Sony is ready to venture into virtual reality. The Japanese tech company planned to launch a virtual reality headset in 2016. The device, which is called Project Morpheus, was formally announced by Sony on Tuesday during a game developers conference.
Sony hopes to upgrade gaming experience
The VR headset was unveiled as a prototype at last year’s game developer gathering. It was designed to work with the Sony Playstation 4 and camera game system. It works by covering the user’s vision and simulating virtual worlds onscreen. The updated version looks similar to the original, but the new version was designed to redistribute weight to the back of the head. It also features a special screen that slides back and forth to accommodate prescription eyeglasses.
The official price of the Project Morpheus headset not yet known. The prototype comes with a large OLED screen with a nearly 100-degree field. It comes with the capability of rendering imagery up to 120 frames per second. There are also nine LED lights on the exterior of the device. Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios executive Shuhei Yoshida says the company’s goal is to make the game player feel as if he or she stepped into the game. It improves user experience and tracks accuracy.
Sony offers a look at VR technologies
Sony showed off the prototype yesterday with four technical demos. Sony is serious about revamping the video game industry, and virtual reality technology may be the way to do it.
Sony isn’t the only company to launch virtual reality technologies. Facebook purchased independent tech company Oculus VR for $2.3 billion. Although the highly anticipated Oculus Rift has yet to launch into the broader market, tech companies realize the potential of virtual reality-based technologies and want to be the first to implement it in people’s lives. Samsung also introduced a set of VR goggles that work with Galaxy phones.
