Though the PlayStation 5’s release window was just announced, it looks like Sony might be working on another new piece of hardware alongside its next-gen console: a new, much better equipped VR headset.
The information comes from a new patent filing, first dug up by Let’s Go Digital. The name might sound familiar because it’s the site that first posted images of the PS5 dev kit that ended up being actually how the thing looks after all.
This new PS VR headset would come with two cameras in the front and a camera in the back, presumably for better and more accurate movement tracking. Added to that is a new PS Move-style motion controller with its own camera, though how it would be used isn’t yet clear.
However, there’s also some indication the front cameras would be used in other ways new to VR, thanks to the front panels being partially transparent.
One is combining the VR experience with augmented reality (AR), where a game could juxtapose virtual objects onto the real world, and players would actually be able to see them.
Also included in the plans is a stereoscopic 3D effect where different images are sent to each eye.
This new PS VR set would reportedly be Bluetooth enabled, meaning it can be played without a cord and would apparently have its own audio supply as well.
The patent was filed back in February, but was only made public recently and can be found here. Back in May, Sony’s Global Head of R&D Dominic Mallinson told CNET what we could expect out of the next-gen PSVR.
Of course, this is just a patent, and the real thing might be completely different — or never appear at all. Still, while the PlayStation 5 era of VR is still presumably a ways off, the most recent State of Play shows Sony shows no signs of slacking up on VR support any time soon.
Source: Let’s Go Digital
Published: Oct 9, 2019 11:20 am