Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has said that PlayStation VR looks set to play a vital role in helping to evolve the videogames industry.
Speaking during the publishing giant’s Q1 financial call, Wilson noted that Sony’s upcoming virtual reality device is not only one of the most affordable ways to enjoy VR gaming, but will also help to evolve the way consumers play games.
“Yes, so on PlayStation VR, again, we’re very excited about this,” commented Wilson. “I think to your point, given its price point and modality of play, it’s one of the more accessible forms of virtually reality play right now. We’ve got a great experience coming later in the year that I played, and it’s super fun and super exciting.
“I think that part of the reason people play games is to kind of immerse themselves in a fantasy and escape and fulfill these fantasies with their friends. Now, typically, when we design games, we design them on a big screen TV and we have to overcome, as designers, this spatial disconnect between us and the television.
“Of course, virtual reality, we don’t have to overcome that spatial disconnect. So the more that we can introduce people to low-barrier-to-entry virtual reality, I think the faster it’s going to take off as an industry. And so us as a company, we’re looking at how we can invest across all elements of the spectrum, from kind of the mobile element right up to the high-end elements. And PlayStation VR I think is going to be a great step in the evolution of our industry and the evolution of how people play games. And we’re going to continue to invest there.”
PS VR release date confirmed for fall 2016
Sony announced during its E3 2016 presentation that PS VR will be released in worldwide on October 13, 2016, priced at $399.99/£349.99. The hardware giant hopes to have around 50 games out by the end of the year, and said that over 200 developers are currently working on titles for the device.
PS VR support has already been confirmed for a number of upcoming titles, such as Ace Combat 7, Dreams, Gran Turismo Sport, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and Tekken 7. Just recently, it was announced that DriveClub VR will be joining the Japanese PS VR launch lineup.
Sony recently clarified that some PS VR games will require the use of PlayStation Move, although all titles will function with a standard PlayStation 4.