With PlayStation VR releasing next month on October 13, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida sat down with Bloomberg to talk about the headset. Despite all of the launch pre-orders selling out at a rapid pace, and Sony expecting supply constraints, Yoshida says they still don’t actually know what the demand will be for the device:
To be honest, we don’t know what demand will be. In terms of disruption, this is the most since PS1 and perhaps even greater than that.
Yoshida later said demand for PSVR has been “within or above expectations,” and Sony is working to increase their supply.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding how PSVR will be accepted by gamers, Yoshida is reminded of working on the original PlayStation 20 years ago. “As I work on VR, I’m tremendously reminded of that time 20 years ago,” he said. “The feeling now is similar. VR is completely different from existing games.”
With Bloomberg pointing out that Sony is planning to go beyond games when it comes to PlayStation VR, Yoshida mentioned how the headset could be used for virtual education, where students can attend a class even if they’re physically unable to be there. There’s also the possibility of being put on a stage during a music concert, or, when the Tokyo Olympics take place in four years, we might be able to see off a diving board or view the goalkeeper’s perspective during a game. “By 2020, everyone will already be using VR in some way or another,” Yoshida added.
Calling PlayStation VR “future proof,” as its design allows developers to get more out of the system for years to come, Yoshida also shot down any rumors that a more powerful headset might be coming next year.
[Source: Bloomberg]
