PlayStation VR release date: Has GameStop's CEO accidentally revealed Sony launch plans?

GameStop CEO Paul Raines has confirmed in an interview with Fox News that the company plans to support the release of Sony's PlayStation VR headset. While there is nothing particularly notable about one of the largest game retailers in the world suggesting the company will support Sony's foray into virtual reality, what he probably was not meant to say was that they will be offering said backing during the headset's launch "this fall".

Up until now the PlayStation VR has had a vague release schedule, although most reports had it earmarked for launch in the first half of 2016. If Raines is correct, Sony could well have pushed back the launch of the headset, a move that would separate it from the launches of the Facebook-backed Oculus Rift this March and the HTC Vive in April.

Raines's remarks can be heard just after the 3:34 in the below video, where he also discusses the potential market size of VR as being an unknown quantity. He cites a Goldman Sachs report that suggests the virtual and augmented reality industry could become an $80bn (£56bn, €72bn) market by 2025.

While it might be tempting for PlayStation 4 owners to starting saving their pennies for an autumn release based on Raines's accidental candour, they will have to wait for either the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March or, more likely, until Sony take the stage at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles in June for an official release date and a confirmed price tag.