Did the GameStop CEO just confirm a delay for PlayStation VR until this fall? Last year, Sony said the VR headset for the PlayStation 4 would launch in the first half of the year. The comment on Fox News from GameStop CEO Paul Raines, though, says “we will launch the Sony product this fall.”
We’ve reached out to Sony for comment. Notably, Raines also mentions being in talks with Facebook’s Oculus and HTC Vive about carrying those headsets. Pre-orders are underway for Rift and Vive’s begin Feb. 29. In the case of the Rift, the device is also available starting today in bundles through Microsoft, Best Buy and Amazon. GameStop wasn’t included in the Rift’s initial launch plans.
When a retailer begins selling a headset can be different from when the headset first goes on sale. It’s unclear from the GameStop CEO’s comment if he’s referring to when PlayStation VR launches or when GameStop will begin carrying it in stores. That said, GameStop is a store that primarily serves the console gaming crowd, so it makes more sense for PlayStation VR to initially launch with the retail chain.
Since setting the first half of 2016 timeline last year, Sony released an official PlayStation VR website which just specifies all of 2016 as the launch window for the headset. The comment from Raines comes about three minutes and 30 seconds into the video embedded above.
A VR headset is a new consumer technology and getting it right the first time is important for each of the initial manufacturers. Oculus delayed its Touch motion controllers until late 2016 to spend more time developing the hardware and HTC won’t start shipping Vive until April, after initially suggesting the device would be out before the end of 2015.
We will update this post if we hear more or get comment from Sony.
