Sony recently announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016 that it will release PlayStation VR on October 13. In Japan, pre-orders for the virtual reality headset has already kicked off on Saturday receiving a warm welcome among Japanese fans.
As reported by Kotaku, many Japanese have endured long lines outside the stores just to sign up indicating that the VR headgear is likely to become a hit in Sony's home base. At Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo's Akihabara, five hundred people were seen queuing up for the pre-order registration. Hundreds were also observed lining up for the PlayStation VR pre-orders in Osaka.
Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed details about PlayStation VR at the recently concluded gaming industry gaming conference which ran from June 14 through 16. The company also talked about the games that are playable on the VR headset.
More than 50 games are expected to be available for PlayStation VR months after the device's October launch. The VR games include zombie-shooter game "Resident Evil," "Star Wars," and "Batman." "Batman: Arkham VR" will be rolled out exclusively for PlayStation this October giving fans the opportunity to immerse themselves in the VR game as batman.
"Virtual reality is expanding the video game space and entertainment overall, so it is extremely exciting to have our incredible team at Rocksteady Studios dive into this new storytelling medium with the Batman Arkham franchise," said Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) president David Haddad as quoted by Japan News.
While console players feel extremely excited with the arrival of PlayStation VR this fall, Sony, however, warned that they may not be able to keep up with the strong market demand for their gaming device. Company executives are anticipating shortages later this year.
"We have growing confidence that we'll be supply constrained with this product, but we'll do our very best to meet demand," Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Andrew House said in an exclusive as quoted by CNBC. "Virtual reality is a medium that's in its infancy. With such a nascent, very new form of storytelling, it's difficult to predict what user uptake is going to be."
When PlayStation VR hits the market, it will be sold for notably lower price than its more expensive counterparts such as the PC-centric VR headsets like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. For $399, PlayStation VR will be a great add-on to PlayStation 4 owners' existing console set-up.
