Shuhei Yoshida, Sony Worldwide Studios president, has revealed that the company has finally changed the name of their virtual reality HMD from Project Morpheus to PlayStation VR. This is because they intend to have the device strongly associated with the PlayStation console overall. According to Yoshida, PlayStation is known as a great entertainment and gaming system. It’s also known to offers enjoyable video content. The company, therefore, prefers a familiar name as opposed to an exotic one. The company believes that this way, the headset will ride in the success of the company’s previous products.
The VR headset embodies a 5.7 inch OLED display with a 1920 X RGB X 1080 resolution. This display expands the FOV enabling low persistence eliminating motion blur. The company has promised to double the refresh rate from 60 to 120 fps. Coupled with an OLED display, the user gets an outstandingly smooth visual experience. The entertainment giant has also made it a point to reduce the latency to 18ms. This is approximately a half of what the previous prototype had. Reduced latency is crucial in delivering a sense of presence and comfort to users.
It’s not known which other features will change. It’s going to be powered by PlayStation 4. It connects to PS through an HDMI and a secondary box. There possibility of developing a wireless headset has not been ruled just yet. It will be controlled using existing PlayStation Move controllers. It’s expected to offer to the 100-degree field of vision and a refreshing rate of 120Hz. It has 9 LEDs to track the back of the users head. The PlayStation Camera is capable of tracking the back of the user’s head.
Dennis Castleman, a hardware R&D engineer at Sony Computer Entertainment, confirmed that the PlayStation VR will be released next years as scheduled. He further confirmed that the actual hardware of the virtual reality HMD is ready. He said that the company is waiting for the game titles to catch up with the headset’s hardware. This is a clear sign that Sony is treating the headset more as a console release than as a competing product. Unlike the other famous VR HMDs like Gear VR and Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR has no top strap extending from the front right to the back of the user’s head. Instead, it has a small cap running from the top of the visor that helps to hold it securely in place. The VR’s launch is being scheduled to coincide with a roster of killer apps.
The name may not be exciting, but Sony has always been known to produce outstanding products. The entertainment giant has a track record of producing revolutionary products. There has been no quote on the retailing price just yet. Andrew House, Sony Computer Entertainment’s CEO only affirmed that the headset will be priced as a new gaming platform. The company will be taking the headset to Paris Games Week at the end of this month. It is expected that any new adjustments will be announced then.
