When it comes to gaming technology, Sony isn’t the most innovative company in terms of hardware. The Dualshock was a response to the N64’s analog stick. PS Move was birthed from WiiMote envy. The new PS4 Eye looks eerily similar to Kinect. Sony’s essentially like the BASF of gaming: they don’t make the technology, they make it better.
And now, the company has set its sights set on the growing VR trend with a device they’re nicknamed Morpheus. At the “Driving the Future of Innovation at Sony” GDC keynote yesterday, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida discussed how VR is going to change gaming in the (near) future, and how Sony wants to stay at the front of it.
Much like the trailblazing Oculus Rift, Sony’s Morpheus is a head-mounted display. It registers at 1080p internal screen resolution and has a 90-degree field of view. The device tracks the head using the PS Eye camera, hence the glowing blue lights emitted off of it. This, along with internal gyroscopes and accelerometers, allows for some incredibly accurate, though admittedly complex, tracking. It’ll be realistic, that’s for sure.
Not only will it work with the standard Dualshock 4, but it’ll also be Move compatible. This could lead to some novel and immersive games, if you’re willing to plunk down what will probably be a hella lot of cash for all the accessories.
There’s no date given for the device, but folks at GDC (including our own John) will have the luck to try out demos of EVE Valkyrie, Thief, a diving game and a castle-exploration game.
Image credit: Sony
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