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At long last, we know when we can get our hands on Sony's next VR system. Although, how many people will be able to afford one come February 22, 2023 is still in the air. Along with the release date and bundle options, we've learned that PSVR 2 will cost a hefty $549.99 / £529.99.
At a first glance, this price is ridiculous - it's one of the few times in history that a peripheral has a higher price than the console it's designed to be used with. With the original PSVR proving to be something of a sleeper hit during the PS4's lifecycle, there will be plenty of PS5 purchasers who are disappointed that they now won't be able to afford the new VR headset.
But if you take the PSVR 2 out of the PlayStation ecosystem and look at it in the larger VR market, is this price still as ludicrous? Let's weigh things up.
Crazy...
Considering that a PS5 (not bought from a scalper, because they never should be) will set you back between £450 and £500 depending on the retailer, the price of the PSVR 2 is high. It's higher than the console itself, and since it can't be used without a PS5, that's a serious investment. That price is also without any games bundled in.
The original PSVR had an equally shocking price tag of £349/$399 when it was first revealed. At launch, the PS4 cost £349/$399, but had been subject to price drops by the the time of PSVR's launch in 2016. I remember having to assure my best friend back then that they wouldn't eventually be priced out of their favourite hobby. I recall that moment from 2016, because I'm sure it's how a lot of PlayStation 5 purchasers will be feeling today. With cost of living crises happening the world over, and energy costs getting higher by the month, this price tag certainly doesn't allow many gamers the chance to adopt a new generation of VR.
One of the best things about Sony's long-lasting commitment to PSVR was that it helped to make a typically pricey platform much more accessible to console gamers after the price started to come down. Although that's likely going to be the case as we get further into the PS5's lifespan, $550 / £530 does feel admittedly steep for the time being.
For many, this high price might seem in-fitting with the Japanese console giant's most recent hardware releases. The DualSense Edge has a fairly lofty price compared to other third party controllers, and the Inzone M9 monitor and H9/H7 headsets are expensive in their own right - even if they're all great products.
...But not insane.
Before I fuel too many angry redditors, there is another side to the coin. If you take the PSVR 2 away from its console ecosystem, and look at it compared to the best VR headsets on the market, the story is quite different.
The PSVR2 is a genuine competitor in that arena, and actually, its price is reasonable. It has an OLED display, haptic feedback in its headband and controllers, eye tracking, room-scaling, and a whole list of features that are rarely seen in this price range of the VR market. And yet, for all its innovations, it still comes in under the price of many of its competitors.
For example, take the HTC VIVE Pro 2. On Amazon right now, that headset will set you back $1,280 / £2,101 - its lowest price in 30 days. The VIVE 2 pro has an LCD display that comes in at a slightly higher resolution per eye than PSVR2, but doesn't have as many bells and whistles as Sony's upcoming product.
Another close rival, the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite, is priced at $749 / £600, and has a similar 110° FOV to PSVR 2. The HP Reverb G2, another solid option for playing VR games on PC, has similar tech to PSVR2, but costs $490 / £623 on Amazon.
The point here? VR is still an expensive platform, and depending on who you are, this is a tale of two markets.
Within Sony's ecosystem of PlayStation and even Inzone hardware, the PSVR 2 is pricey. However, in the VR market it's actually extremely reasonable for its technical innovations and features like room-scale tracking that hike up the price of other headsets.
You'll already know which of these two camps you fall into. The question really sits with Sony as to who the PSVR 2 is aimed at. With its PlayStation branding, you'd be fooled for thinking it was built "for the players" they've been trying to champion since the dawn of the PS4. Having said that, the PSVR 2 fits so neatly into the PC market other VR headsets are found in.
Is a PlayStation peripheral really the latest attempt from Sony to appeal to PC gamers?
Want to know more about the VR scene? Here's everything we know about PSVR 2, and here's our guide to the best VR headsets.
