Responding to public reaction to the news that PlayStation VR buyers will receive far less content on their packed-in demo disc depending on where they live, Sony has responded with some sound reasoning to explain things.

Recently, news stories circulated focusing on the imminent launch of Sony’s PlayStation VR (PSVR) headset and the contents shipped with the device. More specifically, that depending on which region you bought it in, you may well get less for your money, in particular in terms of the packed in demo disc Sony is shipping with every unit.

See Also: PlayStation VR: What You Do and Don’t Get in the Box
See Also: PlayStation VR: What You Do and Don’t Get in the Box

It turns out that US buyers of PSVR will be treated to a disc boasting significantly more content than Europeans, and by significantly we mean over twice as many. The EU disc will carry 8 demos in total (listed below) whereas the US will carry 18. Quite rightly there was some puzzlement (and a dash of anger) from the community as to this disparity.

However, Sony has now explained why this is the case and it’s all to do with the fact that Europe is somewhat of a melting pot of languages and cultures. Speaking to Digital Spy, a Sony spokesperson said that:

“Due to several considerations specific to our region, for example, age rating and localisation requirements, there is a difference in content between the US and European VR demo discs.”

See Also: Final Specs Show PSVR is Heaviest Among Rift and Vive, But It Still Gets My Vote for Best Ergonomics
See Also: Final Specs Show PSVR is Heaviest Among Rift and Vive, But It Still Gets My Vote for Best Ergonomics

But, there is a chance that Europeans may see their missing demo content made available via other methods at a later date, specifically downloadable from the PlayStation Store / PSN.

“We continue to explore the possibility of making further demos available for free download from the Store.”

It’ll be interesting to see how much of that content becomes available on or around launch for EU PSVR owners because as of now there’s a lot of cool games they’ll be missing out on. Find below a list of differences between the two.

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EU PlayStation VR Demo Disc Contents:

DriveClub VR – Evolution Studios
PlayStation VR Worlds – Sony London Studio
RIGS Mechanized Combat League – Guerrilla Games
Tumble VR – Supermassive Games
Battlezone – Rebellion
EVE: Valkyrie – CCP Games
Wayward Sky – Uber Entertainment
Headmaster – Frame Interactive

US PlayStation VR Demo Disc Contents:

Allumette – Penrose
Battlezone – Rebellion
DriveClub VR – SIE WWS
Eve: Valkyrie – CCP Games
Gnog – KO_OP
Harmonix Music VR – Harmonix Music Systems
Headmaster – Frame Interactive
Here They Lie – SIE WWS
Job Simulator – Owlchemy Labs
PlayStation VR Worlds – SIE WWS
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard: Kitchen Teaser – Capcom CO., LTD.
Rez Infinite – Enhance Games
Rigs Mechanized Combat League – SIE WWS
Thumper – Drool
Tumble VR – SIE WWS
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood – SIE WWS
Wayward Sky – Uber Entertainment
Within – Within

Sony’s PS4 (and soon PS4 Pro) powered PlayStation VR headset will launch on October 13th with an expected 50 titles available for the platform within the launch window.

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Paul James
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.
  • Bryan Ischo

    See … everyone should just speak English. Then everyone would be happy :)

    Just kidding!!!!

    • victor

      que me estas contando? jajaja por que mas bien no todos hablan español? :3

      • Bryan Ischo

        No demos for you!

  • MacGoose

    I think it’s because Sony really likes PC gaming and this is their way of saying “You really should have bought a Vive or a Rift and not this crappy PSVR”.

    Why else would Sony emphasize one of the really bad things of consoles and that being regions?

    • J.C.

      Troll much?
      It’s localization (as in language) that’s the barrier here.

      • Jim Cherry

        Considering how vive and rift cost more in europe i would say its a conspiracy someone is pulling the strings to make sure europe is behind in the vr race. /s

      • Dobba

        I’m English and live in England. I speak English, the same language Americans speak. So . . . ?

        • MacGoose

          Well, you do write color with ou. Very confusing :-)

          • Dobba

            You could ask who changed it then?

          • MacGoose

            I don’t think that matters to Sony. They probably have lots of games on that demo disk that somehow spell out color. And then some genius at Sony found out that the English probably wouldn’t understand it and they had these games removed from the disk.

            How else can you explain Sony throwing away money on two different disks when one disk would suffice?

          • Hotcakes

            Actually, the Brits were the ones who started using ou well afterward.

          • Dobba

            You may find that incorrect.

            http://grammarist.com/spelling/color-colour/

          • Hotcakes

            Or not?

            “Color, now regarded as the American spelling, in fact predates the United States by several centuries. “

          • Dobba

            Selective copy and paste, pedant. “The American preference for color took hold in the middle 19th century”.

          • Hotcakes

            “Color, now regarded as the American spelling, in fact predates the United States by several centuries. ”

            “Actually, the Brits were the ones who started using ou well afterward.”

            What is wrong with your comprehension?

          • Dobba

            What’s wrong with yours? It doesn’t say that on the page.

            To be honest, who gives a f*ck whether it’s color or colour other than someone that thinks “Murica! F*ck yeah!” etc.

          • Hotcakes

            Do a search for “Color, now regarded as the American spelling, in fact predates the United States by several centuries.” if you’re having trouble spotting it.

          • Demongo

            Nothing as far as I can tell. The article clearly states both uses predate the USA (as do a lot of things). Everybody else went with ‘ou’ as the preferred spelling and way after that the US decided to drop the ‘u’.

            So the question ‘why did you change it’ is perfectly valid as the world had pretty much settled on the preferred spelling and then you suddenly decided to be awkward.

            I was told previously and the story may be incorrect that it’s because the first publisher of a cheap, mass market American dictionary couldn’t spell very well and made arbitrary choices when picking between regional spellings. Webster?

      • MacGoose

        Except for the French I’m pretty sure most of Europe speaks English. Also, in % there are more people speaking English in Norway than there are people speaking English in USA.

        • Dobba

          Most of Europe doesn’t speak English as a first language, though it would definitely be the second language of most of Europe.

          • MacGoose

            Yes, that’s why I didn’t specify “first language”.

    • victor

      tan mierda que se va a llevar todo el mercado muy por encima de la mierda de oculus rift y de vive ;)

  • Strawb77

    can you not just download the ones you want from their store?
    when i got my vive [and several other recent hardwares] it didn`t even have a disc in the box- you go to their site and download the software pertinent to your needs
    i don`t even have an optical drive in my `puter fgs

  • Richard Fox

    So if its language: does that mean the British will get the US disc, with 18 games. Why do I really doubt that.

    • Maybe British people don’t like American accent :D

      • Richard Fox

        Accent, Oh we call it a speech impediment ;)

        • KLEEBAN KLIBAN

          Funny, us Americans love the way British people speak each word with so much purpose haha. When we hear British accents we think “refinement” (except for the dirtier British accents, but even those are a lot of fun for us). Actually when pretending to be classy, elegant or gentlemanly, it’s common for Americans to joke a British accent, especially when greeting friends. Aside from trolls on the internet, most of us have nothing but love for the dialect of our cousins over the pond. Guess it makes sense that our more casual accent is viewed as the exact opposite for you guys haha. Although you gotta admit, we done did good for a country of peasants

  • Michael Vallance

    Sony is short changing its non usa customers. Language is just a lazy excuse by the Japanese company.

  • OgreTactics

    I can’t believe Sony has been trashing and slashing their chance of being the best VR seller for absolutely no rational reason. PS4 Pro/Slim convinced no-one, PSVR is starting to be outdated and they continue on doing fuck-ups like the demo-discs…

    What’s wrong with them?