Gamers looking for PlayStation VR deals on Black Friday last year went away disappointed. Sony underestimated demand for the newly launched headset and couldn’t provide enough stock, so PS VR was almost impossible to obtain, let alone at a discount. That will hopefully change for Black Friday 2017 though. When November 24 rolls around, there should be stock in the channel, discounted hardware, and plenty of games to choose between. Let’s take a look at what we can expect.
The best PlayStation VR deals on Black Friday
The main thing we’d obviously like to see on Black Friday is a discount for PlayStation VR itself, which remains a very pricey proposition at $399 for the standalone unit and $499 for the “Launch Bundle” that includes a game, PlayStation Camera and two PlayStation Move controllers to get you going. If PS VR is treated like other console hardware, there seems a high likelihood retailers will offer bundles with software that allow them to retain a strong margin on the core unit rather than cutting the base price itself.
Then again, if demand continues to hold, we may see little or no discounting at all on the hardware on Black Friday. Although Sony’s unit is the cheapest way into a current-gen virtual reality experience (both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift cost more, especially when you factor in the cost of PC hardware to use them), it remains a premium product, more expensive than the console it depends on to operate.
Something else we might see on Black Friday though is cut-price deals on the accessories that help bring PS VR to life. The PlayStation Camera is a prerequisite for using PS VR and doesn’t actually come bundled with the base unit, so getting one of those at a discount would be welcome, while Move controllers are less important but do still work well with it, so a two-pack at a cut price could be a worthy purchase.
The best PlayStation VR game deals on Black Friday
There are two types of PlayStation VR games – those that are exclusive to the platform and cannot be played any other way, and those that are merely compatible as a side benefit. If nothing else, it would be cool to see discounts to some of these titles on Black Friday:
- Worlds – The default option for new owners, Worlds includes several discrete games/experiences that showcase the potential of the system. The deep-sea dive and London heist options are particularly good.
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – You don’t need PS VR to play Resi 7, but it’s probably the optimal way to play this reboot, which is a terrifying return to form for Capcom’s long-running survival horror series.
- Batman: Arkham VR – A standalone Batman experience that takes full advantage of virtual reality, this is one of the best pure experiences for the headset.
Those are probably our top picks, but there are plenty of other compatible titles. Hopefully we’ll see some of these discounted on Black Friday:
- Battlezone
- DOOM VFR
- DriveClub
- Eagle Flight
- EVE: Valkyrie
- Farpoint
- Job Simulator
- Loading Human
- Moto Racer 4
- RIGS Mechanized Combat League
- Robinson: The Journey
- StarBlood Arena
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew
- Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
- Werewolves Within
What do I need to use PlayStation VR?
Virtual reality units often have all sorts of weird requirements, but PlayStation VR is actually fairly accessible – providing you don’t mind a lot of cabling. Here’s what you need:
Required
- PlayStation 4 – duh
- PlayStation VR – includes headset, base unit and tons of cables
- PlayStation Camera – included in the Launch Bundle but not the standalone set
Optional
- PlayStation Move – the preferred input method for some games
- PlayStation 4 Pro – will improve performance noticeably
In terms of your environment, PlayStation VR can be played in quite a confined space. You’ll need to be quite near to your TV because the cables all hook into the PS4 and the camera needs to be able to see you clearly, but you don’t need a huge amount of space around you and it’s fine to play sitting down.
Check back closer to Black Friday to see whether there are any PlayStation VR deals!
