VR gaming is over a year old now, and while the technology hit with a lot of hype and excitement, the harshness of reality has set in for a lot of gamers. The tech is still pretty expensive, despite a few major price cuts along the way, and that elusive killer app still hasn’t quite shown up. Yet the technology keeps pushing forward, and PSVR seems like the best shot at making VR go mainstream. Exactly one year after the Sony headset launched, the company is looking back, both with a sale and with some important thoughts about where gaming is, and where it is going.
“PlayStation VR was designed to open a doorway into thrilling and captivating new worlds that electrify our senses,” says Sony Interactive Entertainment America president Shawn Layden. “We are confident that virtual reality is that next step in in the evolution of the videogame medium, with a collection of more than 100 gaming experiences designed to make your synapses fire, your heart race, and your muscles twitch.”
This is the lofty and excited talk that put VR headsets into so many homes, with PSVR leading the way in sales of over a million units. Vive and Oculus Rift might offer a more immersive experience, but they cost substantially more, and require a capable PC to handle them. The other big challenge, for all headsets, has been getting games that work well with the medium.
“But we’ve been learning a lot about this medium along the way,” Layden continued. “Building the future of VR is a lot like creating a new language. Or maybe even an entirely new alphabet! With traditional videogame development, we can draw from nearly 40 years of experimentation, trial and error.
“VR is a little bit different. Of course we’re still drawing from the long, proud history of traditional videogames development — but VR’s unique capabilities mean developing entirely different levels of artistry and engineering. Making VR a mainstream sensation will require the full efforts of our very best and brightest.”
But, according to Layden, those people are on the case. PSVR has offered gamers over 100 experiences to enjoy, and they have more than 60 new ones ready for the rest of 2017 and into early 2018. “I can tell you the best is yet to come,” says Layden.
“The future is bright. And as we celebrate today, I want to give my sincerest thanks to the adventurous teams who helped create, shape, and build PlayStation VR. We are equally grateful for the one million-plus gamers who have taken the plunge into virtual reality with us. We’ll have a lot more to share with you in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”
