Sony opened up pre-orders for the PlayStation VR Core Bundle headset at 10am EST today, March 29. Pre-orders for the pricier PlayStation VR Launch Bundle kicked off on March 22 at 10am EST. As that bundle quickly sold out, Sony expects the same with the Core unit as well. For the latter offering, PlayStation 4 gamers will also need to purchase the PlayStation Camera for $60 and the PlayStation Move motion controller for around $30.
The core package will include the PlayStation VR headset, the processor unit, a connection cable, an HDMI cable, a USB cable, stereo headphones, an AC power cord, an AC adapter, and a demo disc. The PlayStation Move motion sensor and the PlayStation Camera are sold separately, which adds motion capture capabilities for a more immersive experience. You’ll need the DualShock 4 controller at the very least to move around in the virtual realm.
Meanwhile, Amazon has quickly burned through its pre-order supply of the Launch Bundle. This pack includes everything found in the Core Bundle along with the PlayStation Camera, two PlayStation Move controllers, and the VR World Game Disc. Amazon notes that customers wanting either bundle will need to sign up for the email availability notification so that consumers know when the next wave of hardware hits.
Games that will be made available for the PlayStation VR headset at launch include the Star Wars Battlefront VR Experience, PlayStation VR Worlds, Golem, Harmonix Music VR, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, and RIGS Mechanized Combat League. We expect to see more VR offerings for this platform during E3 2016 in June.
Sony’s upcoming headset will consist of two 5.7-inch OLED screens with a resolution of 1,080 x 960 for each eye, totaling an overall view of 1,920 x 1,080. The refresh rates span 90Hz to 120Hz, and the field of view is approximately 100 degrees. The headset also consists of a six-axis motion sensing system spanning a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer. It also has an HDMI port, an auxiliary port, and a headphone jack.
The processor unit itself sits between the headset and the console, and is responsible for 3D audio processing, for simultaneously displaying a second “social screen” to an HDTV (Mirror Mode or Separate Mode), and for rendering the Cinematic Mode. That said, this device doesn’t add extra processing power to the PlayStation 4 console itself.
“It is not extra GPU power [or] CPU power,” said Chris Norden, senior staff engineer at Sony. “It is certainly not a PlayStation 4 expansion unit or upgrade.”
VR is a hot topic as of late, as the Oculus Rift, a high-end solution for Windows PC, is currently shipping to customers. The HTC Vive is slated to arrive on Windows PC at the beginning of April as well, and Sony’s solution doesn’t arrive on the PlayStation 4 until the end of October.
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