PlayStation VR price and compatibility to trump over Oculus Rift, HTC Vive?

The virtual reality war in the gaming industry is heating up, with a number of big-name players already lining up their VR devices for release this year. Among the top-tier VR devices, it is said that the PlayStation VR will emerge as one of the top products in the VR headset category. 

According to DualShockers, in terms of pricing, fans are looking forward to the PlayStation VR offering a competitive price tag. Reportedly, a poll taken by Japanese gaming magazine Weekly Famitsu showed that fans expect the PlayStation VR to be within the $353-$441 price range, evidently a lower price range compared to other big-name VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. While there is still no confirmed price tag for Sony's rebranded Project Morpheus gear, the mid-range price expectation among gamers and developers will be one key point for the PlayStation VR. 

Meanwhile, Inquisitr places the PlayStation VR as a popular choice among gamers when it comes to compatibility requirements. While it can be said that the VR experiences with the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are top-notch, gamers will need to shell out more cash in order to make their computers compatible with the VR products and optimize their VR experience. On the other hand, the industry follower said that players will only need a PS4 and the PlayStation VR – no other hardware and software updates required – in order to maximize VR gaming with the console. 

Since there are only a few requirements to optimize virtual reality gaming with the PlayStation VR, Venture Beat reported that as many as 36 million players can already take advantage of VR gaming once PlayStation VR launches. As for its release date, rumor has it that gamers might see the PlayStation VR in April 2016.

Sony PlayStation VR won’t be out until fall, says GameStop CEO Paul Raines

An attendee demonstrates the Sony Corp. PlayStation virtual reality (VR) gaming headset during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. CES is expected to bring a range of announcements from major names in tech showcasing new developments in virtual reality, self-driving cars, drones, wearables, and the Internet of Things. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg 
An attendee demonstrates the Sony Corp. PlayStation virtual reality (VR) gaming headset during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. CES is expected to bring a range of announcements from major names in tech showcasing new developments in virtual reality, self-driving cars, drones, wearables, and the Internet of Things. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg 

(UPDATED AT 4:06 p.m.) 
GameStop could use something new about now, but it will have to wait until this fall before Sony’s PlayStation VR hits its stores. 

GameStop CEO Paul Raines was on Fox Business News today and mentioned that the Grapevine-based retailer is getting ready to start selling virtual reality head sets, but it won’t be this summer. 

Raines said the company is preparing to sell Sony PlayStation VR this fall. VR Scout first picked up on the comment from the Fox News interview. 

Asked about the size of the business, Raines said, the market size is hard to measure, “but all the estimates start with a “b” as in billions.” 

Raines quoted a Goldman Sachs report that said virtual reality will be an $80 billion business by 2025. 

GameStop didn’t stock Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus during the holiday season. But Best Buy did and couldn’t keep it in stock. The Gear VR worked with Samsung smartphones. 

Best Buy said on its blog today that it’s taking pre-orders for the Oculus Rift. To pre-order the Oculus Rift headset through Best Buy, you’ll need to choose one of seven Oculus-ready PCs to go with it. 

When asked for an interview about PlayStation VR, GameStop backed off of Raines’ fall timing. 

Joey Mooring responded in an email: “There is certainly a lot of excitement around virtual reality. To clarify, Sony has not officially announced a release date for PlayStation VR. Whenever it launches, we are excited about how the technology will change gaming.” 

Twitter: @MariaHalkias 

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 file photo, Matthew Taylor paints in 3D virtual reality at the Intel booth using HTC Vive virtual reality goggles at CES International, in Las Vegas. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey and other pioneers of modern virtual reality technology from such companies as Google and Sony are gathering for a summit on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, about the immersive medium in Hollywood. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) 
FILE – In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 file photo, Matthew Taylor paints in 3D virtual reality at the Intel booth using HTC Vive virtual reality goggles at CES International, in Las Vegas. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey and other pioneers of modern virtual reality technology from such companies as Google and Sony are gathering for a summit on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, about the immersive medium in Hollywood. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

GAMESTOP CEO SAYS PLAYSTATION VR COMING THIS FALL

GAMESTOP CEO SAYS PLAYSTATION VR COMING THIS FALL 

By Alex Osborn Update: GameStop has since replied to our request for comment, telling IGN: "To clarify, Sony has not officially announced a release date for PlayStation VR. Whenever it launches, we are excited about how the technology will change gaming." 

Contrary to prior reports, it appears PlayStation VR may not launch within the first half of 2016, as a recent comment by GameStop CEO Paul Raines suggests the device will instead release this fall. 

"We will launch the Sony product this fall," Raines said of PlayStation VR in an interview with Fox News, noting the company is also "in discussions with the other two players," those being Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. 

We've reached out to GameStop for further details, and will update the story as soon as we receive a response. 

In addition to remaining tight-lipped on PlayStation VR's launch date, Sony has yet to announce a price for its upcoming virtual reality device. According to Sony exec Andrew House, the headset will be priced as "new gaming platform." 

Earlier this month, Sony VR studio head Dave Ranyard announced his departure from the company in order to pursue independent ventures.