Tech Corner: How VR Will Be On Your Wallet!
Mandy Mac
On March 28th, 2014, we released the very first Tech Corner Blog discussing the Oculus Rift, originally developed and funded on Kickstarter, was a being bought by Facebook for 2 billion dollars. Last year, we updated you on its improving features. Now, the headset is known to have started the modern VR renaissance will be rolling out on March 28th of this year, right on the Tech Corner’s second birthday!
VR headsets are not going to come cheap. Most will need an additional system to function, ranging these headsets anywhere from $400 to a complete $3,000. If you are serious in purchasing on of these headsets and somehow came across this posting, we have gathered the details on how much VR will cost you and which you should be picking up by comparing the top three headsets getting ready to hit the market.
Sony’s PlayStation VR: If you are seeking the cheapest option, or you are a hardcore console gamer, then begin saving up your money because this is the VR for you. The headset will cost $399 and will be released for sales by October of this year. While this cost does not seem too bad, it is a little misleading. In order to operate this headset, you will need to pick up the PlayStation camera, which cost $60. The headset will not come with Sony’s Move Controllers. Since those have to be purchased separately, and you will need a pair to play most the games, they will cost $50 each. Sony’s local multiplayer VR mini-games collection called the VR Playroom will come free with the headset, other games may range the price between $30 to $60. But let’s just say you are oddly not excited to play the Star Wars Battlefront VR Experience game and want to play your already owned PS4 games, or even movies, you can do so with the headset’s cinematic mode. All you will need is a virtual 225-inch screen (5 meters in width and a distance of 2.5 meters). Good thing we all have one of those laying around. Overall, if you already have a PS4, the PlayStation VR will cost you anywhere from $450 to $650 ($800 to $900 if you do not have the system yet).
Oculus Rift: This headset is slightly more expensive, but features a better resolution, built-in headphones, and eventually have their own top-class motion controllers. The headset, available for buying by March 28th, will cost $600; that is $200 dollars more than the PlayStation VR. The Rift needs a crazy powerful PC to function. This can cost someone who is just starting out anywhere from a grand to over $3,000. This headset is up for pre-order, but the company has not released information about those sales just yet.
HTC Vive: Finishing off with the most expensive of the bunch, but the most high-end! The HTC Vive will cost $800 and ship out on April 5th. The headset will come with its very own motion controllers and integrated headphones, being the first VR headset that will allow you to physically walk around. The other who headsets mentioned above will keep you staying still, only allowing you to look around with your head and walk using their joysticks. The Vive relies on room sensors that allow you to walk, crawl, and maneuver in real space, allowing for a much more interactive experience. From the handy laser grids 
to show you were the real life obstacle end to the Valve’s ‘The Lab’ which is free on stream with HTC Vive owners, making this headset a pretty exclusive deal! However, you will still need that high-end PC to play, making this headset cost you anywhere from $800 to $3,000. This price range did not hold back many people; the pre-order for this headset began on February 29th and there 15,000 orders within the first 10 minutes! Could this be due to the highly anticipated lightsaber battle game coming to HTC’s Vive, Star Wars: Trails on Tatooine?
Are you ready to abandon the real world once and for all? Which headset and games will you be shelling out for? Join our conversation on Facebook and Twitter!, and while you are there send your birthday wishes to the tech corner!
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