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Sony Unveils Virtual Reality Headset 'Project Morpheus'
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Shūhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, announced at this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Tuesday that Sony is developing "Project Morpheus," a virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4 system. The device is not a final product, but a work in progress.
Yoshida said during the presentation that "virtual reality is the next innovation from PlayStation that will [shape] the future of games." Yoshida added that Sony unveiled the device at GDC so that the company can "continue to improve on this prototype by gathering feedback from developers."
Richard Marks, senior director of research and development at Sony Computer Entertainment America, added that in order to create "presence," a VR device like Project Morpheus must have six key requirements: sight, sound, tracking, control, ease of use, and content. Marks also added that he is currently working with NASA to use the device for other purposes besides gaming.
Sony added that an effective VR device will have "low latency, high frame rates, clean visuals, and 3D audio." The company noted that the device will be "comfortable and friendly" and it will still work if the user also wears glasses.
Currently, the developer kits for the headset have a 1080p output display, 360-degree head tracking, a 90-degree field of view, PlayStation Move and DualShock 4 support, and a spatial sound system.
Sony is displaying several demos at GDC with Project Morpheus, including The Castle (a medieval combat game), EVE Valkyrie (a space dog-fighting game from CCP Games), The Deep (London Studio's game where players enter a diving cage and encounter deep sea predators), and Square Enix and Eidos Montreal's Thief.
[Via Polygon]
