Game stores charging £5 for 10 minutes of PlayStation VR
Pay to play
Tempted by PlayStation VR, but want to try before you buy into Sony's PlayStation take on virtual reality? Then you may want to steer clear of UK videogame retailer Game – unless your wallet is overflowing.
The shop is charging its customers to try Sony's PS4 headset, with a supervised demo costing £5 for 10 minutes of play, or £15 for 30 minutes. Ouch.
Thinking about purchasing #PSVR ? Come and try it in store today! £5 for 10 minutes or £15 for 30 minutes! 🎮 pic.twitter.com/bQd8pFI0tqOctober 22, 2016
Considering it can take a few minutes just to correctly calibrate the headset for each new user, not to mention the time needed to grow accustomed to the vagaries of VR itself if it's your first time, you may as well pay £5 to look at the box.
Virtual insanity?
The PlayStation VR headset costs £350 (before adding the sold-separately Move motion controllers and PlayStation camera if you don't already own them); so if you're looking to strap it on more than a few dozen times you may as well just buy it.
Game itself has had a tough few years, with the retailer entering administration in 2012 after suffering in the face of growing online competition. It's made a slow comeback, but moves like this won't ingratiate it with the game-playing public.
As for PlayStation VR, we think it's well worth a purchase, with or without a demo, as it's an affordable and (most importantly) fun entry into the virtual reality market.
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Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.