The VR headset that was rumored to be developed by Sony was finally revealed at Game Developers Conference 2014.
The headset, now dubbed as Project Morpheus promises to be the next big innovation from Sony Computer Entertainment for the future of gaming. The prototype has a white visor and black eye-line design which also emits a blue glowing light. Shuhei Yoshida, head of SCE explained that the gaming industry has changed over the time and Virtual Reality may well shape the future of gaming. He also showed earlier concepts of Project Morpheus.
Project Morpheus will have the following features:
- 1080p display with 90 degree field of view
- Full 360 degree movement
- Accelerometer and Gyroscope sensors
- 3D Audio Technology
- 15mm Eye Relief
- Low Latency
- Forward prediction support
The prototype along with the Dual Shock 4 controller and the PlayStation Move promises to give an easy-to-use, plug-and-play Virtual Reality experience. PlayStation Research and Development Dr. Richard Marks mentioned that Sony is also teaming up with NASA for a project that involved having a virtual walk on the surface of Mars.
The Occulus Rift, which according to Yoshida, was the inspiration for Project Morpheus and they have an enormous amount of respect for the developers behind it. There are now a certain number of developers supporting Project Morpheus such as Epic Games and Crytek.
Sony showed off a demo during the conference called The Deep where you can take on an undersea adventure with the VR headset, They have also announced compatibility for Thief and EVE Valkyrie. As of now, Project Morpheus is still a prototype and there could be some changes or improvements, but from the reaction of developers and gamers, whether this was inspired or copied the concept of the Occulus Rift, this could be a start of a new revolution for gaming if done correctly.