Sony on Friday announced preorder information for its upcoming PlayStation VR headset. The Japanese electronics giant will be offering the virtual reality headset as part of a special bundle starting on Tuesday, March 22.
The bundle will cost $499 in the US, $100 more than the headset by itself, but with it you get two Playstation Move motion controllers, the PlayStation Camera and a PlayStation VR Worlds game disc. While the Move controllers are an optional add-on for use with select games (others simply require the PlayStation’s DualShock 4 controller), the camera is required for PlayStation VR to work.
Up close with Sony’s PlayStation VR headset (pictures)
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The bundle is a good deal for PlayStation 4 owners that are interested in virtual reality, but not for those users that may already own a PlayStation Camera and Move controllers. Sony previously announced that the PlayStation VR headset would cost $399 when it arrives in October. The company, however, hasn’t announced preorder information for only the headset.
Sony’s headset undercuts the $600 Oculus Rift and $800 HTC Vive, both of which also require a high-end gaming PC to function. Even when you include the purchase of a PlayStation 4 console, which retails for $350, PlayStation VR is still one of the cheapest ways to experience high-end virtual reality.
There are cheaper alternatives, though, which use smartphones to deliver less immersive experiences. Google’s entry-level Cardboard headset costs $35, while Samsung’s Gear VR can be had for $100.