If you’re hoping the epic power boost planned for the Sony PS5 could open the door to a PlayStation VR 2 then, we’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news.
Speaking to CNET at a recent conference, Sony said there’s “no reason” to launch a PSVR 2 device alongside the new console.
Dominic Mallinson, the Global Head of Research and Development for PlayStation, said he doesn’t want gamers being bombarded with multiple new pieces of hardware at the same time. He wants to give the PS5 some breathing room.
Sony has sold 4.2 million PSVR headsets so far, but considering the company has sold close to 100 million PS4 models overall, the company is aware that there’s a way to go before VR becomes a fully mainstream consideration.
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In an interview, he said: “From the point of view of the consumer, to be bombarded with many many things – oh, you have to buy this, you have to buy that – is a message that we don’t want to send. In some ways, it’s good to have a little breathing space between those things.
“The fact of life is, you get a little less in terms of commercial movement from the VR titles. We’re just reaching that level now where, as a developer you can say, ‘OK, I can make money. It’s not easy, but I can now make money.’”
That doesn’t mean a future headset release has been ruled out, Mallinson says: “We do want it to be lighter weight, and easier to put on, less cables, less mess,” pretty much confirming it is working on a wireless edition of the PSVR that’s less cumbersome to wear.
However, that could see the price bumped up well beyond the sub-£200 range we often see during sales events.
He added: “Wireless suffers from the issue of being expensive. If you don’t care about cables, then it’s a lot cheaper than to have a wireless system. But at the same time, having wireless just makes you so much more free.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
