PlayStation VR Now Available on PlayStation 4

Written by Brandon Hofer on October 13, 2016

News: Sony has finally released PlayStation VR for the PlayStation 4 along with a host of games and experiences.

PlayStation VR is now available. Sony has finally released their virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4 and it appears you didn’t really need a pre-order in some stores as some locations received extra stock. Of course if you wait until the end of the day to try and pick one up they might be sold out by then but there have been reports of some walking into stores and picking one up.

PlayStation VR is available for $399 USD and $549 CAD respectively. The PlayStation VR unit is compatible with both the original PlayStation 4 as well as the recently released PlayStation 4 Slim. Additionally, it will be compatible with the PlayStation 4 Pro that will be released in approximately one month. The Pro is almost twice as powerful as the original PS4 so that is definitely the recommended model to use with PS VR but older models should work just fine.

PlayStation VR has launched with a lineup of 30 games/experiences, including titles like Rez Infinite, Batman: Arkham VR, Driveclub VR and RIGS Mechanized Combat League. Sony has stated that by the end of the year there should be approximately 50 games/experiences available on PlayStation VR.

"I am beyond excited that today we are finally able to bring PlayStation VR and the brand new gaming experiences enabled by this new medium into the homes of PS4 fans," said Shawn Layden, President of SIEA and Chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios. "We believe PS VR has the power to make VR gaming a reality for the mainstream, and the impact that PS VR will have on the future of both games and entertainment will be transformative. I cannot wait for gamers to experience it for themselves."

PS VR delivers a sense of presence, where players feel as though they are physically inside the virtual world of a game. PS VR leverages state-of-the-art technologies, such as 360 degree head tracking, wide field of view, high refresh rates, and SIE's own binaural 3D audio technology, to heighten the emotions gamers experience as they play and make them believe they've been transported to another world. By using peripherals such as the PlayStation Move Motion Controller, Dualshock 4 and the upcoming PS VR Aim Controller, players can explore virtual environments and intuitively interact with characters as if they are actually present in the world of a game.

PS VR also integrates a "Social Screen" feature that allows users who are not wearing the VR headset to see on the TV what the PS VR player is seeing in the headset, or to play alongside the VR player in supporting games. Games such as The Playroom VR, which will be available as a free download to all PS VR owners, take advantage of this feature and demonstrate how PS VR can create unique multiplayer experiences when shared with friends and family.

PS VR will launch with a large and diverse lineup of first- and third-party games including EVE: Valkyrie (CCP Games), Thumper (Drool),100ft Robot Golf (No Goblin), Job Simulator (Owlchemy Games), Superhypercube (Polytron), Battlezone (Rebellion), Eagle Flight (Ubisoft),Here They Lie, PlayStation VR WORLDS and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (SIE WWS).

With more than 230 developers and publishers working on PS VR titles, the system's games portfolio will continue to expand after launch with highly anticipated games including Resident Evil 7 Biohazard (Capcom Co., Ltd), Robinson: The Journey (Crytek), Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-wing VR Mission (Electronic Arts Inc.), Star Trek: Bridge Crew (Ubisoft) and Farpoint (SIE WWS). It should be noted though that to play that X-wing VR Mission you do need the base game of Star Wars Battlefront.

In addition to the gaming applications on PS VR there will be media applications as well such as Hulu, Allumette, Invasion!, Kismet, Within, LittlStar and Vrideo.

Do you plan on picking up a PlayStation VR unit today? If you have already done so, what are your early impressions?