The PlayStation VR launches and looks to make VR consumer friendly

Available at USD $399 and CAD $549 (Suggested Retail Price) Along with a Large and Diverse Lineup of Games and VR Experiences

Sony today launched the PlayStation VR (PS VR), a virtual reality system for the PlayStation 4 that looks to take gaming to the next level of immersion and transport players into the virtual worlds of their games.  Concurrent with the global launch, PS VR is now available in the United States and Canada for $399 and $549 Canadian respectively.  PS VR, which is compatible with the more than 40 million PS4 systems already inside consumers’ homes, arrives with a lineup of 30 games, including exclusive titles such as  Rez Infinite (Monstars & Enhance Games), Batman: Arkham VR (RockSteady and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment), DRIVECLUB VR  and  RIGS Mechanized Combat League (SIE Worldwide Studios).  In total, Sony claims that PS VR will have a library of approximately 50 games by the end of the year.

“I am beyond excited that today we are finally able to bring PlayStation VR and the brand new gaming experiences enabled by this new medium into the homes of PS4 fans,” said Shawn Layden, President of SIEA and Chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios.  “We believe PS VR has the power to make VR gaming a reality for the mainstream, and the impact that PS VR will have on the future of both games and entertainment will be transformative.  I cannot wait for gamers to experience it for themselves.”

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PS VR delivers a sense of presence, where players feel as though they are physically inside the virtual world of a game.  PS VR leverages state-of-the-art technologies, such as 360 degree head tracking, wide field of view, high refresh rates, and SIE’s own binaural 3D audio technology, to heighten the emotions gamers experience as they play and make them believe they’ve been transported to another world.  By using peripherals such as PlayStation Move Motion Controller that Sony had to dust off from storgae, DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller and the upcoming PS VR Aim Controller, players can explore virtual environments and intuitively interact with characters as if they are actually present in the world of a game.

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PS VR integrates a “Social Screen” feature that allows users who are not wearing the VR headset to see on the TV what the PS VR player is seeing in the headset, or to play alongside the VR player in supporting games.  Games such as  THE PLAYROOM VR (SIE WWS), which will be available as a free download to all PS VR owners, take advantage of this feature and demonstrate how PS VR can create unique multiplayer experiences when shared with friends and family.

PS VR will launch with a large and diverse lineup of first- and third-party games including  EVE: Valkyrie (CCP Games),  Thumper (Drool),  100ft Robot Golf (No Goblin), Job Simulator (Owlchemy Games),  Superhypercube (Polytron), Battlezone (Rebellion),  Eagle Flight (Ubisoft),  Here They Lie, PlayStation VR WORLDS  and  Until Dawn™: Rush of Blood (SIE WWS).

PS VR

Sony says that more than 230 developers and publishers are working on PS VR titles, the system’s games portfolio will continue to expand after launch with highly anticipated games including  RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard (Capcom Co., Ltd), ROBINSON: THE JOURNEY (Crytek),  Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-wing VR Mission(Electronic Arts Inc.),  Star Trek: Bridge Crew (Ubisoft) and Farpoint (SIE WWS).

In addition to a best-in-class gaming lineup, there will be a variety of VR experiences and media applications coming to PS VR, including Hulu, Allumette (Penrose), Invasion! (Baobab), Kismet (PsyOp), Within, LittlStar, and Vrideo.

For a comprehensive look at the hardware specifications of the PS VR system, visit https://www.playstation.com/en-us/explore/playstation-vr/tech-specs/

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J. Luis

J. Luis is the current Editor-In-Chief here at GAMbIT. With a background in investigative journalism his work encompasses the pop-culture spectrum here, but he also works in the political spectrum for other organizations.

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