$2K/unit? That's a gigantic overestimate. High quality head tracking is practically free today thanks to advances in cameras and MEMS sensors; you don't need laser gyros. The Oculus Rift costs $300, and is almost good enough for a home console. The only major improvement needed is a better display, which needn't cost more if sourced in quantities large enough, which Sony or Microsoft could definitely do. $500 for a complete system with display, controller, and console is definitely achievable, and that's the price point the PS3 started at. VR is absolutely feasible today.
As I said further downthread, I think a lot of people got disillusioned with VR because there's a lot of crappy hardware out there. Even the expensive stuff is crap. I tried Canon's augmented reality system at SIGGRAPH last year and the latency and FOV were awful, despite the $120,000 cost. But it doesn't have to be that way, and the Oculus Rift is the proof.
Nintendo saw the possibility of doing something new with the Wii, using then-new technology (MEMS sensors, tiny low-power cameras) to make an old, lame, expensive concept (motion control) work for the mass market, and was rewarded handsomely for it. If someone had that foresight with VR they could be making a killing right now.
I too look forward to the OR system shipping. Go through the latest parts list for the OR device and check on availability 2 years ago. Things are moving along and that is great, they weren't there when Nintendo was using MEMS accelerometers and CMOS camera modules in their remote.
As I said further downthread, I think a lot of people got disillusioned with VR because there's a lot of crappy hardware out there. Even the expensive stuff is crap. I tried Canon's augmented reality system at SIGGRAPH last year and the latency and FOV were awful, despite the $120,000 cost. But it doesn't have to be that way, and the Oculus Rift is the proof.
Nintendo saw the possibility of doing something new with the Wii, using then-new technology (MEMS sensors, tiny low-power cameras) to make an old, lame, expensive concept (motion control) work for the mass market, and was rewarded handsomely for it. If someone had that foresight with VR they could be making a killing right now.