Sony on Project Morpheus: Price has to be 'Right from Day One'

VRFocus- With the Project Morpheus virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) still in its prototype stage, creator Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) isn't really ready to talk about price points for the consumer version of the kit. That said, the updated version of the device, shown at the 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC) this week, is said to be 'near final' in terms of design. Add to that the looming 2016 release and SCE notes that the price for Project Morpheus will have to be 'right from day one' to help the kit succeed.

[Eonjay]

What do you think is the 'right price'?

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Sony will get it down to $199, even if they have to start selling it at a loss, the real profits will come from software sales, the same way profits are rolling in from the PS4.

[Death]

@Hugs,

The only confirmed game that supports Morpheus right now is Project Cars and Morpheus isn't required to play it. We are about a year from Morpheus launch and there is no software announced for the device to offset a loss yet. If the games made available work without the device, no money will be made to make up for the losses. Sony will need to sell Morpheus for a profit from day one unless it is sold as a separate platform all together. The closest thing we have today to compare it to is the Rift which sells for $349. I would imagine the Morpheus launch is being postponed to allow pricing to come down before release as well as time to create content. Best case I would say we are looking at $249 and maybe $299 with a game.

[Rimeskeem]

I agree with this.

If thy price it like that it will make others lower their price. This will help VR get off its feet.

[Dfooster]

I think they will launch this with no mans sky VR edition for $250. Just a gut feeling

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

@Death

It's not just Project Cars
http://www.wareable.com/pro...

Among The Sleep
The Assembly
The Castle
Cult County
Eve Valkyrie
Five Nights At Freddy's
Jurassic Encounter
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
London Heist
Magic Controller
Project Cars
Q.U.B.E
Street Luge
Surgeon Simulator
Thief
The Toybox
War Thunder

[Cupid_Viper_3]

I've been waiting for this bad boy ever since Sony first announced its first HMD, the HMZ-T1. I had mine preordered and paid $980 after taxes and all, that was 4 years ago I think.

The newer portable version, the HMZ-T3 is still selling at a premium on Sony's website, but i believe thats because they dont have much competition in that department, and nobody is matching the quality offered by the HMZ-T3. But I think having been making HMDs for 4-5 years now has yielded many benefits for Sony. First, it has allowed Sony to have, in my opinion, the most comfortable and best looking design out there when it comes to VRs. Secondly and most beneficial, they've had years of feedbacks from actual customers. Meaning that they've heard all sorts of complaints ranging from comfortability, to eyestrain over extended longterm use (years), and also pricing.

Meaning that using their real market data, they have a competitive edge when it comes how to properly price such a device for mass market adoption. Also, they can get the manufacturing parts for much cheaper than Valve and Oculus can, given that they've been making HMDs for some 4 years now.

Also, Having used the HMZ-T1 for some 4 years now, you don't necessarily need the games to be tailor made for VR to get an immersive experience. Of course a game tailor made for VR is leaps and bounds more immersive than the former. I play GT5- and GT6 on it, and KZ3, KZ Shawdow Fall, BF4, and Trine 2 in 3d on it. And it is by far a better experience then simply playing it on your TV.

I'm expecting a $150 stand alone, and $229 bundled with the move and camera plus a digital voucher for No Man's Sky.

[DLConspiracy]

Its a peripheral much like a controller. So they are going to have to price it to make money on it. Its not like a system. Sure there will be games for it but unless Sony is going to make tons of 1st party games then it will be hard to payback that money. Especially having to cover the devs too. I am sure they will make games. Perhaps that's what the wait is for. They might be getting 1st party devs to make games for it at launch.

Personally $300 seems to be the sweet spot. If its over that. Its too much.

[Charybdis]

With or without camera and with or without the move controller. Hope they will have a decent bundle ranging from 200-300.
edit: hope they will also throw in a free game of some kind

[Death]

@hugs,

I have seen nothing confirmed by Sony as far as games go. We have a couple lists going around of games/tech demos that are currently out on other platforms and some upcoming games that are compatible with Morpheus, but don't require Morpheus. Is this all we are to expect of VR is playing existing console games made for the TV on a head mounted display?

I'm not trying to downplay Morpheus, but so far I've been underwhelmed with the entire VR movement. If games are not made specifically for a VR unit, what's the point?

I guess we will see at e3 in June which is when the actual games will be announced.

[TWB]

200€ would be the most I would be willing to pay for such a thing unless it really impresses me (if I get to try it at some store)

To me, 150€ would be very tempting but not sure how realistic that price point would be.

[nveenio]

I would love to see this at $399 or less. The lower the better. I just don't want to pay $499. And I definitely don't want to pay more than that. $299 would be a day-one purchase. $199 would be a gift from the gods.

[MegaRay]

$400? I dont think our and Sony's 'right price' are the same.

Personaly, I think the right price is $150 or $200 with two VR gamer

[himdeel]

$150-$250 not a penny more.

[lelo2play]

Right price for me would be 100-150€. More then that, NO thanks.

[prodg52]

I think it'll be around $250 without the camera. Sony will probably throw in a move controller or 2 free and just eat the cost of that to keep the price down.

[camel_toad]

It being a peripheral I just cant see them selling enough of them if it's priced over $150-175. When you start getting to $200 and higher youre getting too close to the price of a new console.

Gamers would pay $200 or more but they cant make a living off gamers alone.

[3-4-5]

$200 & included 2-3 games.

[garos82]

I agree. Pricing will be extremely important for adoption rate.

Releasing in 2016 might give them time to reduce production costs so heres hoping

[Jaqen_Hghar]

Kaz at the next E3
"FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE US DOLLARZ! *awkward pause*
Just kidding! $299!"

[ashen122]

Haha genius that would be hilarious.

199$ is the perfect price imo, I already have the pseye and move controllers

[Jaqen_Hghar]

$199 for just the headset. $299 for PSMove controllers and Camera included

A man already has the camera and wants to play with the DS4 on this thing (it's an option as they've shown) so he would get the $200 model.

[Der_Kommandant]

I estimate $199

[WCxAlchemist]

Just give the price on it already instead " The price has got 2b rite from day one"..No smack Einstien jus say the price

[TFJWM]

They can't know the cost of production till they finalize the hardware...

[WCxAlchemist]

Well think they should stop talking bout price till they actually have one to announce

[shodai]

each generation we see consoles usher in a new era in gaming. First , 8 bit gaming, then we see the nintendo and SNES with mostly 2D gaming, and from there on Playstation is the symbol of innovation with the Playstation and brings 3D worlds, PS2 Perfects that and adds online components. The era of PS3 and Xbox 360 brought in HD in consoles for the first time and amazing graphics at the time. I swear I could not believe my eyes when I saw uncharted 1 for the first time, and online components have been perfected. Now we have the PS4, which brings a whole new era with VR! Lets hope that the PS4 is powerful enough to handle it. And Im sure when the PS5 comes out VR will be so good and so believable that you would think its real life. Sword Art online might not be that far off, and I cant wait!

[Joe913]

I think $200 $250 with the camera got to remember you will need the cam for this to work but see how it took me like 4 months to find a cam that might not be a problem for most. I am not worried about games most of the devs that has a Oculus game said they can port easily to the PS4 and I have had a Sony console since the PS1 so I trust they will make good games for it. A lot of people try to compare this to the move and I think that is a bit short sighted the move was to combat the wii it was for causal gamers it could be considered a failure but that is only because Sony made it for what it was and did not force feed it to people and they did not have one of their first parties make nothing but move games they could have done that MS kinda did but they didn't and now they are getting crap from people because they gave people and devs a choice lol gamers are weird cry if they do it and cry if they don't lol.

[LOL_WUT]

$199 should do maybe throw in a freebie in there thats supported with the device ;)

[MCTJim]

unfortunately, you will need two move controllers, the eye and a game which of course you can add the VR Headset. Its going to be a package deal for those without these items. I don't own any of those items. Just an estimate that this will retail for about $500 when all is said and done. Unless they sell it at a loss to get it into consumers hands.

I would love to purchase this when it releases, maybe if I purchase some of these items before hand, the crunch to the wallet wont hurt too much when the actual headset releases. I just hope VR takes off like some analysts say it will and we are not stuck with an expensive device that collects dust.

[MasterCornholio]

"you will need two move controllers"

Nope.

Just a PS4 and a PS Eye. Plenty of people already have PS4s plus the PSeye is only 50€. No way is it going to cost 500€.

[MCTJim]

you are correct you dont need them..but please explain the demos we saw the other day and posted on N4G with people using them for showing off of the actual device...those are move controllers are they not?

You will need them to get the full experience. So I stand by my original comment of 500 bucks unless they sell it at a loss.

[Jaqen_Hghar]

exactly they had several demos without the move controllers. Despite MCTJim many will enjoy that experience more. Like a man

[SmokingMonkey]

How big is the PS4's $399.99 price point?

Very!

I like $199.99 with a game/demos.

[pwnsause_returns]

Its just not about price...its momentum as well.. The last thing we they need is to turn this into another ps move situation.... I mean, you have to show the world this exists for console...

[jhoward585]

The PS4 is priced at 400 bucks so the right price for Morpheus is half that amount(or close to half).

[MasterCornholio]

I'm predicting 250€ with only Morpheus and 300€ with the camera. I'm wondering if Hololens will be priced similarly.

[WeAreLegion]

I hope so, too. I really can't guess the price point on HoloLens though.

[Dasteru]

Based on the current specs, it is highly unlikely to be less than $249 and there is a good chance it will be $299. Unless Sony is willing to take a loss on it like with the PS3 and make it back through software.

[crazychris4124]

I would say $150 for just the camera and cables. $200 for just the device, cables and camera. $250 for 3 months PS Plus and a couple games. Ultimate bundle with camera, VR, PS4, 6 months PS Plus, controller and a couple games for $550

[jhoward585]

With LCD screen maybe yes. But it has Oled screen which is a bit more costly than LCD screen. Not to mention, the OLED (RGB subpixel) screen is bigger than the previous design.

Plus, they've added 3 more lights on the outer body of the Morpheus's shell casing.

All these manufacturing changes cost money.

[crazychris4124]

Most likely were all just guessing. This was more to show each package they would be selling. Probably would see a bundle with games for kids and another one for adults.

[jhoward585]

True that, we're all just guessing the what the price for Morpheus will be.

The PS4 peripherals should have come down in price by now because the tech is a little over a year old.

As well as some of the parts to build Morpheus should have also come down in manufacturing price. Glad they waited to bring down the cost.

So, I can definitely see a bundle for Morpheus. But I think that it won't happen at launch because sailing it as a standalone device create an afterthought in the minds of the consumer, to give the them a reason to bargain on bundle packages.

[yuukiliu]

I will set aside 10,000TWD. If it's more than that, no way I can buy it at launch. Hopefully Taiwan gets a fair price for it.

[Kingdomcome247]

What is the US or Euro equivalency for that?

OT: My personal sweet spot would be $199.99-$250.00. $300 is probably my high end, at least until software support is fully fleshed out.

[yuukiliu]

Around $315 USD is what the Internet tells me. That would be for a hopeful bundle with games and taxes included as well. Anything over that is too much until they show long term support.

[BABY-JEDI]

If Sony manage £199.99 with a good selection of launch games the I'm in. But they MUST commit to this product!

[BABY-JEDI]

So what games would folks want to see on Morpheus? I would want Silent Hill & Alien Isolation for a start. Probably lots of underwear as well LoL

[yuukiliu]

The PT demo would be pretty effing terrifying. 'Don't look behind you...'

[Kingdomcome247]

I'm not quite sure I could handle that lol.

[kstap33]

Outlast would be freaky too.

[jonivtec]

199 with a cam....could be a good price...and 179 whitout the cam...50 more with a game.Its a gadget for most people including me.Everybody know sony and the wait is always to long for a good game. gran turismo final fantasy metal gear etc...So if they release it with only promise of good game in the futur to support the project low price will become even more important. I will have to get a ps4 to because for now im pc.No way i will pay 400$ the console and another 300 more for the morpheus...

[error13]

150 Dowla.

[Predaking77]

I remember the dead silent on E3 when the x1 was announced to be $500 lol

BOOM