Find out how someone skeptical of the potential of virtual reality technology was convinced to buy PlayStation VR after Sony's E3 2016 press conference.

Ask almost any of the major gaming analysts out there, and they will tell you that virtual reality is set to be the next big thing in the industry, with some estimates claiming that virtual reality will be worth $40 billion by 2020. Even so, I personally had not bought into the hype, and long ago written off VR as a fad, like motion controls or 3D. Sony's E3 2016 press conference, however, has made me change my tune, and I am now excited to one day own a PlayStation VR headset.

Sony's press conference was one of the better E3 press conferences I've seen, with minimal chatter from suits and a whole lot of trailers and gameplay footage. Fan-pleasing moments like the announcement of Crash Bandicoot's return and the reveal of a new God of War game dominated the headlines following the conference, but for me, I was most intrigued with what Sony announced for PlayStation VR, as the company actually managed to sell me on the device by the time its E3 press conference wrapped.

The first PlayStation VR game that caught my eye when I was watching Sony's press conference at E3 2016 was Batman: Arkham VR from Rocksteady. While it is apparently meant to be a short, one hour experience, the prospect of being able to play as one of the most famous superheroes of all time in the virtual reality space is a hard opportunity to pass up. Considering Rocksteady's legacy of creating critically-acclaimed Batman games, Batman: Arkham VR seems like it has potential to be a great experience, and its October 2016 release date means it could very well be a launch title for the device. Sony must have realized that if there's one way to sell people on PlayStation VR without having them actually demo the hardware, having Batman at or around launch is the way to do it.

Another VR game that will be available within the PlayStation VR's release month is Here They Lie, an interesting horror project in development at Sony's celebrated Santa Monica Studio. Here They Lie wasn't shown during Sony's actual press conference, but it was present at E3 nevertheless, and its E3 reveal trailer was creepy enough for the game to rank among the best horror games shown at E3 2016.

With the likes of Batman: Arkham VR and Here They Lie as part of the lineup, PlayStation VR's launch window is starting to look rather impressive, but it's still not enough to convince me to drop $400 on the headset. What makes the device worth the asking price, in my opinion, is the number of promising projects that are set to launch a little after PlayStation VR's October 13th release date.

This includes some lesser known games like Golem, which is in development by a group of former Bungie employees, and a number of other projects in development for it by various gaming studios. However, the game I am anticipating most for PlayStation VR is Resident Evil VII from Capcom, which is arguably the device's biggest blockbuster release on the horizon.

Even though I personally am enthusiastic about Resident Evil VII, some have expressed their disappointment in the game being a first-person experience. I have been a fan of the franchise since its inception, and while I love traditional Resident Evil gaming experiences, I am also excited about the potential of first-person Resident Evil using PlayStation VR, and I think that it will prove to be one of the key games in the hardware's lineup when it releases on January 24th of next year.

Resident Evil VII is playable from beginning to end with PlayStation VR, of course, but it's also playable without the headset. And that's another reason why I've been convinced to purchase PlayStation VR: It can enhance games that aren't necessarily meant to be full VR experiences.

Resident Evil VII is one example of how PlayStation VR will be able to enhance generally non-VR games, but another is Final Fantasy XV. Final Fantasy XV will allow players to see the game through the eyes of Prompto, one of Notcis' party members, and battle enemies from a first-person perspective. While it probably won't be the best example of VR's power, it could still provide for a fun distraction, and will add value to the PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy XV that simply won't be available in other versions of the game.

With its $399 price point positioning it as one of the cheapest virtual reality options on the market, a promising lineup of launch window games, and some very appealing games due to release for the headset in the future, Sony has convinced me to purchase PlayStation VR. I can't wait to try it out for myself, and assuming I am able to find one, I look forward to purchasing PlayStation VR on launch day.

PlayStation VR will be available on October 13th, and will work exclusively with PlayStation 4.

Source: Super Data Research