If this PlayStation VR sub-$500 price listing is true then Sony wins

Okay, so online listings aren't hugely reliable, but when the Oculus price is coming in at $600 and the Vive is heading for [spit-take] $800, then even a whisper of PlayStation VR undercutting them is interesting.

And there's precedent as Sony has previously said that PlayStation VR will cost roughly the same as a new console, so this Czech listing placing the prices at $480/£350 (via geeklyng.net) isn't that far wide of the whispers. If it's true it could be the end of the format war as far as virtual reality goes.

Here's the thing - in these situations the best never wins, the cheapest, easiest to use does. By all accounts the Vive has the best specs but at $800 it's the top end of the range and requires some room-specific set up for its motion sensors, and a fairly hefty PC to run. You're either upgrading your current rig, or buying a fairly high spec thing new, all of which requires at least a cursory grasp of tech to do.

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The Oculus is cheaper but the same deal: you'll probably need a new PC, or an upgrade, and then there are all the wires. Have you got enough USB ports? Have you got the right USB ports? Your mate that phones up every time they have trouble with their Netflix proxy? They're not doing virtual reality without help.

PlayStation VR on the other hand requires the following: plug it into a PS4... done. It might not have the best stats, power, or any numbers on a list that beat its rivals but it's basically ready to go out the box in a way that anyone can grasp. If that price turns out to be true then it's over. While Valve and Oculus chase niche, tech savvy PC gamers, Sony will be putting a headset in every home. One of the main things holding back VR is that a lot of people haven't tried it, but those who do are almost all unanimously converted. Once one person gets a cheap, easy to use PS4 VR headset and lets their mates have a go, then word will spread and Vive and Oculus will lose any hope of a mainstream placing.

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I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.