GETTY • YOUTUBE • BADOINK VR The success of Sony's virtual reality gaming goggles – PlayStation VR – could rest on online porn

PlayStation will launch its first Virtual Reality headset later this year, bringing an immersive new experience to video games. Sony hopes the gadget goggles will transform video games, but the head of one of the most profitable online porn firms believes the success of the headset depends on adult movies. Online porn is a booming business – and virtual reality is spearheading a rapid increase in web traffic and revenue. Sales of Virtual Reality porn films are up with around 3.2 million worldwide visits in October 2015 alone and 20 to 30 million people are expected to be viewing this type of content by the end of the year.

Although it’s not officially supported by the manufacturers, VR porn can currently be viewed on all the latest headsets including Samsung’s Gear VR, the Oculus Rift and HTC’s Vive glasses. However one system that has yet to openly talk about porn is PlayStation. Sony has a closed platform with content only being available through official apps on the console.

NAUGHTY AMERICA 20 million people are expected to be viewing VR porn by the end of 2016

This means the Japanese gaming giant must decide if virtual porn will be allowed before adult film companies can embrace the platform. And top porn boss Ian Paul believes a VR porn ban from Sony could spell trouble for the brand. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Chief Information Officer of Naughty America Ian Paul said the PlayStation VR could easily go the same way as the Betamax video tape. Discussing the future of the PlayStation VR, Mr Paul said: “The big elephant in the VR porn room is Sony’s PlayStation and the firm has been burned twice before by not allowing adult content.

NAUGHTY AMERICA The online VR porn business is expected to be worth almost a billion dollars by 2017

“If you look at VHS versus Betamax, Sony lost because of their refusal to support the adult industry. “Sony then backed Blu-Ray over HD DVD and in the eleventh hour they finally conceded to allow adult entertainment which helped them win the HD movie battle. “So it proves the adult industry could be a tiebreaker when it comes to these situations. “Hopefully Sony won’t make the same mistake because, otherwise, the adult industry and consumers are going to put their weight behind another contender.”