Mobile World Congress, a second major tech convention in 2016, a second missed opportunity for Sony to give fans an update about the PlayStation VR. Unlike CES in January, when there was seemingly an imminent announcement with the device prominent on posters and company videos, Sony ignored the PlayStation VR entirely at MWC. No big videos, posters or even a word was spoken about the PlayStation VR during Sony's press conference.
Sony President and CEO Kazuo Hirai, with Sony President of Mobile Communications Hiroki Totoki, unveiled a new line of Xperia phones (Xperia X, Xperia Performance and Xperia XA) alongside the Xperia Eye (first-person camera), Xperia Ear (Smart, Bluetooth-like ear piece), Xperia Projector (Interactive standalone projector) and Xperia Agent (smart home personalized assistant). Neither mentioned the PlayStation VR Monday.
“At Sony we have always been at the forefront of the industry” Totoki said.
It was not in regards to VR at MWC. Sony even decided to not include demos of the PlayStation VR at its booth in Barcelona.
Almost every major smartphone maker revealed its VR plans at CES or MWC this year. Friday Alcatel announced the packaging of its IDOL 4S doubles as a VR headset. The headset works with the phone and is launched by a “boom key.”
Sunday night, Samsung prominently used the Samsung Gear VR in its presentation of its latest flagship, the Galaxy S7. In fact, Samsung users who pre-order the S7 or S7 Edge get a free Gear VR. Its newest camera, the Gear 360, is also touted as a great VR sidekick.
Facebook CEO Marc Zuckerberg even made a surprise appearance at Samsung’s MWC press conference to talk about the powerful future virtual reality has in store.
“VR is the new platform,” Zuckerberg said Sunday. “Where anyone can create and experience anything they want.”
LG unveiled a super lightweight 360 VR headset during its MWC press conference. The goggles are about a third of the weight of the average headset because unlike other devices, it does not require you to insert a phone into the device. It's works by connecting a cable to the LG G5.
HTC announced the Vive at MWC 2015 but used 2016's show as its chance to reveal its (kinda expensive) $799 retail price. It is available to pre-order Feb. 20 and will ship in early April
Earlier this year, Oculus announced at CES that its device would retail for $599. Pre-orders went live that week and on Feb. 16 Oculus bundles became available to pre-order.
Sony did not release any specific release dates or prices for the products it revealed Monday. It said many of the devices will be release "this summer."
Stay with iDigitalTimes for updates about the PlayStation VR and for continued live coverage at MWC 2016 from Barcelona.
