Sony's PlayStation VR doesn't come out until October, but Plantronics is already working on a major accessory for it: the RIG 4VR, a gaming audio headset.
The RIG 4VR is based on the Plantronics RIG 500$59.99 at Amazon, the company's modular gaming headset line, and considers the unique fit of the PlayStation VR (which uses a locking headband system different from the three-strap harness of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift). The RIV 4VR uses vented earcups with a narrower design than the RIG 500 earcups, so it fits better on the head alongside a PlayStation VR and allows ambient noise to reach the ears to preserve the user's equilibrium.
The PlayStation VR uses a small connector box that hangs at mid-chest, so the RIG 4VR's main cable is shorter than a RIG 500 and designed to be plugged into thePlayStation 4's$387.00 at Amazon DualShock 4 gamepad. Plantronics estimates the length between the head and the PlayStation VR's connector to be around 1.5 feet, while the length between the head and a controller would be over 4 feet. Because of this, the cable will be approximately 1.5 feet, and include clips for securing it alongside the PlayStation VR's video cable. The headset will also include a longer cable to work with the DualShock 4, so the RIG 4VR can be used easily without the PlayStation VR.
The RIG 4VR supports all RIG 500 accessories. Users can swap out the headband for additional colors, plug in new microphones, and even user different earcups if they wish.
While Plantronics tuned the RIG 4VR's 40mm drivers with the PlayStation VR in mind, meanwhile, the RIG 4VR is still a stereo headset that connects to devices with an analog, 3.5mm cable. The positional audio it produces when connected to the PlayStation VR will be entirely thanks to Sony's headset and motion tracking; the RIG 4VR won't do any audio processing itself. That said, an audio headset designed to be comfortably worn with the PlayStation VR could fill a hole Sony has left open.
Plantronics plans to launch the RIG 4VR alongside the PlayStation VR this October for $69.99.
