When Sony comes to mind, for many of us, unfortunately we tend to think of a very reactionary company. From strategic moves to products, they’re typically chasing the industry or in pursuit of an ill-fated endeavor. Fortunately for them and us, the PlayStation division, especially with PS4, has been on the pulse of the industry and consumers. PlayStation VR is such a product that when it launches in October will not only come at a far more affordable price range than its competitors, but one that will have a variety of games as well. How often have we had hardware launches in the industry with few games to consume?

One of the biggest obstacles VR faces is a lack of prior experience. To truly ‘get it’ and form an opinion, you simply have to put on a headset and see what all the fuss is about. To that end, Sony thinks they can showcase PlayStation VR to at least 500,000 consumers by year’s end. PlayStation VP of Marketing John Koller:

 We have to do this prior to launch, that’s critical. We need to be in stores. 

Just yesterday, it was revealed that GameStop will be a big partner for Sony and will favor PS VR over the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive due to its simplicity. Now we know that, in addition to being a launch partner, PlayStation VR will arrive in June at GameStop stores to help gear up consumer awareness and enthusiasm. While potentially a no brainer, this is actually a big milestone for PS VR as it points to fully-completed hardware by summer (otherwise, Sony wouldn’t want it used in such a public way). In turn, Sony can spend the majority of summer ramping up production, something that currently plagues Oculus, and fine-tuning the software as there will be the inevitable day one patch.

Having PS VR in many stores is also a big strategic win for Sony. Currently Oculus Rift has no big retail partners that house demo units and the HTC Vive is available in 10 scattered locations throughout the US. Koller, like myself, believes that VR must truly be experienced and that a demo unit:

 really sells you on the experience, you’re transported to places physically, actually emotionally feel like you’re in another world 

More after the jump.

Koller continued:

 We need people to pick this up and play it. We need them to be transported. You have to be able to go into a GameStop and be able to try this. We have an ascendant technology, but you have to be able to get your hands on it, that’s the thing… The ability to effect trials and get people to experience this is absolutely crucial. [Giving] trials is unequivocally the best thing we can do for the technology and the platform… 

As I’ve said previously, unlike a next generation console which typically improves on its predecessor with each build in obvious ways like improved graphics, VR is an entirely new medium. We all have preconceived notions of it, thanks to it being featured in no shortage of movies and TV shows, but very few of us have experienced VR. Even worse is that for some that have experienced VR in the past, it was based around the limited technology of then which more so created a scenario in which you played a game with basic body tracking capabilities, thanks to the enormous rigs required then, and less of what is now a more immersive experience.

On a personal level, I’m not sure what the future of VR in its current form is. Will it stick around and evolve into a more mature and powerful platform? Will it die down like 3D has in hopes of resurfacing again when we can master the technology and hopefully without glasses? Only time will tell but what’s clear is that no matter the ultimate outcome of the current VR products and their eventual successors or lack thereof, Sony is in a good position to prosper from them and lead as they’re executing on a plan that extends down the road and not purely reacting to market conditions and consumer demand.

Discuss:

Do you think PlayStation VR demo kiosks in storefronts like GameStop will be critical to its success?

[Via arstechnica]