Skip to main content

Want to demo PlayStation VR at this U.K. retailer? It might cost you

PlayStation VR
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Sony has been offering demonstrations of PlayStation VR across North America for the last several weeks, giving prospective buyers a chance to try out a selection of its games at stores like Best Buy and GameStop, but if you’re in the U.K. and plan to demo the device at the retailer Game, you might need to bring some cash.

Some Game locations have begun posting advertisements offering 10 minutes of playtime for 5 pounds (about $6) and 30 minutes for 15 pounds (about $18). Given the current exchange rate between the pound and the dollar, if you were to demo a PlayStation VR headset at a Game store for an hour, it would almost cost the same as purchasing a new PlayStation VR game.

As Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett has noted, another location pointed out that if players opt to purchase PlayStation VR once the demonstration is finished, they won’t be charged for the time. The store’s tweet on the subject appears to have been removed, but no apology or clarification was posted in its place. The Game Brighton location still appears to have their advertisement live — it’s even pinned to the top of the page — and the store is also offering pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch console before a price has been revealed.

It’s worth noting that the advertisements in question both came from individual GAME locations. The company’s official “HQ” Twitter account doesn’t make mention of any such “pay for play” promotion, nor has it mentioned PlayStation VR at all since it launched on October 13.

PlayStation VR is now available for $400 (500 pounds in the U.K.) and a “launch bundle” is also available, packing in two PlayStation Move controllers, a PlayStation Camera, and the game PlayStation VR Worlds. Both versions also come with a demo disc: it’s free.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
PlayStation VR2 production reportedly paused by Sony
PlayStation VR2 headset on blue background.

Sony is reportedly pausing production of the PlayStation VR2 headsets because it has a backlog of unsold headsets.

This report comes from Bloomberg, which claims that PSVR2 sales have slowed every quarter since its February 2023 release, causing stocks of the device to build up. It says Sony has produced 2 million headsets but reportedly hasn't sold through them yet. As a result, it's apparently pausing the production on new units until it works through some of that backlog, according to Bloomberg's anonymous sources.

Read more
Does PlayStation 5 have a web browser?
Playstation 5 with a controller.

Sony added a bunch of great functionality to PS5, but one thing that's missing is a web browser. Unlike its predecessor, PS4, there's not a standard web browser you can access from your home screen. That's a bit of a letdown, as it feels like a huge step back from what was available years ago.

Thankfully, all is not lost. With a little elbow grease and a lot of ingenuity, you can access a web browser on PS5. The process is quite convoluted, and it's not the most user-friendly browser, but it's possible to surf the web on your fancy new-gen console.

Read more
PS4 vs. PS5: which console should you buy in 2024?
PlayStation 5 controller and PS5.

PlayStation 5 has been available for several years now, and it's easier than ever to find it in stock at retailers. The new-gen hardware makes big upgrades over its predecessor, letting gamers enjoy better graphics, shorter loading times, and support for the fancy DualSense controller. It's also much more expensive than PS4, so while PS5 is better than PS4 in most regards, it might not be ideal for frugal shoppers.

But is PS4 or PS5 the better choice in 2024? Does the aging PS4 really make sense to purchase right now, or should you opt for the PS5? From pricing and available games to storage and resolution, here's a closer look at these two popular consoles.
PS5 vs. PS4 vs. PS4 Pro specs
Even a cursory glance at the specs of the PS5 shows that it’s in a different league than the PS4 (and even the PS4 Pro). Sony has improved the capabilities of its platform in every way, adding more efficient storage, faster compute parts, support for larger capacity disks, and support for higher resolutions. We know there are two versions of the PS5 -- the Standard Edition and Digital Edition -- both of which will offer the same specs (with the exception of the omission of a disc drive with the Digital Edition).

Read more