Is VR Going to Be Too Expensive?

Another week, another Twinfinite Discusses. Join Ed, Yami, Ish, and Sharon as they discuss the hot topics of the week and the questions you sent in. This episode, they discuss whether VR technology will just cost way too much for them.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Gaming is expensive.If you can't afford that,then you definitely won't be able to afford VR.The money you spend could be used on bill payments,school,family,clothes ,etc.

Gaming is an investment in your entertainment.VR will be an in investment in your entertainment.Just because everyone can't have it doesn't mean it shouldn't exist.

Get it if you can and have fun.

[Orionsangel]

I know people who can barely buy one console. I know people who have two consoles. It doesn't come cheap for them. They save every penny to get games. So the idea that they're gonna spend 400 to 600 on an accessory that has no guarantee of success? I find it very difficult to believe that VR will do well. They have a might big uphill in front of them.

[NickBiazzo1231]

Hopefully, PSVR is a bit cheaper! Can't wait to get my hands one.

[PerfidiousSinn]

Like all new tech, it's ideal to wait for the cheaper V2 version with less bugs.

[Rimeskeem]

Starting high end PC gaming is hella expensive. I think VR is going to be something in the future. It all depends if they jumped the gun or not.

[TacoTaru]

It can't be and still be. 'too expensive' means that people won't buy it or enough people won't buy it to have media for it be profitable. It can be expensive, but not too expensive, at least not for too many.

[LamerTamer]

VR is actually too cheap. For the prices they are charging the headsets are going to be crap with crap lenses. I looked at Sony's old HMZ headsets a while back and those were $800.00 and only played 3D movies at 720p, no VR. The optics in those were terrible even at that price, everything at the edges of the screen was a blurry mess. It looked like they used surplus plastic lenses from old Viewmasters. Samsung Gear VR is the same, junk lenses that are blurry at the edges with loads of chromatic aberration. People will claim these headsets give them a headache but it won't be the VR experience, it will be the blurry optics giving eyestrain. You won't get a Ferrari for the price of a Camry. Quality costs money, it is just the way it is.

People complain about price but then for example when they made the consoles cheap by putting in low end CPUs and GPUs people complain that the consoles are weak and can't play everything at 1080p @ 60 FPS. What do you expect high end gear for $349? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, the real world doesn't work that way you get what you pay for.

[Orionsangel]

Their fair prices are still high for the average adult. They have families to support, bills, financial troubles. Not everyone is willing to just drop 600 dollars on what's basically an entertainment device.

[Orionsangel]

HoloLens has more potential.

[Bathyj]

Youre not talking about for gaming surely?

[Orionsangel]

In the future people will have empty rooms. 4 white walls surrounding. Put on Hololens and it adds the setting like the holodeck and the room becomes the game. It allows for much more freedom than VR.

[Bathyj]

Yes, and a game level will be 4 meters by 3 meters with a matching draw distance.

To get a new level you will have to go to a friends house.

[Rimeskeem]

@Orion

Yes, except you know, a completely empty white room and Hololens arent exactly something anyone can just have....

[MasterCornholio]

@Orion

Or you know put on a VR headset and enjoy a gameworld much bigger than your room.

I'd like to see you fit No Mans Sky into your living room.

;)

[SpinalRemains138]

Expense is relative.

For many it will not be too expensive. Like anything, if you want it you'll get it.

[Bathyj]

Its not going to be cheap, but this is not a cheap pastime.

Whether it cost too much or not will be a different answer for everyone. I just spent near $1500 on golf equipment. Some of you wouldnt spent 10 bucks on golf in a year but to me it was worth it. And since Im the one who earns my money I get to say how I spend it.

[FallenAngel1984]

There are plenty of obstacles for VR.

1) VR will not be packaged with the hardware, it will have to be sold separtely. Developers have to decide which of their games do or do not use VR. Just like with the Kinect, the community will be split on how it feels about VR.

2) VR is not suitable for every type of game. Many major franchises will skip out on the tech. That only further splits the market.

3) There are a variety of VR devices. Since they all have different specs, developers will have to decide what and not do with every different type of headset. It won't be as ubiquitous as adding simple motion controls in different versions.

4) Consumers will not be able to use use VR over long periods of time because that could very well cause a lot of health issues. They'll have to limit the amount of time they use the headset.

5) It's just not practical. When using the headset you'll be closed off from the real world and only one person will be able to use it at a time. This antisocial behavior will even further severely limit the market.

6) Not to mention these VR machines will cost as much as consoles. Honestly that just locks out the casual gamer from purchasing these add-ons.

Honestly this whole thing seems like something that can only succeed when it's made for a lot of different industries. For the entertainment industry I'm not too certain

[Goldby]

1) VR isnt packaged with Hardware. anyone who doesnt have a computer, or ps4 or samsung phone who wants to jump right into VR isnt the audience they are wanting becuase they are impulse buyers without proper knowledge of what it truly is.

2) VR isnt suitable for every type of game, but franchises may not be on VR, but there will be games designed for VR or VR in mind as an option (Racing games, first person shooters)

2b) Ubisoft, popular title is assassins creed, and Eagle flight is coming to VR, which is clearly a spin off of assassins creed, (same sound assets, and even looks to be pars of paris form unity)

3) vr devices are different, but so are pcs and consoles, so nothing goign to be drastic with it.

5) its actually very practical, theres a company in i believe boston called the Void, that is using VR in conjunction with a warehouse to create virtual reality paintball like experience. VR is also being used by doctors and astronaughts to help with training.

as for the antisocial part, the processing unit for the psvr lets the tv show whats on the PSVR, also, they will be able to incorperate couch multiplayer with games like Friday the 13th, and asymetrical multiplayer gaming. (no more screen peeking)

6)yes VR machines are expensive but so is everything else when it is first released (except ps4 hayyyoooo!) but you must remember, sony has alot of faith in the psvr as they are taking a loss on every unit to make sure the public can use it.

[u4one]

I'm ok with the price of the oculus - especially considering it's a completely new type of product. I assume psvr will be at most the same and at best at least $100(ish) cheaper if you buy into the accuracy of the latest "leaked" price so I guess I'm ok with that too.

I think it's all relative to your situation in life. I don't think any kind of new emerging tech is expected to move the kinds of numbers as iterations of established existening tech does. Think about the original iPhone sales (coincidentally priced at $600). It sold well for the time but compared to iPhone 6s sales it was a fraction. Early adopters are the ones who will initially spend money and as they spread it drives the price down for th mainstream over time. Lower income people are rarely early adopters. They pick up the tech later in cycles after the prices start to fall. there are also a lot of people like me who are ok with the price. Again - they aren't expecting to hit PS4 numbers. Oculus sold out in minutes and people crashed their servers in the process.

If PlayStation VR came in even slightly cheaper and sold one to even 1/36th of the install base, that would still be more than 1 million units, and that's almost 400,000 more than the initial iPhone 1 sales. That would be considered a successful early adopter launch for a completely untested new tech. This is very realistic with all the hype and waiting. Let's also not forget that people were spending over $1000 for ps4s when they weren't available at launch. People will spend money for new stuff.

[kenwonobi]

A lot of the complainers get their mom and daddy to shell out 500 to 600 on phones. That's not including the monthly bill. There are laptops worth a thousand dollars sitting under Christmas tree these days. Google glasses. Watches. Smart TV. There are people buying 4k and curved tv's. There are Bose and Beats fans. None cheap. All hundreds that often do a lot less than virtual reality. I think there is a place for VR. Based solely on that alone.

[holtzy]

easy answer yes. you american get the cheapest price for it period. and that does not include the upgrade cost for the computer

[Scatpants]

No, I can afford it.

[pompombrum]

It's affordable for those who are seriously interested in it but I think it's priced out of the general consumer's range and that's going to make it difficult to truly take off. As it stands, it's a luxury accessory, while not a bad thing, it'll turn off third parties from developing for it initially at least.

[TeamLeaptrade]

I think it's mainly set for a certain market. Most people wont be willing to fork over that much cash for a VR headset, but there will be people out there who will be happy to do so. With the fact that the Oculus Rift also requires a high end gaming PC, that's even more money.

[Player3Podcast]

I think it will be expensive, but it won't be "too" expensive. New tech is always pricy, both monetarily and in risk. PSVR will be competitively priced.

[skcej]

Not necessarily, I mean when I started putting together the cost of everything you're going to get with the Oculus Rift, I think it may work out at pretty good value. VR was never going to be cheap, and I think it's unfortunate that some people may miss out because of the high priced entry point, but over time like with all tech it'll get cheaper.

[capitanandi]

If it were any cheaper, it probably wouldn't be as good of a product as it is. It works very well, so I suppose the price is fair. Steep, but fair.

[Zotaku87]

Too expensive for ME? Yes.
Too expensive for the TECH? Not at all.

[fitfox]

Most High end tvs are that price anyway