Virtual Reality experienced in the last ten years a meteoric rise: At the latest as Facebook 2014 Oculus VR for two billion dollars acquired, it was clear that this is a new market is emerging. But this should not remain VR goggles reserved only for high-performance PCs, including Sony Playstation ventured with VR on 13 October 2016 the plunge VR water.
hyped shortly before launch yet as the Next Big Thing in the gaming sector and featured in the mainstream media, it took only a few years before the VR euphoria subsided noticeably. Five years is the launch of Playstation VR meantime ago - and we draw a conclusion: Was Sony s VR headset really successful and the next hop for the medium video game? Or turned it rather than technology Ephemera for enthusiasts?
already technically obsolete for the launch, but ... Playstation VR saw under the working title Project Morpheus light of the world and was first presented at the Game Developers Conference in March, 2014. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo next year, the VR goggles was playable for trade visitors and caused inter alia by the creepy Kitchen demo of Resident Evil 7 stir. In September 2015 Sony announced the official name of VR glasses known: Playstation VR. Already at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015 was the former Project Morpheus for visitors to play. Our colleague Olaf bleach could ever ran. Source: Media Agency plassma
The VR glasses finally came on 13 October 2016 at a price of 399 Euro. The PSVR was the only one to date VR goggles for game consoles. In the PC sector dominated at this time devices like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. However, this cost 699 euros or 899 euros more clearly and required on top of that a powerful computer for a corresponding VR experience. then PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR together cost as much as Oculus Rift and less than HTC Vive. so the price played a huge role and made Playstation VR from the start, an attractive alternative. Finally had then already 53 million users immerse a Playstation 4 and could thus for little money and no hardware upgrade in VR worlds.
However, the lower price was accompanied by a weaker Hardware: The resolution of the 5.7-inch OLED displays coincided with 1920x1080 pixels (960x1080 per eye) lower than with the PC competition, and also the field of view was with only 100 instead of 110 degrees restricted. The tracking was done on the Playstation camera and control using the in the tooths PS Move controllers or the traditional DualShock pad. The delivery was lying next connection and USB cables at a processor unit that is connected between console and television. The total VR freedom not felt the benefit with Playstation VR so. The cable strands, and also the reduced to 1.9 x 3 meters play area Playstation camera restricted the possibilities of movement. Music and rhythm games were among the most popular genres on Playstation VR. Titles such as Rez Infinite or beat Saber worked in the VR environment awarded later. Source: Sony Positive Press The Playstation VR was not perfect for the critics, however, outweighed the positive aspects. US gaming magazine IGN about resümierte in the test : Sony is able to keep the cost Playstation VR there competitive where it counts Despite the relatively low resolution watch the games very well, the headset is comfortable and easy to use.. if you took care of the wiring. PC Games also drew a positive conclusion in the two-week endurance test. In our Testbericht we criticized the limited freedom of movement and compromises in the graph. At the same time, we also praised the comfort despite the low price, the successful launch line-up and innovative gaming experiences.
The market potential, Sony president Shuhei Yoshida im interview with The Verge the occasion of the launch of Playstation VR clear: It s really hard to look only three years into the future, but we have initially focused on the PS4 users and reach. hopefully their environment -. so families and friends the Playstation VR may one day be used for other things as games and entertainment, although our focus is clearly in these areas, we hope that these developments arrive and we an important part of VR. -Experience will be. Established brands such as Until Dawn found on Playstation VR sequels or Neuadaptionen. Rush of Blood was a fun haunted by shooting character. Source: Sony
The PlayStation VR came out everywhere, and that was also reflected on the sales figures: Sony put 915,000 units until the 20th of February 2017. Counter over the New York Times , the then Sony chairman Andrew House even explained that you have screwed down the expectations internally, as the Sales division is all too euphoric to the new project. One million sold copies were expected within the first six months. This brand broke out easily. Exciting: Already at that time, House declared that it is calculated until the appearance of the PlayStation 5 with five million pSVR devices sold. So he should keep right!
The sales figures continued to increase over the months: until December 2017 Sony put over two million units and 12.2 million games sold. In August 2018, the three million and March 2019 were crashed 4.2 million units sold. The last official sales figures published Sony on 31 December 2019: The predicted five million PlayStation VR were reached.
Steady stream of new games PlayStation VR was the affordable alternative to Oculus Rift and other systems with 399 euros. But as important as the price was in this case the replenishment of new high-profile plays. Even by the end of 2016, over 50 tracks for PlayStation VR appeared. For the launch, especially titles like Batman: Arkham Vr, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood or Rez Infinite. Already at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015, the then Project Morpheus was playable for trade visitors. Our staff Olaf Pale was also allowed to ran. Source: Media Agency Plassma
That on January 27, 2017 - thus around three months after the Hardware Launch of the PSVR - released Resident Evil 7 Biohazard underlined this claim. Capcom s survival horror game bot full integration of PlayStation VR. Who wanted, could play the adventure completely in VR. Resident Evil 7 Biohazard was for PSVR what Half-Life: Alyx would be from 2020 for PC-VR glasses - a true hardware seller. Striking: Over the years more and more VR conversions of well-known brands such as Minecraft, Doom or The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim for PlayStation Vr. The quality of adaptation fluctuated strongly, but the big names caused attention and revealed the new platform.
Sony pushed his VR glasses and brought them to the user thanks to exclusive games and optimized ports even without great marketing measures. At the most important and playing titles were certainly astro offered: Rescue Mission, Moss and Beat Saber (every 2018 published) as well as Blood & Truth (2019). The Space Shooter Farpoint published in 2017 came with the AIM controller, in which you installed the Move Controller and thus simulated a stylized rifle. The AIM controller was also supported by Titles such as Doom Vfr, Brookhaven Experiment or Arizona Sunshine next to Farpoint. The control unit brought a playing hall atmosphere into the domestic living room and more variety on the platform.
Exactly this abundance of brands, genres and ideas ultimately made the Games portfolio. Over the five years since the appearance of PlayStation VR, a broad software library was created, which in addition to the well-known brands, especially many indie productions a new home gave a new home and justified part of the success of PlayStation VR. CapCom officially announced Resident Evil 7 Biohazard at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016. One year earlier you already presented the VR Kitchen demo. In this one slips into the skin of Clancy Jarvis, which is tied by an unknown woman with a knife painting. Source: Capcom The darn fifth year? But with the announcement and the appearance of the PlayStation 5 on 12 November 2020, the star of PlayStation Vr sank. Sony s focus changed and has been nearly exclusive on the marketing of the new console. In the interview with the Washington Post , Sony boss Jim Ryan thought that you continue to have virtual reality on the screen: I think we are more than just a few minutes from the future of the VR. Playstation believes in Vr. Sony believes Vr. And we definitely believe that at a point in the future Virtual Reality becomes a significant part of the interactive entertainment. The interview took place before the announcement of the PlayStation VR 2, but shows that the fifth year for PSVR meant a significant descent. De facto no more triple-A productions appeared for the device. For example, Hitman 3 showed that a VR option also faces great productions in 2021. Sony published the so-called AIM controller for the Science Fiction Shooter Farpoint. In the plastic bow you set a Move controller. So you had a stylized rifle in your hands, which became a real cannon in the game. Source: Sony
After all, Sony took the customer support when changing console generations seriously and delivered owners of the PlayStation VR for free a camera adapter for the PlayStation 5. Thanks to the downward compatibility of the new platform, newcomers could continue to use at least their PlayStation VR. Big games and especially marketing efforts remained. Accordingly, PSVR approaches the end of his hardware lifetime. No wonder that Sony announced in February 2021 playstation VR 2 for the PS5.
But a criticism does not marcate the company: PlayStation VR 2 will continue to be bound to a cable. In return, however, the new and owners developed for the VR environment Controller . These are visually reminiscent of the Touch Controllers of the Oculus Quest 2 and include features of the dualSense Gamepad as Adaptive Trigger and Haptic Feedback. The times of the Move controllers are finally over. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission moused to the PlayStation VR crowd favorites. The small robot reappeared in Astro s Playroom for the PlayStation 5 last year. Source: Sony Top or Flop? Within five years Sony sold five million Playstation VR at about 115 million PlayStation 4 models in the worldwide residential and chimes. This means that about 4.5 percent of all PS4 owners also placed a PlayStation VR. That reads sobering, but is to be considered success. For comparison: laut The Steam Survey in September 2020 only played 1.88 percent of Steam users with a VR headset. As a result of the pandemic, these numbers increased, but did not reach the level of PlayStation VR, despite exceptional works as Half-Life: Alyx.
So Sony succeeded in inspiring a significant part of his community for Virtual Reality. The very big breakthrough in the mainstream in terms of Vr did not make Sony. This presentation and game form remained a welcome niche and an alternative to the classic gaming experience. No wonder, finally, with VR additional costs, but also spatial and playful restrictions.
Nevertheless, PSVR shows the great potential that is in this market. Just when a wide hardware base is present, Virtual Reality can become a real business. Now remains to be seen when and whether PlayStation VR 2 will go with better displays, new controllers and more power a similar or even better way. One may definitely be curious about the VR future of Sony.
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The complete PlayStation VR family at a glance: Sony band already existing hardware like the PlayStation camera or the Move controllers in the development of its VR glasses. [Source: Sony]
From Olaf Pale author & Benedikt Plass Fleece Female author & Maria Beyer-Fistrich Brand / Editorial Director 16.10.2021 at 14:00
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