Sony’s Global Head of Research and Development for PlayStation, Dominic Mallinson, has said that the company has “no reason” to launch a new PlayStation VR device alongside its next-gen console.
Speaking to CNet at the Toronto Collision conference, Mallinson said that a simultaneous launch of several new pieces of hardware would overwhelm consumers, and that’s not a direction Sony wants to take.
“From the point of view of the consumer, to be bombarded with many many things – oh, you have to buy this, you have to buy that – is a message that we don’t want to send,” he said. “In some ways, it’s good to have a little breathing space between those things.”
At the moment, Sony is focusing on growing its VR business, and Mallinson acknowledged that it still has a long way to go.
“The fact of life is, you get a little less in terms of commercial movement from the VR titles,” he explained. “We’re just reaching that level now where, as a developer you can say, ‘OK, I can make money. It’s not easy, but I can now make money.'”
Although efforts are underway to expand the VR audience, Sony doesn’t plan to introduce a console-free, mobile VR system. Mallinson applauded Facebook’s standalone Oculus Quest but added that he doesn’t think VR is something players want to “go out on the road” with.
“It’s something you would more likely do in a private living room space,” he added. “But I think having no wires, making it light and unencumbered, it is great. So I think going mobile for both reasons is important.”
Speaking of a wireless headset, Sony is currently looking into the possibility of going wireless. Mallinson revealed that the company could consider releasing multiple models of PS VR in the future, with wired and wireless iterations. However, nothing is set in stone yet.
[Source: CNet]
