Art_Vandelay

@InternetUser Well, considering the only evidence you provided is that "you're sure", I guess you must be right.

@InternetUser Did you even read my message? Anyway, I'll repeat myself.

It's par for the course to have a zero margin or lose some money on new hardware when it comes to the console space. Again, these devices are a means to an end. This fact is widely known. In fact, Quest 2 and Pico 4 themselves are known to be heavily subsidized, but for slightly different reasons as Meta and ByteDance are in a different position, trying to build a new ecosystem.

Now, the price comparison is the smoking gun, here. You say "wired, not standalone, no audio, no AR". Well, what headset is wireless, standalone and has built-in audio plus acceptable AR? The Quest Pro, which costs $1.500.

Now, the Quest 2 doesn't have an OLED panel nor eye-tracking, which are known to be very expensive components. And costs $400. Sure, it has onboard processing and wi-fi but again, heavily subsidized.

@InternetUser PC compatibility might be a missed opportunity for you, but surely not for Sony lol.

You're probably trolling at this point, but I'll entertain you. Let's do some quick math: it's pretty safe to assume that Sony are losing money on each headset sold. Just look at the prices of comparable PC VR devices. Also, this is common practice with hardware launches in the console space, as the manufacturers make their money back through game sales and subscriptions.

Now, why the heck would Sony dump a bunch of money into developing PC support? Which, frankly, is a gargantuan task compared to supporting a closed ecosystem like the PS5. To lose some more money in each headset sold? Where is the incentive, as they would make zero dollars from PC games sales and subscriptions?

Wow, this piece of news alone will carry a lot of PSVR2's weight over the launch window. I'm glad Sony is fully aware of that. I'm beyond excited.

One thing that would be super cool would be to adapt the garage so that one could walk around the vehicles or simply sit in the driver's seat to look around.

And to those who are on the fence because of discomfort, I'd reiterate the option of using these wristbands that are somehow effective at fighting nausea through vibration.

I remember when this random dude broke the world record on time spent in VR. And he did it with the aid of this Relief Band thing.

"Solidaires Informatique is also calling for an immediate 10% increase in workers' salaries to compensate for inflation and for the implementation of a 4-day working week to improve working conditions."

Lol, man! These unions... It's unproductive to discuss who is to be blamed. It's everyone's fault. Now, the responsibility is always on the management. The higher the position, the higher the responsibility.

But to demand that sort of thing in the exact moment where the short-term solution is clearly to cut jobs, is ironic to say the least.

@blackndark A rising tide lifts all boats. If Apple's device is successful, it could raise awareness of VR thus benefiting the entire industry.

Now, if Apple does get into hardcore games, it could pose some danger to Sony. But I doubt they will, at least in the short to mid-term. Apple has never shown much interest in gaming outside of mobile. And to be fair, this latter segment is by far the biggest.

Apple knows that the AAA games industry is a wild beast. Google failed spectacularly, Amazon is not here nor there and even Microsoft is still finding its foot after a couple decades despite the massive investment.

@Discol76 I know, I know.. Just wanted to highlight how big that announcement was for so many people. It might have been the most anticipated piece of news for me since.. honestly, I don't even know.

@Discol76 More? lol
Dude, that was all I wanted to hear. And I'm sure I'm not alone.
VR is perfect for driving games. I'm so glad I preordered this thing. Cannot wait.

35 XSX sold. A door-to-door salesman would have fared better.

One word (or is it two? Or three?): GT7.

PSVR2 feels like going back to the good old days of the Sega Genesis or the SNES. You know, a 2nd gen device that builds upon a great first attempt but, more importantly, feels fresh and exciting with lots of smaller and more experimental games. It salvages that lost feeling of wonder and awe that I miss.

Now, it wouldn't be a comment from me in a VR related article without the compulsory mention to GT7. C'mon, Sony. Announce it! We can almost taste it already.

@thefourfoldroot1 That's exactly right. VR is like the first time I ever saw a Master System game running or, years later, an original PlayStation title like Ridge Racer or Tekken.

It has become iterative evolution since then, which is fine. But VR brings back that forgotten sense of awe and wonder.

I wonder if photo mode coming late is a matter of prioritization of features within the studio or if it's actually a strategy to avoid people from spoiling the game left and right in the first few days after release. Sure, one can always take a simple screenshot, but photo mode provides a big incentive for people to post images of their gameplay.

And, of course, these updates do generate an uptick in marketing buzz and user engagement.

This looks pretty nice. Very atmospheric, which is great in VR.

It's mind boggling how people don't see the absolute relationship between this silence and the Activision deal. Sony is genuinely worried about the potential disastrous long-term impact of MS holding the COD keys. And how could it not? COD represents a sizeable share of PlayStation's yearly revenue.

A quick read through any of the documents that consumer defense authorities have published will make it abundantly clear that a PS Showcase is simply incompatible with Sony's claims.

Sure, announcements will be made, but the form matters just as much as the content. This line of thought completely explains the way major pieces of news such as PSVR2's release date and Silent Hill 2's existence were made in a totally atypical fashion.

@electrolite77 And btw, good conversation.

@electrolite77 " They haven’t done anything to dramatically alienate their fan base like Sega did." Lol mate, were you even around during the PS3 days? The "get a second job", PSN outage days?

But anyway, that's not even the point. The point is that Microsoft is elbowing their way into market dominance. It doesn't matter if it will be through streaming or whatever, these are distribution channels. What makes or breaks a games company are, well, the games. And COD is in such a league of its own in terms of staying power that it's almost funny.

You should really read the legal document that Sony filed and the UK government published. There are some staggering numbers. It's not even debatable how dangerous and destructive this deal would turn out to be.

At this point, I'm betting on regulators not allowing it to go through. And Sony looking "foolish" to the 0,1% of its fans who actually pay attention to this stuff will be totally worth it.

@electrolite77 I don't know how old you are, but I used to be a big Sega fan back in the eighties and nineties. Daytona USA arcade machines might be the most fun I've ever had with videogames. Now, Sega (or Atari, for that matter) are nothing but a shadow of their former selves. This fall from grace is nothing new in this industry and the absurd value MS is paying for Activision might give you a hint of how this could be seen as the culprit of Sony's demise in, like, 10 or 20 years.

@electrolite77 You should really read Peter Thiel's Zero to One to get a glimpse on how these tech companies operate. Winner takes all, buddy. Microsoft is clearly going for that killing blow with this deal.

Honestly, I don't think it will work because Microsoft is so incredibly incompetent in managing studios. But that is the goal and it could potentially happen. Don't be fooled by uncle Phill's horsesh*t.

I haven't got to Forbidden West yet, so I wonder if I could play Call of The Mountain first. You know, because of potential spoilers or, more importantly, context.

@TheCollector316 Precise words.

It's hilarious that we're still discussing whether or not this deal is a tide shifter that poses existential risks to PlayStation long-term.

People dismissing that claim have no idea on how tech companies like Microsoft operate.

@lindos
PS1 - 1994
PS2 - 2000
PS3 - 2006
PS4 - 2013
PS5 - 2020
6 years became 7 and should now become at least 8. And interestingly, even though the cycle is spreading, the generational jump is becoming less apparent.

@dschons Oh, the diversification is coming. I'm just not sure gamers will like what they hear.

To be fair though, I'm betting on PSVR2 to provide me with those desired fresh experiences. VR is where true experimentation has been happening in gaming to the point where it reminds me of the good old PS1 days. So, there you have it.

And to be fairer, I've been a single player gamer in a near exclusive capacity for about 40 years now, but GT7 has softened my stance on the potential of live service games.

@dschons "Only thing I ask of Sony is more genre variety."

Careful what you wish for...

People should no longer expect the cadence of the past when it comes to console generations. Microchips manufacturing have become increasingly more complex and thus pricier, to the point where this 8+year gap implied by the document makes a lot of sense. A shorter lifecycle would result in either an underpowered or overpriced product. Or both.

C'mon, Sony. PSVR2 support for this game is such an easy win.

GT7 is the obvious one. C'mon Sony, wake up.

Ace Combat would be amazing as well, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

I will buy and support PSVR2 regardless, because VR is the single most exciting thing to happen to games since the shift to 3D back in the nineties.

@Gooseman42 I don't think you're part of the problem for preordering it. In fact, I strongly believe we're part of the solution. PSVR2 will only be a long-term success if people buy and support it. If it goes the way of the Vita with soft sales numbers, we will not gonna get the games past the initial months.

@cburg C'mon, mate. Sony clearly had their hand forced into this model. But even though, it's still a much more sustainable service than GP.

Again: Ragnarok. I'm on PS+ Extra and I didn't even blink before preordering it as soon as the reviews came out. Because I know I don't want to wait months or years to play this specific game.

Note, this is the same business model that used to provide us with several outstanding movies every year back in the nineties. Until Netflix broke it. We used to get The Lord of The Rings. Now we get The Rings of Power. And maybe a Top Gun every couple years.

Offering day one releases in an age where AAA games cost hundreds of millions of dollars is simply not sustainable. And in fact, Spencer has largely changed his tone regarding GP since Microsoft's latest earning report. Not sure if you've seen it. And I tell you why: GP needs a subscribers base in the hundreds of millions to be profitable, and MS has massively overestimated the service's growth rate.

Oh, and those developers' interviews: everyone's happy while their bellies are full. Microsoft was dumping money into the service's growth, but it sounds the tides might the turning already.

@cburg I'm afraid I have to agree with that sentiment. Game Pass is a cancer and needs to go away.
It surely is great for consumers in the short term, but it's already causing tectonic shifts that could negatively impact the industry long term.
You get what pay for, simple as that. And Ragnarok is a timely reminder of a business model that has worked great for gamers so far.

"[...] including not working at all for almost two years while still being paid by the studio".
Are these the guys that had a Stallin picture hanged on the studio's wall?
If it was, well... the writing was literally on the wall.

Does anyone know if it's possible to filter my game library so that I see only PSVR compatible games? Either through a web browser or the PS5 interface...
I recall claiming a bunch of PSVR games through PS+ even though I didn't own the previous headset.

@bpomber I'd go with "Favor performance" (target 60 fps). But you might like it differently, so I suggest watching Digital Foundry's review on Youtube.

@Bez87 Comparing PSVR2 with Quest2 in stand-alone is like comparing a PS5 with a PS2 and saying, "oh, the PS2 is much cheaper and does pretty much the same stuff".
C'mon, mate. You do need an expensive PC to play anything comparable to what PSVR2 offers.

@Bionic-Spencer I suffer a lot from motion sickness when playing first person games on a traditional screen but, interestingly enough, I haven't experienced that in VR. Worth a try, then.

@stvevan Sounds like you have never played Journey. Best $30/hour investment I have ever made.

@dimi Exactly, they do cost half, just not at launch. It's like deciding whether you want to watch a film at the movies or wait for it to come to streaming. Fair game.

@Shepherd_Tallon It turns out internet whiners are quite the hypocrites. The horror.

And that's the exact same model applied in GT7. Sure, there are MTX, but they are absolutely optional. That game offers so much content and is updated at such a regular basis, that one could easily play GT7 exclusively.
I, for one, have put close to 200 hours into it and I'm far from exploring and mastering everything it has to offer.
GT7 has opened my eyes to the potential of live service games and the fun in multiplayer, two things I loathed up until March 2022.

Just give me full VR support on GT7 and Ace Combat and I'm set for life.

I guess it fits NFS. Not for me, though.

@TheGreyandTheRed It's the little things that indicate the overall trajectory. This won't end well.

Since people here have been so negative, I'll speak out on the real issue with GT7: it has killed my enjoyment of other games.

@Finozzi1696 Exactly. That's what happens when pink haired writers try to "cater the game to a modern audience". That woke aesthetic is an instant turn off to a vast majority of people. Mark my words: GTA VI is next.

People that use Quest as a reference for predicting the price must understand that PSVR2 lacks the components that form the bulk of Quest's cost: SoC, RAM, storage and battery. Not to mention the built-in speakers.
Despite its advanced features, I would think that PSVR2 is cheaper to manufacture than Quest 2. It actually comes down to how much subsidy Sony is willing to grant, if at all, to push the device into the mainstream.
If this thing costs anywhere above $500, it's doomed from the outset. Sony knows that. I'm betting $400, but $300 would be a dream. I even think that that last number was the original plan, but covid and the bizarre lockdowns put an end to it.

The silent seller here has been GT7. This game was released back in March, and it's been quietly and consistently showing up in best-selling lists since then. Which I'm quite glad, since it's been dominating my gaming time this year.

Now, here's an idea: what about a VR experience based on the post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us? That is arguably the most immersive game on traditional consoles, and there's an HBO show coming up. Sounds like a slam dunk to me.

Awesome. First person perspective is a deal breaker for me.
Firstly, because of motion sickness. But I could even endure past that if I didn't find FPSs largely unappealing. I always feel like I'm controlling a camera, not a character. Totally breaks the immersion for me. But of course, VR flips this head over heels, and I love it.

"given its market leading console position"
These responses are carefully engineered, so it's important to dissect the details and understand the implications. So, Microsoft is saying that, as long as it makes business sense, COD will remain on PlayStation because Sony's platform is too big.
The funny thing is that if this deal goes according to Microsoft's plan, Sony could no longer hold a "leading market position" in a few years. And thus it wouldn't make sense to support COD on PlayStation any longer. Full circle.
Microsoft is clearly trying to buy their way into dominance and I hope it blows spectacularly in their face.

@Somebody They're trying to buy as much time as possible to prepare for the worse, simple as that.