People are still in sticker shock over the $600 price tag attached to the Oculus Rift. Especially since one of the initial estimates back in May 2015, from Oculus’ Vice President, only said it would be more than $200 and the Gear VR starts at $200. There’s a lot of hemming and hawing, with some even suggesting the PlayStation VR could be cheaper.
Except the PlayStation VR will not be cheaper. While some are wondering if it could comfortably rest around $400, it’s very likely Sony’s endeavor will be priced at around $600 too. People seem to have unreal expectations about who VR is for and the price of a headset.
Perhaps they’re thinking of it as more of a standard peripheral. High end keyboards, controllers, headsets, and mice exist, but you can get something pretty amazing for under $200. Headsets are different, due to the technology within. The Oculus Rift has an OLED screen, 2160×1200 resolution, 110 degree field of view, 90 Hz refresh rate, built in microphone and audio, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, external Constellation positional tracking, and connections for HDMI and USB 2.0 and 3.0. It’s a complicated machine that’s essentially a headset, monitor, and controller in one. Of course it’s costly.
But the PlayStation VR has the potential to carry the same price tag. Perhaps even more, if you think about it. It also has a OLED screen, a 1920xRGBx1920 resolution, a 100 degree field of view, a 90-120 Hz refresh rate, accelerometer, gyroscope, PlayStation Eye tracking system, and connections for HDMI and USB. All of the specifications are comparable. It could be very plausible for Sony to come right out and say the PlayStation VR is $600 too.
Especially since there’s the elephant in the room with the PlayStation VR. I’m talking about the external processing unit. It needs one to run. The Oculus Rift is relying on all sorts of computer upgrades, which a person will purchase separately. Sony has to pack in the external processor, which is supposedly the size of a Wii U, with its headset. That bulks up the price. Even if it was shooting for under $600, the external processor could easily add an extra $100 onto the cost of the system.
Virtual reality is going to be expensive. We’ve been spoiled by things like the Gear VR, which was more casual and reasonable. The heavy duty headsets, like the PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift, aren’t meant for people who are willing to spend about $200 on a peripheral. They’re meant for people who could easily toss $600 at the headset without even flinching. The PlayStation VR is going to be expensive too, and people should use the Oculus Rift price announcement to help themselves brace for that.