So, it's finally happened. PS5 gamers like me all over the world know just what the PlayStation VR2 price is going to be when it launches next year.
Just officially announced by Sony, the PS VR2 is going to cost $599.99 / £569.99 / AU$959.95 at launch, which is even more expensive than a PS5 console.
Naturally, this price has caused quite a stir – even though, in my opinion, it was entirely to be expected. Sony has been hit like everyone by the rising cost of components over the last few years and, being candid, the PlayStation VR2 is not a cheap plastic toy.
No, the PS VR2 really is a state-of-the-art piece of virtual reality tech, with 4K HDR visuals delivered by its two OLED displays, a vast 110-degree field of view, eye tracking and inside-out tracking tech, 3D Audio capabilities as well as next-gen haptic feedback systems.
What did PS5 gamers expect? I'm sorry, but top tech doesn't just get given away. For goodness sake, the recently released Meta Quest Pro costs $1,499.99 / £1,499.99 to buy, so let's retain some perspective shall we?
But, all that said, the PS VR2 price actually isn't the thing that is freaking me out and worrying me most about this announcement.
Why I'm worried after this PS VR2 announcement
What worries me most is that the companion list of PS VR2 games that Sony has announced we will be "able to enjoy after PS VR2 launches of February 22" next year looks, well, lacking obviously recognizable, killer titles from PlayStation's major IPs.
Here are the 11 games coming to PS VR2 announced yesterday by Sony:
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (Supermassive Games)
Crossfire: Sierra Squad (Smilegate)
The Light Brigade (Funktronic Labs)
Cities VR (Fast Travel Games)
Cosmonious High (Owlchemy Labs)
Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue (TinyBuild Games)
Jurassic World Aftermath Collection (Coatsink)
Pistol Whip VR (Cloudhead Games)
Zenith (Ramen VR)
After the Fall (Vertigo Games)
Tentacular (Firepunchd Games UG)
What's more, despite trailers for most of these titles being made available, as these are VR experiences, it is really hard to judge just how good they will be to actually play. What I'm saying is that first looks and trailers communicate quality for VR games at an even lower rate than they do for non-VR games.
So, the fact that we've got a load of unknown IPs selling the PlayStation VR2 at launch doesn't fill me with confidence. When Sony is asking gamers to drop basically $600 on a piece of hardware, no matter how technologically good it actually is, then you sure better have the games to back it up. And, right now for me, the jury is definitely still out on that.
Look, there are some announced PS VR2 games I'm excited for – the SIM City fan in me is excited for Cities VR, while the horror-action fan in me makes me intrigued by The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR. My daughter is a big Hello Neighbor fan, too, so she'll no doubt enjoy Hello Neighbor Search & Rescue.
But, so far, I'm not seeing that grab you by the delicates title that literally shouts, "THIS IS WHY YOU NEED A PS VR2!"
And I think that could hurt sales. And it is sales and a rapid expansion of the install base that PlayStation VR 2 needs to be a success. For Sony to be able to invest more in creating more games for it, which is the whole point of the system.
After all, it would be such a shame for Sony to build what looks like a really powerful and advanced piece of hardware and then see it fail due to a lack of quality software. But it's not like that has happened before...
Oh, wait, yes it has! The PS Vita was, for the time, a technological powerhouse, yet failed hard due to a lack of game support (especially in the western markets) in the crucial first few years.
And then there's the PS3, which was launched in the US at a very similar $599 price point to what the PS VR2 is being launched at, $549. That system, too, was a tech powerhouse that outpunched Xbox in terms of features and hardware, but due to the high price and lack of killer early software ended up being schooled by Microsoft's console.
Sony really hit the nail on the head in the PS4 generation, with a superb focus on games, games, games, and what I really hope is that the firm hasn't forgotten this for PS VR2, because as good as the hardware almost certainly is, adoption will be low unless the software is there to back it up.
Let's hope my freak-out is short-lived and we get to see more PlayStation VR2 games announced, and more of the titles already announced soon.
