It won't be arriving until the first half 2016, but gamers around the world are likely already itching to get their hands on the impending Sony "Project Morpheus" virtual reality headset that promises to take PS4 gaming to a whole new level of play.
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) took the wraps off its VR headset prototype Morpheus, a device SCE has been working on for just about a year, as Tech Times reported. In fact, the initial announcement was one year ago this month.
Since then Sony has been gathering insight and feedback from consumers and developers, and the input will lead to what Sony claims will be "the next level of immersion" and "the future of gaming."
"With the technical specs achieved on the new prototype, we are one step closer to realizing our vision for making amazing VR experiences on PS4, and ultimately to deliver a real sense of presence to players," said Shuhei Yoshida, president of SCE Worldwide Studios, in an announcement on Tuesday.
"We believe that the near-final technology of Morpheus combined with the power of PS4 will provide a standard for game developers to target as they build on their creative ideas and turn them into VR games and experiences," said Yoshida.
The Morpheus update came at the 2015 Game Developers Conference on Tuesday. Sony says Morpheus provides players a sense of presence -- as if they are within the game's scenario. Sensors include a gyroscope and accelerometer. The screen features a 5.7-inch 1920 x RGB x 1080 resolution OLED display. The device supports 120fps output and delivers 120 images per second.
"That's [output] leaps and bounds beyond anything else out there and will go a long long way to making things seem realistic from inside of your goofy screen helmet," stated one early review on the headset.
Sony isn't too far behind in the VR headset battle given HTC and Vive announced they plan to ship their collaborative VR headset this year. Maybe being later out of the gate may prove a winning strategy as news reports the HTC headset will feature a refresh rate of 90fps. The better the refresh rate the better the experience for the user.
The current prototype Morpheus headset currently boasts nine LEDs, supports 360-degree tracking and a design that Sony says makes it easier to take on and off and a more comfortable fit during play.
