Console-based VR is booming – kinda., Virtual/Augmented reality
Console-based VR is booming – kinda. Sony’s PlayStation VR headset has passed one million sales, with the company saying the device has exceeded expectations. Sony’s Interactive Entertainment head, Atsushi Morita, said virtual reality, and specifically its headset, will become even more popular as time goes on and people begin to realise the potential of the technology. “VR technology is the greatest innovation since the birth of television, ” he said, as quoted by the . “VR allows you to travel to World Heritage Sites or to space while staying at home. It’s like a time machine or a door to anywhere.” One major advantage Sony has over its competitors is that the Sony VR headset is a whole lot cheaper than rivals including Facebook’s Oculus Rift and HTC’s Vive at just $US399. Piers Harding-Rolls, a gaming analyst at research company IHS Markit, told the that another reason Sony is proving so successful in the space is because it has a market-ready userbase to try out the VR headset, whereas other companies don’t have such a large existing set of customers. However, Sony shouldn’t rest on its laurels just yet, because until there’s enough immersive content to support VR gaming, users may get bored of the device, causing sales to slump, he added. “There have been games that hint at VR’s potential, but there is still more to come I’m sure, ” Harding-Rolls commented. “The introduction of peripherals with haptic feedback is a step forward, so it’s likely we will continue to get games such as first person shooters being made that use these new technologies, but I’d also like to see more exploration based titles, which build on the immersion delivered by VR.”
