The PlayStation VR Just Got A Launch Window And A Very Low Price

The last major puzzle piece for this virtual reality launch year has finally fallen into place, as Sony reveals both a launch window and a surprising price for its own piece of high-tech headgear, the PlayStation VR.

Sony announced earlier this week that they would be pulling back the curtain on PlayStation VR launch details during the Game Developer’s Conference and, this afternoon, they made good on that promise. Polygon, reporting live from the show floor, have shared details from Sony’s recent event.

Set to arrive in October of this year, the PlayStation VR will set you back $399 at launch. That’s a worldwide window, too, so pretty much everyone can expect to step into Sony’s version of VR in time for the holidays. What am I going as for Halloween? A guy who has a VR headset strapped to his dome 24/7.

For those of you keeping track, the PlayStation VR comes in well under its most direct competitor, the Oculus Rift, which sells for $599. And then there’s the HTC Vive, which will set you back a cool $799. And while you’ll still need a PlayStation 4 to play the PSVR, you’ll also need a pretty beefy computer to run either the Rift or Vive. No matter how you look at it, PlayStation has gone for the throat when it comes to pricing. Add to that the hundreds of games currently being developed for the PlayStation VR, and the publisher seems to be pulling out all of the stops to make VR a big part of the gaming landscape moving forward.

As the original story notes, the PSVR will come with a 5.7-inch OLED screen and supports refresh rates of 120 and 90 Hz. We’re expecting additional details as we move closer to launch and, at this point, we figure the PlayStation VR is going to be a huge part of Sony’s E3 presence this year.

As stated earlier this year, Sony is indeed treating the PSVR like a console launch. While cheaper than the competition, 400 bucks is still a pretty hefty price point for your average gamer. They’re also launching it in line with your standard console release, meaning they’re gunning for a big holiday release in 2016-17.

So now that we’ve got the major details out of the way, we’re curious to know what our readers are thinking, both about the PlayStation VR and virtual reality in general. Do you plan to make it a part of your gaming future? If not, what’s holding you back? If so, what are your thoughts on Sony’s big announcements? Let us know in the comments section below.