Sony Unveils Project Morpheus, a Virtual Reality Headset for PS4
SAN FRANCISCO —As rumored, Sony today (Mar. 18) announced a virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4. Called Project Morpheus, the device joined the growing ranks of virtual reality gaming hardware at the Game Developers Convention (GDC) in San Francisco, Calif. No price and availability information has been released yet, as Sony says the device is still in development.
Project Morpheus is a sleek white headset with a curved black visor that goes over the eyes and has blue lights on the trim. "Nothing elevates the level of immersion more than virtual reality," said Shuhei Yoshida, Sony's President of Worldwide Studios, as he unveiled the device.
MORE: Xbox One vs PlayStation 4: Console Comparison
Yoshida revealed that Sony has been working on virtual reality for several years now, using its PlayStation Move motion controller technology as a baseline. The prototype shown at GDC has a 1080p resolution and a minimum of 90 degrees of display. Sony would not disclose specifics about the finished product.
Designed to fit any head and even over glasses, the headset features open and adjustable design to avoid fogging and overheating, Sony said. It will also support custom headphones.
Project Morpheus will integrate with the PlayStation DualShock controller and the PlayStation Camera. In fact, Sony also suggested that the PlayStation 4's camera had been designed with virtual reality in mind.
Sony is already working on a Project Morpheus demo that puts players on the surface of Mars, partnering with NASA to use data collected by the Mars Curiosity Rover to create an immersive experience.
Virtual reality has been a strong trend at GDC so far, but Sony's entrance into the virtual reality space adds a whole new weight to this growing gaming trend. Yoshida said Sony chose GDC to reveal the device because they wanted to get feedback from the other developers and videogame professionals.
Project Morpheus and a few different demos, including one based on the recent first-person stealth game "Thief," will be testable on the GDC show floor, so we'll add our own impressions when we get a chance to try it out ourselves.
Email jscharr@techmedianetwork.com or follow her @JillScharr and Google+. Follow us @TomsGuide, on Facebook and on Google+.
Copyright 2014 Toms Guides , a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
