SONY-PROJECT MORPHEUS FOR PS4
It won't be arriving until the first half 2016, but gamers around
the world are likely already itching to get their hands on the impending Sony
"Project Morpheus" virtual reality headset that promises to take PS4
gaming to a whole new level of play.
Sony
Computer Entertainment (SCE) took the wraps off its VR headset prototype
Morpheus, a device SCE has been working on for just about a year. In fact, the initial announcement was one year ago
this month.
Since then Sony has been
gathering insight and feedback from consumers and developers, and the input
will lead to what Sony claims will be "the next level of immersion"
and "the future of gaming."
"With
the technical specs achieved on the new prototype, we are one step closer to
realizing our vision for making amazing VR experiences on PS4, and ultimately
to deliver a real sense of presence to players," said Shuhei Yoshida, president of SCE Worldwide Studios,
in an announcement on Tuesday.
"We believe that the
near-final technology of Morpheus combined with the power of PS4 will provide a
standard for game developers to target as they build on their creative ideas
and turn them into VR games and experiences," said Yoshida.
The Morpheus update came
at the 2015 Game Developers Conference on Tuesday. Sony says Morpheus provides
players a sense of presence -- as if they are within the game's scenario.
Sensors include a gyroscope and accelerometer. The screen features a 5.7-inch
1920 x RGB x 1080 resolution OLED display. The device supports 120fps output
and delivers 120 images per second.
"That's
[output] leaps and bounds beyond anything else out there and will go a long long
way to making things seem realistic from inside of your goofy screen
helmet," stated one early review on the headset.
Sony
isn't too far behind in the VR headset battle given HTC and Vive announced they
plan to ship their collaborative VR headset this year. Maybe being later out of
the gate may prove a winning strategy as newsreports the
HTC headset will feature a refresh rate of 90fps. The better the refresh rate
the better the experience for the user.
The current prototype
Morpheus headset currently boasts nine LEDs, supports 360-degree tracking and a
design that Sony says makes it easier to take on and off and a more comfortable
fit during play.
