In a surprise move by both Sony and Crytek, it’s been announced that the forthcoming built-for-VR title Robinson: The Journey is to be a PlayStation VR exclusive when it launches next year.

The Paris Games Show was a real tour de force for console gaming giant Sony as it pulled out all the stops to put its forthcoming PlayStation 4 based virtual reality platform PlayStation VR front and centre in it’s special press conference at the event.

There were a slew of titles that received new trailers, some new announcements too, but the biggest coup for the PlayStation brand perhaps was the platform exclusive deal reached with developer Crytek to bring it’s extremely promising VR-only title only to PlayStation VR.

See Also: Hands-on: Crytek’s ‘Robinson The Journey’ Prototype is a Visual Feast, Built for Motion Controls

Prior to PGW, the title whose heritage stems from VR tech demonstration series ‘Return to Dinosaur Island’, had been demonstrated liberally using Oculus’ Rift VR headset and high-spec PC base-stations, leading everyone to believe that the title would land on Crytek’s traditionally preferred platform, the PC. However, conversations with Crytek never yielded any concrete information about release dates or even specific VR platforms the game might appear on come release. Seems the firm was biding its time as it secured what has now transpired to be a very high profile exclusive with Sony.

The move is important for a couple of reasons, but primarily it demonstrates Sony’s commitment to making VR a think on it’s console platform. Not only did PlayStation executives have their finger on the pulse of the VR scene firmly enough to make the call, they clearly had the tenacity (and doubtless the money) to follow it through.

back to dinosaur island 2 robinson the journey prototype e3 2015 (3)

Elsewhere however, it’s a move that will doubtless have PC VR enthusiasts and PSVR skeptics a little upset this morning as one of the most promising triple-A VR titles may not see the light of day for PC gamers. Arguments that the title may now be compromised visually, are also (somewhat predictably) already beginning to burn – especially as the new trailer released yesterday looks very much like target render footage, albeit perhaps using CRYENGINE.

But Crytek are seemingly over the moon at the move and in a blog post published yesterday, Crytek’s Director of Production, David Bowman, said: “PlayStation VR is the ideal platform for Robinson: The Journey. Our work with Sony so far has made it clear that they want to deliver the most immersive and unique home VR experiences imaginable to gamers, and we’re working hard to make sure Robinson fits that description perfectly.”

See Also: Crytek’s David Bowman “We’re One of the Largest VR Teams on the Planet”

Bowman himself told us at E3 that Crytek had invested big in virtual reality, boasting that at the time they had “..one of the biggest VR teams on the planet,” and later in the year at Gamescom, Crytek’s Executive Producer Elijah Freeman told us that Robinson was “…One IP in my career that’s likely to show the most promise”

See Also: Crytek Executive Producer on ‘Robinson’: “This Is the One IP in My Career That’s Likely to Show the Most Promise”

PlayStation VR will launch in Q2 2016, just after the Oculus Rift and Valve’s Steam VR flagship headset the HTC Vive in Q1. It’s not yet clear when we’re likely to see Robinson: The Journey however.

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Based in the UK, Paul has been immersed in interactive entertainment for the best part of 27 years and has followed advances in gaming with a passionate fervour. His obsession with graphical fidelity over the years has had him branded a ‘graphics whore’ (which he views as the highest compliment) more than once and he holds a particular candle for the dream of the ultimate immersive gaming experience. Having followed and been disappointed by the original VR explosion of the 90s, he then founded RiftVR.com to follow the new and exciting prospect of the rebirth of VR in products like the Oculus Rift. Paul joined forces with Ben to help build the new Road to VR in preparation for what he sees as VR’s coming of age over the next few years.
  • crim3

    Bam! In your face! Certainly bad news. And here it comes, the wave of “exclusive for”, and we are still months from the consumer HMD’s to see the light of day.
    I wonder how much harm are they going to do to VR adoption.

  • SuperDre

    I’m pretty sure the shown trailer wasn’t on the PS4 with VR ON, a highend PC already has trouble with rendering something looking like that on the Oculus Rift..

    • Vern

      What does that matter? Every trailer is actually done on pc am i wrong games are all developed, on pc what is your point?

      • Ryan Snaca AniloHectycle

        His point is blatantly, the PS4 wont be able to pull that off. The neo might, but the marketing of 4k? LOL. Sure…

  • Jimp

    This is not going to help the industry. I can only barely afford one when it comes out.

  • Jimp

    Kind of like the iphone. I go with the company that made it happen. All others are just followers.

    • SuperDre

      Except it wasn’t the iPhone that made it happen, there were already other manufacterers that had touchscreen phones…
      And I wouldn’t be suprised if there were people who would take the assets of the PlaystationVR version and just use them with their license of the cryengine..

      • jumpinjax

        Yeah, but all the other touch screen phones at that point were crap. The iPhone was the first “good” one, which launched that market.

    • crim3

      What is the logic of that? As a consumer, I just select the best fit to my needs. Why stick to a brand beyond that?

    • augure

      Yep no wonder you don’t have money, you are the opposite of bright.

  • Jimp

    Which is not PS4.

  • augure

    Not surprised, I would do the same and encourage most developper to as well. PS4 (or even Xbox One) is the way to go for High-End VR. PCs have become an unbearable mess of incompatibilities, drivers issues, bugs, bugs and more bugs, even a DK2 barely works correctly on any machine we try it on and it has gotten worse with the update. If you want fluid, uninterrupted, optimized VR experience then either Mobile or Console VR is the way to go. Tired of PC mess on which even the biggest company can’t release one game without it being a big failure or incompatibilities and bugs.

    • teddy70

      10 month update? VR on PC with a GTX1070 seems pretty awesome so far. Only thing we see for mobile and console VR is exclusivity…what consumers don’t need more of.

  • MBP MBP

    I have a Vive, no way I’m buying the Sony. Want my money? Put it on Steam.

    • Vahdyx

      Appears the PSVR is outselling the Rift and Vive combined almost twice in the 1 month it’s been out vs the 7-8 months both has been out. HTC and Facebook need to do a better job marketing or lower some prices to compete it seems.

      With the way it is going, it seems more and more games will be PSVR only with a slight chance of a PC port unfortunately.

  • Ned Hoon

    Getting a Rift myself but I have no problem with this being a PS4 exclusive its very early days in VR and software will only get better as lessons are learned.Not a biggie.

    • torreth

      Im getting a Playstation VR myself. What I think people need to understand right now is that any VR games or other media that can come forward despite the differences in brand names and convince the masses to accept VR as a powerful and valuable medium only adds to the benefit of all VR tech. Playstation VR is the most important one at the moment because it is the cheapest entry level system that may get the less computer savvy consumer to give it a try.

  • Ryan Snaca AniloHectycle

    Pro tip. It will release on the console first. This will help the neo sale. The GPU architecture is going to be basically the same even come vega. GCN. Its no different in the PS4, and the coming neo, potentially polaris. Its easier to write software for one set of hardware first, and once they have money rolling in, they can tackle the master race market. It will come to PC, mark my words as prophesy, they just arent going to tell the public that.

  • Spencer Patches Parnell

    psvr is the ideal move for any company that wants to destroy their VR departmeny