Sony has finally unveiled the PSVR 2 price and release date, and the $550 sticker is as impressive to VR fans as it is off-putting to everyone else.
PSVR 2 launches on February 22, 2023 at a recommended retail price of $549.99 / €599.99 / £529.99 / ¥74,980 for a package containing the headset and two Sense controllers. That's more than the console itself in every region, even after the recent PS5 price increase.
Response from prospective buyers has been decidedly mixed. "This looks like an excellent VR kit but oh man, that price is a tough pill to swallow," Reddit user asx98 says. "Not sure how that price point is going to attract newcomers into the VR space."
"Was looking forward to this but can't justify £550," Nomorealcohol2017 says.
For VR enthusiasts, however, the price is extremely attractive. "It's like half the cost of the Index while having better specs," Superconge says. "Insanely good value if it gets PC support. Like holy fuck."
"On a tech level it’s hitting way over its weight in some categories," Soft-Plum4942 says. "Matching up with some $1000 PC VR system. PC VR is more versatile however. I think exclusives will make or break this for most people."
There are plenty of upcoming PSVR 2 games, and Sony added a big chunk of new games, like Cities VR, to the list just today. But there are still plenty of questions for fans. Will PSVR 2 be compatible with PC VR titles? Sony hasn't confirmed either way. The original PSVR wasn't, and though that was eventually corrected through unofficial means, it still didn't provide an experience matching that of a native PC headset.
We're also teetering on the edge of a recession that's likely to affect much of the world. Luxury expenses like gaming peripherals get much tougher to justify when the economy's down - something Sony certainly saw first-hand when they launched the PS3 at $600 shortly before the Great Recession of the 2000s.
"Gaming is already expensive," as TalkOk6693 says, "but this is built for an entire social class above me."
Check out our guide to upcoming PS5 games if you're looking for something you can play on your existing console.
