LONDON — Will Sony allow virtual porn on its upcoming PlayStation VR platform?
At this point, the Japanese electronics maker hasn't publicly disclosed whether it will open up its closed platform to adult entertainment producers. Many, however, noting the company’s history, say it will be a no-go.
But could that spell trouble ahead for the PlayStation as more consumers get curious about VR porn?
Naughty America’s chief information officer recently noted that the upcoming PlayStation VR could easily go the same way as the Betamax video tape if it puts the brakes on porn and not allow it on its console. Naughty America is one of the pioneering adult studios that offers VR porn.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Naughty America’s Ian Paul said: “The big elephant in the VR porn room is Sony’s PlayStation, and the firm has been burned twice before by not allowing adult content."
“If you look at VHS versus Betamax, Sony lost because of their refusal to support the adult industry,” he told Express.co.uk. “Sony then backed Blu-Ray over HD DVD and in the 11th hour they finally conceded to allow adult entertainment which helped them win the HD movie battle.
“So it proves the adult industry could be a tiebreaker when it comes to these situations,” he said. “Hopefully Sony won’t make the same mistake because, otherwise, the adult industry and consumers are going to put their weight behind another contender.”
VR porn is still a relatively small segment of the porn market with a reported two percent of fans consuming content in an immersive fashion. That figure is thought to rise
Research firm Juniper Research predicts wearable VR headsets will see shipments of close to 30 million by 2020, up from the 3 million predicted in 2016.
Piper Jaffray, another large research firm, sees virtual reality revenue exceeding $1 billion by 2020.
PlayStation VR is slated for release in the first half of the year, though a price point for the headset has yet to be announced.
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