A man playing with VR.

Microsoft Announce Affordable VR

VR is currently out of reach for the masses due to the cost; Microsoft are about to change that.

Owning VR is a dream of mine. The very thought of being able to stand in the middle of Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V, looking around in real time, fills me with excitement. Likewise standing in the desolate ruins of Boston in Fallout 4, or the beautiful expansive world of Skyrim.

VR is as close to being inside a video game as we are likely to get in my lifetime.

The problem, for me, has always been the barriers to entry, namely the cost. I’m a PC gamer with a decently powerful rig, but I don’t have the balls to tell my wife we’re not eating for the next 3 or 4 months because I’m going to be spending £800 to buy the HTC Vive or £600 for the Oculus Rift. I’m just not man enough.

The good news is, Microsoft are riding in to save the day (and we don’t get to say that too often).

Microsoft have confirmed that their partners (HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, and Acer) will be producing and shipping VR which will include inside-out tracking sensors, removing the need for external cameras or laser systems like those on the current Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.

The result? More convenience and a lower price; $299 to be exact.

Now, don’t get me wrong, $299 is still a lot of money. If you don’t have a decently powerful gaming PC, the price will be much higher still, but for PC gamers like me who have balked at the idea of spending the same price as an entry level gaming PC on a peripheral, the light appears to be at the end of the tunnel. And it looks glorious.

You can find out more information here.

To say I’m excited would be an understatement. Y’know, once I’ve told my wife.