By Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --Sony's version of virtual reality will cost a few hundred dollars less than competitors when its headset is released in October.
The company announced a $399 price tag and October release date for PlayStation VR on Tuesday during the Game Developers Conference, an annual gathering of video game creators.
"We're proud of the price point we've been able to achieve because it means more gamers will be able to bring PlayStation VR into their living rooms," said Andrew House, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
House noted that Sony has sold 36 million PS4 consoles since the console first debuted in 2013.
The head-mounted PS VR headset works in tandem with the PlayStation 4 console, which costs about $350 depending on the model. The headset replaces a wearer's vision with virtual worlds while detecting head movement with internal sensors and a camera.
PS VR's release will come months after the respective consumer launches of similar high-definition headsets, the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
The Rift from Facebook-owned Oculus will be available March 28 for $599. The Vive from HTC and gaming company Valve will be released April 5 for $799. They both require high-end PCs costing at least $1,000 or more in order to work.
PS VR will come with ear buds and the cables required to use it. However, it will not be bundled with PlayStation Move controllers or the PlayStation Camera, which costs about $60.
In addition to playing immersive, 360-degree games, PS VR will feature a cinematic mode allowing users to broadcast traditional games and content on a virtual big screen within the headset.
For gamers and technophiles, interest in VR has been building since Oculus began showing off early prototypes of the Rift headset at industry events in 2012.
"We believe that PlayStation VR is best poised to bring VR to the mainstream given the unparalleled VR experience we're offering at a tremendous value, along with the strength of our ecosystem and the momentum of our brand," said House.
House said he expects over 50 games will be available for PlayStation VR by the end of 2016. He added that Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm are creating exclusive "Star Wars: Battlefront" content for PS VR.
Review: Director James Watkins’ “Speak No Evil”
Quick. Has there ever been a horror film set in a country home with a decent cell signal?
Nope, and there's no signal at Paddy and Ciara's house, either, deep in the English countryside. Soon, that land line will be cut, too, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Paddy and Ciara are that fun-but-somewhat-odd British couple whom Louise and Ben, early in "Speak No Evil," meet on their idyllic Tuscan family holiday. Americans based in London, Louise and Ben are at loose ends, with both job and relationship issues. And so, when the new acquaintances write to invite them for a country weekend, they decide to go.
After all, how bad could it be?
Don't answer that. There are many such moments in the first two-thirds of "Speak No Evil," a Hollywood remake of the 2022 Danish film, here starring a deeply menacing James McAvoy. Moments where Louise and Ben, out of mere politeness and social convention, act against their instincts, which tell them something is wrong – very wrong.
Director James Watkins and especially his excellent troupe of actors, adult and children alike, do a nice job of building the tension, slowly but surely. Until all bloody hell breaks loose, of course. And then, in its third act, "Speak No Evil" becomes an entertaining but routine horror flick, with predictable results.
But for a while, it's a way more intelligent film. And the jumpy moments work — I'll confess to literally springing out of my seat when someone uneventfully turned on a power drill.
We begin in stunning Tuscany, where Louise (Mackenzie Davis, in the film's most accessible and empathetic performance) and Ben (Scoot McNairy, all nerves and insecurity) are vacationing with 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). At the pool, they... Read More