One of the most important barriers to entry when it comes to virtual reality is a complete lack of familiarity with the experience. It's unlikely a potential customer unfamiliar with any VR experience is going to shell out hundreds of dollars for any headset. That's why both Oculus and HTC have been making efforts to get VR demo stations installed in retail stores, and now, Sony is doing the same for PlayStation VR.
Road To VR notes that, as of yesterday, playable PlayStation VR demo installations have opened in 30 locations across the United States in Best Buy and GameStop stores. That number will soon expand to over 300 stores across the US and Canada, beginning on June 24. PlayStation's Road To Greatness tour is also still in progress and has playable PlayStation VR headsets touring around the country until November.
Having demo stations set up now provides a good amount of lead time for potential buyers to experience the hardware before its release on October 13 this year. PlayStation VR will sell for US$399 / AU$549, though it will also require the PlayStation Camera, and a number of games will require PlayStation Move controllers. Sony also revealed a new first-person shooter controller called the PlayStation VR Aim Controller, though a list of games that require it has not yet been made public.
