After the new PlayStation 5 console launches later this year, Sony will be releasing a new version of the PlayStation VR headset. Set to release sometime in during the holiday season of 2020, the newest PlayStation video game console has yet to have an official price tag attached, although recent reports have suggested the PS5 could cost at least $500 at launch.
The PlayStation VR headsets were originally released in October of 2016, and over the course of the next two years sales of the accessory reached over 3 million units. As public interest in virtual reality has continued to grow steadily over the years, Sony has had to contend with numerous other companies looking to control the budding VR marketplace, which includes HTC's Vive, the Oculus Rift, and Valve's Index, which is currently nearly entirely sold out due to player anticipation about the upcoming VR Half-Life: Alyx game. Sony has repeatedly stated they continue to remain invested in virtual reality game development, so it's no surprise a new PlaySation console will bring with it new PSVR hardware.
Now, according to a report from Bloomberg, players now know Sony is indeed planning on releasing a new PlayStation VR headset after the launch of the PlayStation 5. Since the original PlayStation VR headsets are now nearly four years old, this is likely a smart move by Sony, as advances in virtual reality technology will surely make these new PSVR headsets better than the ones which came before, although it has been previously reported the original PlayStation VR headsets will also work with the PS5.
Even though it appears Sony is continuing to push their PSVR projects as far as possible, it hasn't come without some setbacks. Recently, the company closed a Manchester-based VR games studio, Studio Manchester, which marked the third game development studio in the UK that Sony has shut down. Evolution and Guerrilla Cambridge, both based in the United Kingdom, were also working on PlayStation VR projects prior to being shuttered by Sony in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
The upcoming release of the PlayStation 5 game console is sure to be a profitable one for Sony, be it through VR games, live services, or high-quality console exclusives. Players who are excited about the concept of virtual reality will surely be anticipating the new PlayStation VR headsets, and hopefully as interest in the medium continues to grow more and more video game developers will attempt to produce titles using the new technology. Fans will have the chance to find out for themselves soon, as the PlayStation 5 will likely be available sometime in the next ten months.
Source: Bloomberg