and Detroit: Become Human have already hit PC thanks to third party publishing deals, but MLB The Show is planned for Xbox and Nintendo in 2021.

It’s been a tumultuous decade for Sony, and at one time, the company was written off, and PlayStation assumed to be going defunct. But through those trials and tribulations, a much stronger Sony was forged, and today, PlayStation is the de facto leader of the console market, something that seems unlikely to change at any time in the near future.

Xbox

Believe it or not, Xbox has had an even more eventful ten years than PlayStation. In 2010, Xbox was the console leader in most big markets around the world, and enjoyed immense gamer goodwill thanks to Microsoft’s strong lineup in the first few years of Xbox 360’s life. The console had great exclusives from first and third parties alike, and the Xbox 360 S, a revision for the console, addressed its hardware deficiencies such as the Red Ring of Death. Microsoft was riding high on Windows 7, and planning on entering the smartphone arena with Windows Phone. Their franchises, such as Halo, Fable, and Gears of War, were among the best in the industry.

At the same time, however, Microsoft was starting to lose favor. Its exclusives were beginning to dry up, and Microsoft was falling into a pattern of relying on the same few franchises. It let a lot of partner studios who made Xbox exclusives, such as BioWare and Bizarre Creations, go. The company categorically refused to make any serious commitments to PC gaming. Xbox seemed to be far more interested in following the path to easy money with Kinect, which would be the bulk of their focus for the next few years. And Microsoft generally seemed far more interested in nickel and diming customers, with being the only company to charge for online play, and locking even basic functions such as browser and Netflix access, behind the Xbox Live paywall.

What a difference those ten years have made. Microsoft crashed hard with the Xbox One at launch, largely because it was a weaker console than the competition, but more expensive, thanks to an ordained focus on Kinect, plus media such as TV and movies, and little in the way of compelling exclusives. Microsoft continued to struggle with the Xbox One for years – the console had little in the way of actual meaningful exclusives, and third party games ran better on the competition without exception. Meanwhile, they regressed on most of the progress they had made in global markets with Xbox, to the point that Xbox became irrelevant in most non-Anglosphere markets. And Windows 8, which was their OS for the modern world, was an unmitigated disaster, while Windows Phone failed to take off.

It would take the company years to rebuild. Leadership changes across the board later led to a more focused Microsoft, more willing to do whatever was necessary to be successful. And so, to be successful, Microsoft ended up changing the rules to success. No longer was Xbox bound to hardware units sold as a metric for success. No longer would the strength of its lineup be defined by how many games it played that couldn’t be played anywhere else. Microsoft worked about on systemically reversing all their decisions that had hurt them so badly in the market: they reversed the perception that they were hell bent on nickel and diming, with several incredible initiatives such as Play Anywhere, Backward Compatibility, and Game Pass. They addressed the weakness in their console hardware, and the Xbox One X is the most powerful console in the world right now. They started supporting PC gaming in earnest, committing to bringing every single Xbox game to PC, reviving several PC-centric franchises such as Flight Simulator and Age of Empires, and even finally capitulating and not making their games exclusive to their store. Game Pass is even on PC now!

And most importantly, they finally invested in games. While Halo and Gears are still nowhere close to where they used to be, and Fable is flat out dead (though on the fast track for a revival, allegedly), they purchased almost a dozen studios to beef up their lineup of studios, placing them in a strong position to do well next generation. And, of course, with their savvy combination of Xbox Live, Game Pass, and bringing Xbox services to all hardware and platforms, including PlayStation and Nintendo, they turned the Xbox from a hardware based platform to a software based one, a transition that is looking to be key for the future, and that they are way ahead of the curve on. Xbox may never be the market leader in terms of consoles sold, but they’ve reinvented themselves and put themselves in a position of power to the point that that won’t matter for ensuring continued success anyway.

Nintendo

And, yes, Nintendo somehow manages to top even Microsoft in terms of how much happened to them these last ten years. In 2010, Nintendo was leading the market with the Wii, but it was a Pyrrhic victory – interest in the platform was declining, software sales were in free fall, and third parties had essentially abandoned them. The DS was too old to keep things going, and Nintendo had announced a brand new successor, the 3DS, which had bowled the world over with its promise of glasses-free 3D gaming. In terms of games, Nintendo was on top of the world – Super Mario Galaxy 2 is widely considered among the best games ever made, and on the horizon was Metroid: Other M, a promised cinematic action reinvention of the beloved franchise…

It all went to pot really soon. The 3DS tanked at launch, due to having nothing in the way of games, and an eye watering price of $250, causing Nintendo to slash its price by a third less than six months later. This aggressive move, along with doubling down on 3DS support, and putting out a slew of inspired games, such as Fire Emblem Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, revived the handheld, and it would go on to sell a respectable 75 million units – which is still the lowest selling Nintendo handheld of all time, and lower than even the PSP.

In terms of consoles, the Wii was followed by the Wii U in 2012, which stands as the single greatest mainstream console failure of this century. Confusingly branded and terribly marketed, while straddled with an expensive controller the value proposition of which was apparent to no one, not even Nintendo, the Wii U ended up selling about 10% of what its predecessor had, and in spite of a short surge of third party games in its first year on the market, got dropped even worse than the Wii had. Nintendo themselves struggled to get anything out on the Wii U, especially because they were spread too thin trying to keep both it and the 3DS afloat single handedly, and, finally intuiting what their future would be, they decided to focus on their portable, allocating the bare minimum towards their console, and nothing else.

In terms of games, it has been such a roller coaster ride. Some of the lowest points of popular Nintendo franchises came this decade, such as Fire Emblem Fates, Pokemon X/Y, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and Metroid: Other M. But Nintendo also proceeded to reinvent itself in a bold new image, and with games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Fire Emblem Three Houses, and the promised Metroid Prime 4, more than redeemed itself in the eyes of its jilted fans.

Nintendo finally awoke to the potential of services, first trying to put out a surprisingly competent first party social network on the Wii U, dubbed the Nintendo Network with a message board called Miiverse being its chief component; and then regressing from that in almost every way with the Nintendo Switch, still charging money for it, and… getting away with it?

And yes, the Nintendo Switch, let’s talk about that. One of the boldest, freshest, and most exciting consoles ever, the Switch is a hybrid home console/handheld, which can act as both, and owing to that and its modularity, is incredibly versatile. The console has been an incredible success, having already sold just shy of 50 million units in under three years, and outpacing the PS4, which is one of the highest and fastest selling consoles ever. The Switch has seen insane attach rates for Nintendo games, and some of the best entries in their long running franchises. But it has also seen third parties return to Nintendo, with western third party support being an unlikely bright spot – games such as Skyrim, DOOM, Wolfenstein, Crash Team Racing, Fortnite, Mortal Kombat 11, and The Witcher 3 of all things being on their console, and selling well.

And Nintendo has also finally understood it doesn’t exist in a bubble – the company has been uncharacteristically forward thinking with its embrace of things like cross-platform play, cross-platform saves, and even putting games in its beloved franchises on mobile, with Pokemon GO being a literal world conquering juggernaut, and Mario Kart Tour doing well for some reason I will never actually fathom.

To all appearances, Nintendo was doing well in 2010, but they were in a very precarious position that ended up undermining them for years afterward. Much like Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo learned from their mistakes, and came back much stronger. Going forward, as long as they don’t deviate from the script again (they will), they should be guaranteed a steady stream of assured success (they won’t).

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

PLAYSTATION CLASSIC

Let’s kick thing off with the most recent example. While Microsoft has been making strides with backwards compatibility, other leaders in the hardware market ave instead chosen to release classic versions of older consoles. Nintendo kicked off this trend with the NES Classic and the SNES Classic, mini, portable-sized versions of the pieces of hardware that came pre-installed with a library of some of their best games. Quite recently, Sony announced its own take on the concept- except it wasn’t really their own take. From the name to the general core ideas to even the images that were used to promote its announcement, the PlayStation Classic is a hilariously obvious replica of what Nintendo has been doing for a few years now.

Megaton Rainfall, the open world action adventure title that launched last year for PS4 and PC, is going way bigger, developers Pentadimensional Games have announced. They announced via their Twitter feed that their game will be made available on multiple more platforms soon.

On the PS4, the game features support for PSVR, and VR support is now going to be included in the game’s PC release as well. Not only will it be launching on the Oculus Store on August 9, but will also be launching on that same day with Steam VR support. In VR, the game will include gesture support, as well as a free roam mode. August 9 will also see the game being made available on the Nintendo Switch.

The Xbox One isn’t, however, being left out, and the game will be launching on it as well, though a little later than all the other new versions. The Xbox One version of the game launches on September 5, a little less than a month after the other new releases. It’s also been confirmed that the game will feature 4K support on the Xbox One X.

As for the the PS4 version of the game, that’s going to be the recipient of a pretty significant update as well, as Pentadimensional Games will be updating it with support for PlayStation Move, also in August- which should work nicely with PSVR, of course. Have you played Megaton Rainfall yet? If not, do you plan on doing so on one of the newer systems? Let us know in your comments.

Hey, finally! Megaton Rainfall is coming to Xbox One (Sep/5), Nintendo Switch (Aug/9), Oculus Store (Aug/9) and SteamVR (Aug/9). Including gesture controls (VR), 4K support (XB1X), and Free Roam mode. PS4 Move patch also coming in August. pic.twitter.com/Pd6UlBfuK9

— Megaton Rainfall (@MegatonRainfall) July 23, 2018

Dreams is probably Media Molecule’s most ambitious project yet, and a distillation of their entire philosophy of empowering the player, and placing their creations and creativity at the centre stage. Presenting nothing more or less than a full fledged game creation suite, Dreams has the potential to break out, and become the next Minecraft.

Apparently, your creations in Dreams can be hugely involved, too. For instance, take this new video for the game, which you can see for yourself below. This video shows off how cutscenes can be created for your creations using Dreams, and it looks remarkably simple, all things considered. The accessibility doesn’t come at the cost of versatility, either—everything we see seems to indicate that this is a full fledged suite, as mentioned.

Dreams is due out exclusively for the PlayStation 4 some time later this year. The game will support PlayStation Move and PlayStation VR as well.

While the PlayStation VR is a surprisingly full featured VR solution given its low entry price, one of the things that does hold it back is its reliance on Sony’s PlayStation Move motion controllers for input. PS Move wasn’t all that accurate to begin with, and was susceptible to a lot of interference- so it’s definitely unsuited to something like VR.

Sony would have been better off developing a new motion controller specifically for PSVR. Thankfully, that is what they might be doing. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has filed new patents for motion controllers- and among other things, it seems like these controllers will be adding analog sticks, which is something Move controllers lack, and which PSVR players have been asking for for a while.

A second patent seems to indicate that knuckle tracking may be inbound for the PSVR too- which is interesting, as that opens up all sorts of new possibilities for Sony’s VR platform. Whether or not these patents are for the current PSVR or for a future model- or whether or not they even come to fruition as a final product- remains to be seen.

Media Molecule’s DREAMS has been a long time coming- it was announced years ago as an ambitious sandbox/do-it-yourself game centered on user generated content, and it proceeded to disappear off the face of the earth for the longest time after that, including missing its intended late 2016 beta.

However, Media Molecule promised they would show more of the game at the PlayStation Experience this year, and it looks like they are gearing up to do just that- and ahead of that showing, they have also gone ahead and shared a brand new teaser for the title. It’s the first look at the game we have gotten in a while, so make sure to have a proper look at it if it is something you have been looking forward to.

DREAMS itself is due out exclusively on the PlayStation 4; as with all Media Molecule games, it will extensively leverage the unique hardware capabilities of PlayStation, in this case using PS Move and PSVR.

While Sony repurposed them for the launch of the PlayStation VR headset, the fact remains that the PlayStation Move controllers go all the way back to 2010, when Sony launched them to cash in on the Wii craze for the PS3.

As such, the Move controllers that people own, or the ones that were being sold until recently had several odd holdovers from that era- they had a mini-USB port for charging (the same as the DualShock 3) instead of micro-USB (unlike the DualShock 4), and their branding was more in line with the branding Sony used to use for the PS3.

However, as Push Square reports, Sony has now pushed out a minor update for the PS Move controllers to rectify those issues (presumably because they have finally sold through their leftover stock from the PS3 era). The new PS Move controllers have a micro-USB port, they have branding more in line with the PS4’s, they have a more subdued finish, and they have a larger battery.

No changes made to their tracking capabilities- so this is not a PS Move 2. But that said, the micro-USB and bigger battery alone are substantial enough changes for many, I would wager.

It looks like the updated DualShock 4 controller, previously leaked, may be true- and that in addition, Sony may be planning an update to their PlayStation Move controller, too.

As discovered by Beyond3D forum member orangpelupa (via VideoGamer), applications for a new PlayStation Move controller (CECH-ZCM1G) and a new DualShock 4 controller (CUH-ZCT2G) were filed with a certification agency in Indonesia, that appears to be the Indonesian equivalent of the FCC, earlier in August, presumably ahead of their reveal at the PlayStation Meeting early next month.

As far as the PlayStation Move goes, this even makes sense- the controller has remained the same since its introduction six years ago in 2010, and it even has the old PS3 branding, with PS3 buttons (the PS4 has Options and Share, not Start and Select like the Move controllers currently being sold do)- updating it definitely makes sense.

The DualShock 4 could definitely have done with an upgrade, too, but the upgrades for it seem to be far more incremental than I would personally want, so I can’t say I’m too happy about it. We’ll know for sure during the PlayStation Meeting in September, I gather.

There’s been a lot of confusion, apparently, about whether or not PlayStation VR games will require the PlayStation Move controller, which is not included with the base SKU for the headset, to be played- but earlier this week, Sony tried to put an end to all of it when they stated, in no uncertain terms, that all PSVR games can be played with just the DualShock 4, no PS Move needed.

However, it sounds like they are now going back on that sentiment, and reversing it, implying that at least some PSVR games will require the PS Move to be played after all. In an updated version of the same statement that they released to The Verge, Sony said, “Nearly all (emphasis added) PlayStation VR titles will support DualShock 4 controllers, and several games will deliver an enhanced experience that further immerses gamers with the use of peripherals such as Move or the recently announced Aim controller. There will be a limited number of titles that require Move controllers (emphasis added).”

This is different from the original statement, which said, in no uncertain terms, that all PlayStation VR games will run just fine with DualShock 4. I guess for now, Sony don’t want to necessarily constrain developers who may feel that their VR game would work best with a Move controller.

In contrast, the PlayStation VR is $399 for a base package, going up to $499 if you need the Move controllers and PlayStation Camera as well, and it can be paired with any PlayStation 4 console out there on the market- itself a pretty cheap machine to buy. The PlayStation VR, then, could be VR’s breakout moment, and if VR is to have a legitimate chance at mass market success, the PlayStation VR is it. Sony themselves have played up the importance of the PlayStation VR multiple times, likening the VR headset to a brand new platform launch, noting that they plan to support it as a second system.

On the whole, then, the PlayStation VR seems to be a Pretty Big Deal™, and it seems to have momentum on its side as it gets ready for mass market success. However, I find myself skeptical- skeptical about the PlayStation VR’s long term staying power, and of Sony’s larger commitment to the peripheral.

It is important to note that my skepticism is not based in the potential success (or speculated impending failure) of VR as a medium- whether or not virtual reality, which is being pushed pretty hard as the next big thing, and which is a legitimately exciting technology with the potential to offer some pretty exciting applications and developments, ends up being a fad or a paradigm shift is as of yet unknown, and an entirely separate discussion. I am not going to argue for or against VR’s long term feasibility here (for the record, I think VR is here to stay in the long term, albeit as a slow burn)- my skepticism for PlayStation VR is not skepticism for VR itself. VR will be fine. My skepticism for PSVR, rather, is based in a lack of confidence in Sony and their ability to support their product long term.

"Sony themselves have played up the importance of the PlayStation VR multiple times, likening the VR headset to a brand new platform launch, noting that they plan to support it as a second system."

It’s not an unfair concern to have, either. The history of Sony as a company, especially in the last decade and a half, is filled with failed ventures and products and initiatives abandoned just months after launch, after it became clear they weren’t going to be immediate successes. We could spend a lot of time going over everything on that list- but more pertinent to this conversation is the history of PlayStation, and their failed products and side ventures.

There, too, indications are hardly encouraging- the history of PlayStation is littered with the launches of failed peripherals and side ventures that saw a burst of initial support and enthusiasm from Sony, before being allowed to fall by the wayside, betraying the trust of millions of users who spent a good chunk of money on buying those products based on Sony’s assurances and promises. The most memorable, and most important from our perspective, are the PlayStation Move, and PlayStation Vita.

I can begin to hear the objections to this argument already- Sony is treating the PlayStation VR as their next major platform. There is no way they would let it wither on the vine, and just let it die out like they did with Move or Vita! And you’d be right… except you’re not. See, this was the exact sentiment that Sony expressed back when they first announced the PlayStation Move, too. ‘We’re approaching this like a virtual platform launch,’ Sony’s Peter Dille had said. Multiple companies and partners were announced, and Sony had hoped the Move would become the go to motion control platform for gamers. Sony swore support for the platform at multiple shows and conventions, including E3, promising Move support in most of their flagship products, and the Move was, in general, promised to fulfill the promise that the Wii had made to core gaming audiences.

And yet, all of this failed to materialize- the Move launched, and in spite of a marketing budget of $1 million (in itself a problem, and already indicative of Sony having second thoughts about the Move, which, they had promised,would be an all new ‘platform’ for them), it launched with a whimper. Game support for the Move never materialized, in spite of the fact that the peripheral was actually selling reasonably well. Sony promptly went on to lose interest in the PS Move, never supporting it with their products, and millions of Move controllers lay forgotten in households around the world, never actually used, a testament to Sony’s broken promise of their exciting new ‘platform.’

"This was the exact sentiment that Sony expressed back when they first announced the PlayStation Move, too."

The PS Move, however, is outdone by Sony’s biggest failure in recent times- the PS Vita is an even worse story- unlike the PlayStation VR or the PlayStation Move, it wasn’t like a platform launch… it was a platform launch. Sony was especially enthusiastic about the Vita, promising that it would become their flagship platform in Japan, and that they had learned from the mistakes of the PSP, hoping to have an even bigger success this time around.

Sony dropped $50 million on marketing during the Vita launch– something not evident at all when one considers that the Vita launched in a blaze of no glory, with no marketing, and that to this day, most people don’t even know that it exists. That wasn’t all, either- the Vita was supposed to lead Sony’s games strategy for three years. Sony promised that they would not drop support for it in favor of the console- “In the past we launched PSP and then shifted our attention to PS3 when that came on the horizon, which we now concede was a mistake. So with PS Vita we are working on this huge range titles and planning ahead for a constant supply of excellent games,” No less than Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida had said.

This also turned out to be untrue- the PS Vita launched, and not only did it not lead Sony’s development (major games were still prioritized for the PS3 at the time), but as soon as the PS4 launched, Sony dropped the PS Vita like a hot potato, instead shifting all games to it. In 2014, Sony dropped major first party game support for the Vita, just two years after it had launched. In 2015, Sony officially labeled it a legacy platform– just three years after it had launched. And through all this, the 10 million people worldwide who had bought the PS Vita, an expensive $300 handheld, with even more expensive proprietary memory, on the promise of AAA gaming on the go, were left to a smattering of some localized Japanese games and a slew of ports of indie games from PS3 and PS4. That promised AAA game support never materialized. Less than three years later, Vita owners worldwide were left with a device that even Sony wasn’t supporting, with features for it being dropped rapidly, a device that may still see some use thanks to a slew of indie and low budget Japanese games, but that’s about it. A ‘major new platform launch’ had come to amount to absolutely nothing, except for a bunch of broken promises from Sony- again.

"Less than three years later, Vita owners worldwide were left with a device that even Sony wasn’t supporting."

My point here is, we have no reason to believe that the PlayStation VR will be any different- how do we know that Sony is not just using it as a jumping point for another cool technology, like they did with the Move, like they did with the Eyetoy, like they did with their 3D gaming ventures, and that they won’t forget about it so quickly? Sony is quick to call the PSVR a new platform launch- but they said the same for previous products, and they were only too willing to let them die.

You know how the success of a PlayStation product is decided, whether or not Sony calls it a ‘major platform?’ It is decided by the game support- I mean major in house first party game support. If Sony’s premier development teams support a new product, then Sony indeed views that product as a new platform on par with their flagship consoles. Basically, will Sony Santa Monica release a new game for this new product? Naughty Dog? The answer to these questions was ‘no’ for the PS Move, it was ‘no’ for the PS Vita, and so far, it appears to be ‘no’ for the PSVR, too. With Sony themselves unwilling to commit their best internal resources to the PSVR, it is clear that, no matter what they say, they do not view the VR headset as a major new platform launch, and that they will not support it like one, especially if things do go south, and it doesn’t do so well.

In which case- do you really have confidence that it will actually be supported by Sony? VR is a cool new frontier, and the sheer novelty is enough to sell people on these headsets- but would you actually be willing to drop $400 on a new ‘platform’ that Sony may drop support for just years later? Especially when not even a year ago, Sony dropped support for a $300 new platform just two years after it launched?

Personally, I would look at being careful with my money here- because for all we know, the PSVR turns out to be this generation’s Kinect. Not because I think VR will be gimmicky – I think it’s a long term gaming paradigm that is here to stay, whether detractors like it or not – but because I cannot say, sadly, that I have much faith in Sony’s ability to support any PlayStation product that is not their flagship console at the moment properly.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.