PlayStation VR: One Of TIME's Best Inventions of 2016
By Alexander Pan 21 November 2016
Time Magazine’s annual list of best inventions of the year is now out, and Sony’s PlayStation VR headset has managed to make the cut due to its affordability.
With positive reviews and good sales numbers in the month or so it has been out, it goes without saying that the launch of Sony’s PlayStation VR headset has been nothing short of a big success for the company. Not only has the headset managed to meet sales targets, its relative affordability compared to the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift has managed to set it apart from its rivals. Needless to say, the affordability of a piece of tech like the PlayStation VR is quite impressive, and it is for this reason that Time Magazine has named it one of the best inventions of 2016.
In its recently-released annual list of best inventions, Time Magazine stated that “in order to access the most cutting-edge virtual reality, people typically have to shell out thousands of dollars” not only for a headset, but also for a computer powerful enough to support it. However, this is where the PlayStation VR shines as not only is it cheaper than the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, but it is “designed to work with a console that millions of people already own: the PlayStation 4“.
Given that the PlayStation 4 has sold over 40 million consoles, this means there is already a large and established customer base that can easily access and use the PlayStation VR, something that the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift can’t quite compete with at the moment.
While the PlayStation VR itself may be cheaper than its rivals, it will still require a significant investment as users will also have to invest in a PlayStation Eye Camera in order to use the headset. Furthermore, with the recent release of the upgraded – and more expensive – PlayStation 4 Pro console, consumers may find that cheaper does not necessarily mean cheap.
Having said that, this doesn’t take away the fact that Sony’s headset is an impressive price of tech that’s here to stay, a sentiment that was echoed in Game Rant’s own review of the PlayStation VR. With virtual reality starting to make its way into areas beyond gaming, such as The Games Awards 2016 next month, it certainly appears that not only is the PlayStation VR’s recognition by Time Magazine is not only a win for Sony, but also a win for the future of virtual reality.
PlayStation VR is available now.
Source: Time Magazine (via GameSpot)
