PlayStation VR
Also known as | Project Morpheus (code name) |
---|---|
Developer | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Manufacturer | Sony |
Product family | PlayStation |
Type | Virtual reality headset |
Generation | 1 |
Release date | October 2016[1] |
Introductory price | |
Display | 5.7" OLED, 100° field of view |
Graphics | 1080p RGB (960xRGBx1080 per eye; 90-120Hz refresh rate)"[1] |
Sound | 3D audio through headphone jack, and available microphone input |
Input | Positional tracking with 9 LED's via PlayStation Camera |
Controller input |
|
Camera | PlayStation Camera |
Touchpad | None |
Website | Official website |
PlayStation VR, known by the codename Project Morpheus during development, is a virtual reality gaming head-mounted display developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment and manufactured by Sony,[2] scheduled to launch in October 2016.[1]
It is designed to be fully functional with the PlayStation 4 home video game console. In certain games and demos for the VR, the player wearing the headset acts separately from other players without the headset. The video output projects differently for the headset and the console, and sometimes requires the PlayStation Move controllers.[3]
The PlayStation VR has a 5.7 inch OLED panel, with an RGB sub-pixel matrix resolution of 1080p, or 960xRGBx1080 per eye.[4][5] The headset also has a processor box which allows the headset to "second screen" the video output directly towards any monitor, as well as elevate the 3D audio effect used in 3.5mm headphone jacks.[4][6] The headset also has 9 positional LED's on its surface for the PlayStation Camera to track 360 degree head movement,[4][7] and connects to the PlayStation by HDMI or USB.
History
Sony's interest in head-mounted technology dates back to the 1990s. Its first commercial unit, the Glasstron, was released in 1997.[8] One application of this technology was in the game MechWarrior 2, which permitted users of the Glasstron or Virtual I/O's iGlasses to adopt a visual perspective from inside the cockpit of the craft, using their own eyes as visual and seeing the battlefield through their craft's own cockpit.[9]
In early 2014, Sony Computer Entertainment research and development engineer Anton Mikhailov said his team had been working on Project Morpheus for more than three years. According to Mikhailov, the PlayStation 3 Move peripheral, itself revealed in June 2009, was designed with unspecified, future head-mounted technology in mind. "We specced it and built it to be a VR controller, even though VR wasn’t a commodity. As engineers, we just said it was the right thing to do. At the time, we didn't have a consumer-grade project that we could work on, but it was definitely designed with that vision in mind."[10] Shuhei Yoshida, the president of Sony's worldwide studios, also said the project started as "grassroots" activity among engineers and programmers, which came into focus in 2010 once the Move controller had been released.[11] Sony also went on record to say it is mandatory for all games to have no less than 60 frames per second at all times.[12]
Project Morpheus was first announced at The 2014 Game Developers Conference. Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida introduced the device on March 18, 2014 and stated Project Morpheus was "the next innovation from PlayStation that will [shape] the future of games."[13]
On September 15, 2015, it was announced that Project Morpheus would be officially named PlayStation VR.[14]
On October 8, 2015, Sony acquired SoftKinetic, a tech startup whose focus includes visual depth-sensing gesture recognition, for an undisclosed amount.[15]
On November 2, 2015, Sony confirmed that they were still aiming for a release in the first half of 2016. On March 15, 2016, at the Game Developers Conference, Sony confirmed that the release date will be in October 2016, with price tag of $399 in the US, €399 in Europe, £349 in the UK, and 44,980 yen in Japan.[16][17]
Hardware
The prototype revealed at GDC'15 included an OLED 1920x1080 pixel display (providing 960x1080 px resolution per eye) with an RGB subpixel matrix,[5] and is capable of displaying content at 120fps.[1] It features a FOV of 100°, 6DOF head-tracking, stereoscopic 3D, and unwarped output to a TV, either for others to view what the headset wearer sees, or a separate display to compete against the headset user using a standard PS4 controller.
Features
Cooperative gameplay
PlayStation VR is capable of rendering two different images simultaneously: one display for the headset and a completely different image for television. The purpose, Sony says, is to prevent VR from invariably being a solitary experience.[18]
Japan Studio has made a new demo called Monster Escape. So that's a five-player game; one versus four. One being the person wearing Morpheus [PlayStation VR]. And if you're in Morpheus, you become the Monster. And the four people holding the DualShock and looking at the TV and playing the game like a regular game [are] against the monster. ... And actually, third-party devs were ahead of us in terms of making the game called Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. ... One person is wearing Morpheus and that person looks at the bomb, like a time bomb. And in order to stabilize it, the other person [watching the television] who is not wearing Morpheus, has an instruction manual. And that person has to tell the person wearing Morpheus how to do the job. But that person doesn't see what the person wearing Morpheus sees. So they have to communicate. ... So that's a social experience.[18]
Cinematic mode
All standard PlayStation 4 games can be played in a "cinematic mode" that simulates a five-meter screen within a virtual space, Sony has said. Users can also view 360-degree photographs and videos, that are captured by devices such as omnidirectional cameras, through the media player. Other features, such as Share Play and Live from PlayStation, will also be compatible within the headset.[19]
Games
Title | Genre(s) | Developer(s) | Publisher(s) | Exclusive | Europe | Japan | North America | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100ft Robot Golf | No Goblin | No Goblin | Timed | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | [20] | |
Ace Combat 7 | Combat flight simulator | Project Aces | Bandai Namco Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Albino Lullaby | Horror | Ape Law | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Allumette | Penrose Studios | Penrose Studios | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
The Apollo 11 VR Experience | Simulation | David Whelan | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [21] | |
Aquarion Evol | Satelight | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [22] | ||
Atom Universe | Theme park | Atom Republic | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Adrift | First-person adventure | Three One Zero | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [23] | |
Ark: Survival Evolved | Action-adventure | Studio Wildcard | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
The Assembly | nDreams | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [24] | ||
Battlezone | Vehicular combat | Rebellion Developments | Timed | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | ||
Bebylon Battle Royale | Brawler | Kite & Lightning | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | ||
Chernobyl VR Project | Adventure | The Farm 51 | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Classroom Aquatic | Sunken Places | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | ||
Crystal Rift | Dungeon crawler | Psytec Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Cult County | Renegade Kid | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | |||
Cyber Danganronpa VR | Spike Chunsoft | Spike Chunsoft | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Dead Secret | Horror | Robot Invader | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Distance | Racing | Refract Studios | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Driveclub | Racing | Evolution Studios | Sony Computer Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] |
Eagle Flight | Ubisoft | Ubisoft | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Earthlight | Opaque Media | Opaque Media | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | ||
The Easel | Music | Harmonix Music Systems | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Eclipse | First-person adventure | White Elk Studios | White Elk Studios | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Eve: Valkyrie | Space shooter | CCP Games | No | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | [25] | |
Fated | Action-adventure | Frima | Frima | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Final Approach | Simulation | Phaser Lock Interactive | Phaser Lock Interactive | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Final Fantasy XIV | Role-playing | Square Enix | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Futuridium VR | Shoot 'em up | MixedBag Games | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
The Gallery: Six Elements | First-person adv | Cloudhead Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Gang Beasts | Party | Boneloaf Games | Double Fine Prod. | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Gary the Gull | Interactive movie | Limitless / Motional | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Get Even | First-person shooter | The Farm 51 | Bandai Namco Ent. | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
GNOG | Puzzle | KO-OP | Timed | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Godling | First-person adv | Solfar Studios | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Golem | Adventure | Highwire Games | Highwire Games | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Gran Turismo Sport | Sim racing | Polyphony Digital | Sony Computer Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Harmonix Music VR | Music, rhythm | Harmonix Music Systems | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Headmaster | Football | Frame Interactive | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Holodance | Music, rhythm | Narayana Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
The Hum: Abductions | Horror, Sci-fi | Totwise Studios | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Hyper Void | Space-shooter | IN|Framez Technology | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
iO Moon | Adventure | Headtrip Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Job Simulator | Simulation | Owlchemy Labs | Owlchemy Labs | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Joysound VR | Music | XING Inc. | Sony Computer Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes | Puzzle | Steel Crate | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Kerser | Racing | IRIS VR | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Kittypocalypse | Tower-defense | Bolvërk Games | Bolvërk Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Loading Human | Adventure | Untold Games | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | [20] | |
The Mars 2030 Experience | Simulation | NASA / Fusion Media | NASA / Fusion Media | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [26] |
Megaton Rainfall | Action-adventure | Alfonso del Cerro | Pentadimensional Games | Timed | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Mind: Path to Thalamus | Carlos Coronado | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | ||
The Music Room | Music | Chroma Coda | Chroma Coda | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
The Modern Zombie Taxi Co. | Vitei Backroom | Sony Computer Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Mortal Blitz VR | First-person shooter | Skonec Ent. | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Nighttime Terror 2 | Shooter | VR Bits | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
O! My Genesis VR | XPEC Ent. / Bad Bird | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [27] | ||
The Occasional Encounter | UserJoy Technology | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [28] | ||
Omega Agent | Action | Fireproof Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Paranormal Activity VR | Horror | VRwerx | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Playroom VR | Mini games | SIE Japan Studio | Sony Interactive Ent. | Yes | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | [25] |
PlayStation VR Worlds | Mini games | SIE London Studio | Sony Interactive Ent. | Yes | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | [25] |
Pollen | Sci-fi | Mindfield Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Project CARS | Racing | Slightly Mad Studios | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin | Puzzle, platform | Double Fine Productions | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Q.U.B.E. ² | Puzzle | Toxic Games | TBA | TBA | TBA | [29] | ||
Rez Infinite | Rail shooter, music | Monstars | Enhance Games | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
RIGS | Shooter | Guerrilla Cambridge | Sony Interactive Ent. | Yes | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | [25] |
Robinson: The Journey | Action-adv | Crytek | Crytek | Yes | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Shadow of the Beast | Action-adv, platform | Heavy Spectrum Ent. Labs | Sony Interactive Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Snow | Sport | Poppermost Productions | Poppermost Productions | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Star Wars: Battlefront VR | Action, shooter | EA DICE | Electronic Arts | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Summer Lesson | Simulation | Bandai Namco Games | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
SuperHyperCube | Puzzle | Kokoromi | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
Surgeon Simulator | Simulation | Bossa Studios | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Synthesis Universe | Maze | Olivier JT | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [30] | |
Technolust Scanlines | Adventure | IRIS VR | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Tekken 7 | Fighting | Bandai Namco Ent. | Bandai Namco Ent. | Yes | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Thumper | Music, rhythm | Drool | Drool | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Thunderbird | Adventure, puzzle | Innervision Games | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | [31] | |
TrackMania Turbo | Racing | Nadeo | Ubisoft | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Tumble VR | Puzzle | Supermassive Games | Yes | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | Oct 2016 | [25] | |
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood | Survival horror | Supermassive Games | Sony Interactive Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Unearthing Mars | Winking Entertainment | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [32] | ||
Untitled Beatshapers project | Sci-fi, RPG | Beatshapers | TBA | TBA | TBA | [33] | ||
Untitled North West Studio project | North West Studio | Sony Interactive Ent. | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [34] | |
Untitled Just Add Water project | Just Add Water | TBA | TBA | TBA | [35] | |||
Untitled Secret Sorcery project | Secret Sorcery | Secret Sorcery | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [36] | |
Vanguard V | Action | Zero Transform | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Vector 36 | Racing | Red River Studio | Red River Studio | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
VEV: Viva Ex Vivo | Adventure, Survival | Truant Pixel | Yes | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | [37] | |
VizionEck | Adventure, Shooter | VizionEck | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Volume: Coda | Puzzle | Mike Bithell Games | Mike Bithell Games | Timed | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | |
Waltz of the Wizard | Aldin Dynamics | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | |||
War Thunder | Action, MMO | Gaijin Entertainment | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Wayward Sky | Adventure, puzzle | Uber Entertainment | Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | [20] | |
Werewolves Within | Red Storm Ent. | Ubisoft | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School | Survival horror | ROI Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
World of Diving | Simulation | Vertigo Games | No | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
World War Toons | First-person shooter | Reload Studio | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | [20] | |
Xing: The Land Beyond | Puzzle | White Lotus Int. | White Lotus Int. | No | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 |
Marketing
"Our biggest challenge will be to get people demoing VR. Because there's no way to sell VR until you've tried it... You can watch over the shoulder, you can read articles, but – and I mean this genuinely – everybody that I know who has tried PlayStation VR has taken off their headset with a smile, and said 'wow'. So you've got to try it. That's the challenge."
—Michael Ephraim, SIE Australia[38]
Sony say they have realistic expectations regarding sales of PlayStation VR and predict that interest will build steadily, through word of mouth.[38][39]
PlayStation VR was first demonstrated on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, playing The Castle and as a playable concept during E3 2014.[40] The device was also featured at Sony's PlayStation Experience Expo in Las Vegas, NV in December 2014.[41] Sony announced new information regarding Project Morpheus at the 2015 Game Developers Conference, in line with the official schedule posted on their website[42] and released updated specifications.[43]
In an interview with Nikkei Japan in March 2016, Sony indicated the possibility of enabling use of the PlayStation VR in connection with a PC. This would allow the device to work with platforms extending further than the PlayStation 4.[44]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "PlayStation VR Launches October 2016". Sony. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ^ "Sony announces Project Morpheus, a virtual reality headset coming to PlayStation 4". Polygon. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Pino, Nick (March 16, 2016). "PlayStation VR hands on review - Tech Radar". Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ a b c Stein, Scott (December 6, 2015). "Sony PlayStation VR Release Date, Price and Specs - CNET". CNET. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Alessio Palumbo. Sony Dev Explains Why PS VR Screen Is Crisper Than The Others, wccftech.com, November 2015.
- ^ Sarkar, Samit (March 16, 2016). "PlayStation VR"s processing unit doesn't add any power to the PS4". Polygon. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ O'Kane, Sean (March 15, 2016). "Sony's PlayStation VR costs $399 and is coming on October". The Verge. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ Adam Rosenberg. Sony's long-standing interest in virtual reality gives Project Morpheus an edge, digitaltrends.com, March 23, 2014.
- ^ Tony Sperry. Beyond 3D TV, Lulu Pres, Inc., November 2003.
- ^ Sony’s Anton Mikhailov on Project Morpheus’ launch price and potential as a platform, Edge magazine, April 9, 2014.
- ^ Jamie Feltham. Project Morpheus Started as ‘grassroots activity’ Following PS Move’s Release, vrfocus.com, December 8, 2014.
- ^ Grubb, Jeff. "Sony will reject PlayStation VR games that aren't at least 60 frames per second". Venture Beat. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ^ "Watch the full reveal for Sony's virtual reality headset, Project Morpheus". Polygon. March 26, 2014.
- ^ Aaron Souppouris. "Sony's Project Morpheus is now 'PlayStation VR'". Engadget. AOL.
- ^ Eric Johnson. "Sony Acquires SoftKinetic, Which Can Track Hands for Virtual Reality". Re/code.
- ^ "Sony: "It's a Bit Too Early to Sort out" PlayStation VR's Price and Release Date".
- ^ PlayStation (March 15, 2016), Andrew House, President and the Global CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Announcing the price and release date for PlayStation VR, retrieved March 16, 2016
- ^ Crossley, Rob (March 16, 2016). "All PS4 Games Can be Played in PlayStation VR". gamespot.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Tamoor Hussain. Every PS4 PlayStation VR Game Confirmed, gamespot.com, March 16, 2016.
- ^ David Whelan. Moon Arrival Demo Available Now, kickstarter.com, September 29, 2015.
- ^ Jamie Feltham. New Details on PlayStation VR’s Aquarion Evol Revealed, vrfocus.com, December 2, 2015.
- ^ Jamie Feltham. Adrift Confirmed for Project Morpheus, , vrfocus.com, May 13, 2015.
- ^ Patrick O'Luanaigh. Announcing The Assembly for PS4 and Project Morpheus, PlayStation Blog, June 11, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Mark Walton. PlayStation VR launch lineup has five slick Sony-made games, arstechnica.com, March 16, 2016.
- ^ John Gaudiosi. NASA Is Using Unreal Engine 4 To Make Mars A Virtual Reality, unrealengine.com, January 26, 2016.
- ^ Jamie Feltham. O!My Genesis VR Announced for PlayStation VR, vrfocus.com, January 27, 2016.
- ^ Sal Romano. Taiwanese studios announce PlayStation VR titles at Taipei Game Show 2016, vrfocus.com, January 27, 2016.
- ^ Dan Da Rocha. Q.U.B.E. ² Coming to PS4, PlayStation Blog, August 14, 2014.
- ^ Kevin Joyce. Synthesis Universe -Maze- Confirmed for Project Morpheus, vrfocus.com, May 28, 2015.
- ^ Will Mason. Thunderbird's World of Wonder Will Satisfy Your Desire for Myst in VR, uploadvr.com, January 12, 2016.
- ^ Jamie Feltham. The Telltale Project Coming to PlayStation VR, vrfocus.com, January 27, 2016.
- ^ Alexa Ray Corriea. Beatshapers working on sci-fi RPG with plans for Project Morpheus, polygon.com, April 9, 2014.
- ^ Jamie Feltham. Sony Forming ‘ambitious’ New VR Dev, North West Studio, vrfocus.com, May 18, 2015.
- ^ "Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! Dev Teases Project Morpheus Development". VR Focus. April 30, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ Ex-Sony veterans announce partnership with PlayStation, Develop, March 4, 2016.
- ^ "Microscopic survival game VEV: Viva Ex Vivo announced for PS4". PlayStation blog. February 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Jamie Feltham. Sony: PlayStation VR Doesn’t Have To Do ‘a million units during launch’, vrfocus.com, November 3, 2015.
- ^ Dan Pearson. "The beauty of PSVR is that we have the PS4 to power it", gamesindustry.biz, October 28, 2015.
- ^ "Joshua Topolsky Demonstrates Sony's Project Morpheus". NBC.
- ^ "VR with Project Morpheus". Sphinx Gamer.
- ^ Feltham, Jamie. "SONY PROVIDING 'AN UPDATE' ON PROJECT MORPHEUS AT GDC 2015". VR Focus. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ Orland, Kyle. "'Sony's new Project Morpheus prototype boasts 120Hz refresh rate, OLED display'". Ars Technica. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ^ "'ソニー「プレステVR」、399ドルで試すヒットの法則 display'". Nikkei. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
External links
- Project Morpheus: The Story So Far by VR Focus