Here's some good news for PlayStation VR: Sony has suggested that it's not looking to profit on the initial hardware launch. We've been saying for a while now that if the headset has any shot at succeeding, the platform holder needs to eat the cost on the peripheral – and that's exactly what Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has suggested that it will be doing.
"We tend to price hardware not to make money from it but to get as many install base so that content can be sold," he told Digital Spy. "This is the same kind of thinking in the way that we are approaching PlayStation VR." In other words, the manufacturer's trying to get the install base as high as it possibly can, with its business model enabling it to hopefully recoup costs from software sales.
Of course, on the surface this appears to contrast with comments made by SCE president Andrew House, who seemed to indicate that the headset would cost the same as a new console. But perhaps what the British businessman was really trying to say is that it's adopting the same strategy as a new system with the add-on, by pricing the hardware low and making money elsewhere.
None of this rules out a robust RRP, sadly, but it at least gives hope that the Japanese giant's going to go as low as it possibly can. Honestly, we reckon that any more than $200 will restrict the add-on to a very niche audience – but if it can hit that or go lower, then there's enormous potential here. Sadly, that's a pretty big 'if', isn't it?
[source digitalspy.com]
Comments 35
I might buy 20 of them and set up the first ever VR suite.
£199 and I'm in.
I reckon it'll find an ok initial install base with anything up to £150, but more than that as a starting price and it'll struggle. To be successful long term they really need the initial install base to be as big as possible, otherwise they'll never hit the software sales needed to allow them to lower the price in future and widen the appeal to the general public.
Not only they won't make money off this, they will lose money off this.
And ditch it soon after when it fails to catch on.
At £200 it'll just take the software to convince me to jump on board, anything £300 and upwards and I doubt I'll pay any attention to it
@LieutenantFatman We had one 20 years ago where I live. Sorry lol
@WARDIE I should have known! I'll have to step it up then, hook people into it for 3 months straight, sleep with it on, eat with it on. Open universe style MMO, do it for research, see what happens.
@LieutenantFatman Sign me up mate lol
They'll have a hard time selling this, I think. Playstation Move and the Xbox 360 Kinect didn't do especially well, and I think Playstation VR will do about the same with sales - okay but not great. I, however, plan to pre-order as soon as I can.
The problem is I'll also want a camera and move controllers in the pack... I can't see this being cheap.
I'm happy to hear this, but I don't want them to drop it do low it bankrupts them
If it's sold at cost price and costs $200 it's likely to be poor quality. I'd prefer to pay more for quality than end up with unreliable tat.
I still think this is a really bad idea.
I'm not really intrested in VR at all look's like fun for about 20 minute's, and only suitable to play crap like minecraft on or Until Dawn, I couldn't care less tbh and I don't believe Sony are not going to try and profit.
Can Sony give us choice of budget range £99, medium range £100-£150 and top of the range £200-£400. Plus later on custom VR sets made from Gold, diamonds, titanium with built in 7.1 sounds!! Grow it like headsets, keyboard & mice, speakers, monitor market. I personally want my own version looking like a Star Wars rebel x-wing fighter pilot with my own carry bag! Or how about a nice Destiny or COD or Monster Hunter version!!! VR peripherals bring it on. Woot!
@Neolit
Ah, I stand corrected then. I was always under the impression that it sold poorly since I hardly ever saw software developed for it. Thanks for correcting me.
they REALLY need to get the software to the starting gate. no one will buy this if all they can play are a few tech demos and untildawns railshooter. i want this to work SO badly.
@Neolit In what way was the 360 weaker? But your right that kinect sold shed loads.
On the headset front - if there's loads of wires its dead in the water. I have THE best headset for the xbox and used it 4 times, it was inconvenient and I throw games on for all manner of reasons. Immersion is no where near the top of the list.
Bring the awesome games, and I'll have no problem paying the price for this. I wasn't interested in this at the beginning, but the tech demos got me interested in this device!
Now I understand the overpriced memorycards for the Vita. The Vita owners had payed the loss on the PS VR.
Ahhh but what about just reading a good book? I don't need no fancy VR headset to be immersed!
Facebook paid $2billion for Oculus rift, Sony, Htc vive and many more companys are investing probably hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of virtual reality, hundreds of studios both large and small are formulating games and experiences for Vr, Every single person I have seen on the internet who has experienced Virtual reality seems to use the same phrase "It's mind blowing" and asked if they're going to get it 99% say yes, but according to this site, if it's got wires coming out of it (which it has) it'll fail, if it's more than $200 (which it will be) it'll fail, if it's not got a 20hr AAA game (which it probably won't have) it'll fail, or I don't like it so it'll fail. U say and believe whatever floats your boat I'm getting mine day one
@kenswif I dont think anyone doubts it's going to be an awesome experience, but at the end of the day if people don't buy it publishers and developers won't invest in the software.
The PS4 install base is big, so that helps, but still - they'll need to appeal to the majority of people who don't hang out on gaming and tech websites if this is going to be a success.
I have to say guys, that WANTING it to be 200 or less tells me you want it to be cheap, which means the headset will be cheaply made. I do not want it to be cheaply made, I want a quality VR experience, doesn't have to be top of the line, but I don't want it bottom of the barrel either. For me personally, 300 sounds about right, but I'll still bite at 400. Like any new technology, the price will go down over time. Hoping for it to be a cheap peripheral is not the answer. Consumers of gaming this generation have shown they will pay, at record paces, for quality hardware and software. New phones, tablets, consoles all are around the 400 dollar range and ALL are selling well. When people in America think Sony, they think quality, and selling some cheap piece of dung will not help in any way IMO. Make killer IPs, support it well, and people will flock even at 400 bucks.
@Pipr 100% agree. Consumers have shown over the last several years they don't mind paying higher for quality hardware. How will it ever catch on if it's a low quality alternative not worth the plastic it's made of? It wont. For this to work it has to be quality, it's the games that will bring people in, not an extra 100 dollar off.
so will this include the move controllers? i actually still have mine tucked away somewhere...
@sinalefa "Not only they won't make money off this, they will lose money off this.
And ditch it soon after when it fails to catch on."
Sounds like something I would say. And you just bought a PS4 too.
Anyway, saw your name and just wanted to let you know I finally bought Bayonetta 2 today, so I'm going to be borrowing your girlfriend Cereza for awhile, hope you don't mind. Though I need to get over this cold first, no fun, just sleep.
.....dreaming of a world where Bethesda releases an update that allows fallout 4 to work fully for morpheus....well if not I'll still use theatre mode to run around the wasteland!
@rjejr
If your wife doesnt mind then I wont. Congratulations and hope you enjoy it.
About PS4 it is Sony's only horse in the race and a popular one so they will support it. I am selling the Uncharted Collection, dont want any remakes and I didnt buy a new console to replay last gens games.
@Neolit great read - now that I know the 33rd most powerful computer 💻 I need to know the rest!!
@kenswif Have you used a gaming headset with wires everywhere? Its annoying, you end up leaving it in a cupboard away. The immersion aspect is one facet of gaming. What about playing with mates, a half an hour quick game, just before motd etc etc. Will you spend ten minutes of that limited time setting up a peripheral? If its easy to set up and isn't too power consuming I take that back - but the convenience factor is huge for a lot of people.
@Kohaku Hahaha nice one
Because Sony has such a good track record of supporting their peripherals that make them no profit...
@themcnoisy To my mind one possible major problem with Virtual reality is will long term use have an adverse affect on ones health, and another would be whether long term use would impact on family life, other concerns such as price, games, convenience etc although not irrelevant are not game breakers either,
Sony, Facebook, Samsung, Google, Htc, even Apple it seems are into Vr and they're going to shove it down our throats through ads on tv, magazines and the internet, in 9 months time everyman and his dog will be aware of this "new and amazing medium" and I believe it will sell by the bucketload.
A vast number of people in the western world have money to spend, what better way to unload it than on the next must have gadget.
These companys aren't going to appeal to just you and me "the gamer" we are just the tip of the iceberg, they're. aiming for everyone.
Whether Virtual reality is just a fad and dies after a couple of years I don't know, but "Hey who cares" just hang on and enjoy the ride..
I see them adding it in with a console...as a bundle, for the same price as what the system costs now...just not including a game with it. Other than that, if the VR is $200 or less, I'll pick it up, anymore, I think it'll get a price drop to sell more. If they give it a price drop, I see the games costing $60 or more, just to make costs for them...this would even include simple games that SHOULD only cost $30 or less.
In all honesty, I think it'll release at a high price for a few months, then drop down when they find out no one will pay that price...which would stink for the people that bought it on day one...but I guess time will tell.
If it's about $150-200, I'm in. I will not buy a peripheral that may or may not be supported in 6 months for the price of a console. I look at the PS Eye and PS Move as a perfect example. Not a whole lot of compelling support. And especially with it being a completely optional thing, it's going to be hard to convince developers to make a game specifically for it for such a small install base. Part of me really wishes it was it's own standalone thing instead of being introduced into a console cycle two years+ in
Im in anyway as I like all hardware and gadgets. If its pricey and there's enough for me to enjoy I'll save up to get one. Gran turismo vr is enough to warrent any price. If it does exceed the 200 mark reaching even 300 plus price point. It still possible to succeed if it has enough software. I mean half of the UK ps4 install Base paid 350 and they only ever play fifa on it. Lot of money for one game
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