Project Morpheus, Sony’s foray into virtual reality on PlayStation 4, will have its consumer launch in the first half of 2016.
Unveiling details of the exciting experience on Sony’s U.S. PlayStation Blog, SCE Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida has said that the system has come on leaps and bounds since its prototype reveal last year, with the ultimate goal now being the ability to ”deliver a sense of presence, making the player feel as though they’ve stepped inside the world of a game.”
Key to the reformulated Project Morpheus is the improved visual experience and tracking accuracy which Yoshida has mentioned as ”critical to achieving sense of presence.”
Here’s a rundown of the extensive tweaks Sony has made to system:
OLED display: In exchange for the 5 inch LCD, the new Morpheus VR headset is equipped with a 5.7 inch 1920 X RGB X 1080 resolution OLED display. This new screen expands the field of view and enables low persistence, removing motion blur.
120hz refresh rate: The previous refresh rate spec has been doubled for this new prototype, which means games for Morpheus can be rendered at 120fps. When combined with the OLED display’s high refresh rate and the power of PS4, Morpheus is able to output amazingly smooth visuals.
Super low latency: We know how critical low latency is to delivering a great VR experience, and we’ve reduced latency to less than 18ms, about half of what the first Morpheus prototype had. Low latency is critical to deliver a sense of presence, at the same time making the VR experience comfortable to players.
More accurate tracking: To make positional tracking more precise, we’ve added three LEDs to the headset – one on the front and two on the side – for a total of nine LEDs to support robust 360 degree tracking.
User-friendly design: We’ve made the Morpheus VR headset easier to put on and take off, with a single band design and quick release button. The headband supports the weight of the unit on the top of your head, so there is no pressure on your face. Other components have also been adjusted and configured to make the headset lighter, so that players do not find the headset cumbersome or uncomfortable to use.
Project Morpheus will also have a more comprehensive reveal at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles, with a whole host of game demos being available to the eager gaming public; as ever PlayStation Universe will be present to gives you the definitive hands-on report of the experience.
Are you excited to try out virtual reality with Project Morpheus on PS4? Let us know in the comments section below.