Our Patently Mobile site first reported that Sony was working on a VR headset in 2013 in a report titled "A New Sony Patent Sheds light on a Future Gaming Headset." Sony's second patent application on a new gaming headset surfaced in late February was revealed in our report titled "Sony Patent Shows they're in a Race to Deliver a PS Gaming Headset & Magic Glove to Compete with Oculus." Both Patents showed that the system would require a separate head tracking system that was revealed today in an announcement from Sony. The patent also revealed new accessories like a bracelet and/or glove is in the works to better control game play.

Sony's Andrew House, President and Global CEO, announced today that "With the annual Game Developers Conference in full swing, I'm pleased to give you an exciting update on PlayStation VR. Today, we are announcing that the PlayStation VR headset will launch in October of this year for a suggested retail price of USD $399 / CAD $549."

That is a bit later than the timeframe we previously stated, and I want to thank everyone for their patience and continued support. PlayStation VR represents a transformative experience in gaming, and we wanted to take the time needed to launch with a broad variety of content and a sufficient supply of hardware. We are beyond excited to deliver to consumers the amazing experience that PS VR offers. I'm also pleased to reveal the final consumer version of PS VR, including all of the contents that will come in the package.

Today more than 230 developers are building content for PlayStation VR, from smaller independent teams to larger studios at the industry's top publishers. We expect to have more than 50 games available from launch in October 2016 until the end of the year."

The Verge adds needed news to the press release by revealing that VR users will have to pony up an additional US$60 for a special VR head tracking camera. In addition, other accessories like a "Sony Move" controller will be sold separately (no price given).

With VR headsets beginning to take off as a new wearables category, it's great to know that Apple now has a large team working on their version of such a device that is likely to go far beyond mere gaming.

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