The battle of the consoles just stepped up a notch after Sony unveiled a virtual reality headset, designed especially for use with its PlayStation 4 (PS4).
The adjustable device is codenamed Project Morpheus and features a head-mounted display with 1080p HD resolution and a 90-degree field of view, while sensors built into the headset track head movements.
The Japanese firm unveiled the prototype device at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco but did not reveal when the product would go on sale, or how much it’s likely to cost.
The announcement follows rumours Sony’s console rival Microsoft is similarly working on a ‘suite of virtual and augmented reality’ systems for its Xbox One console.
Multiple sources said to be familiar with Microsoft’s plans told The Wall Street Journal the firm is developing 3D virtual reality devices, and looking to file numerous patents.
Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, unveiled the black and white headset at the annual gathering of game designers.
He said Sony had been working on the technology for more than three years.
‘This prototype is by no means final,’ said Yoshida. ‘We will continue to work on this to improve it, but we believe it’s a good representation of how PlayStation will deliver VR.’
Anton Mikhailov, a senior software engineer working on Project Morpheus, said the current version of the technology must be attached to a PS4 console with a cord that’s approximately 15ft (4.5 metres) long.
In addition to seeing the view on the headset, a user’s virtual perspectives will be simultaneously broadcast on a TV screen.
‘The experience can be shared, and that’s only going to allow it to spread,’ said Mikhailov.
‘I think that’s going to be the key. Once people see someone else interacting in VR, they’re going to want to put it on and try it next.’
Project Morpheus is available to developers with four games including a diving cage simulator called The Deep, medieval combat game The Castle, sci-fi dogfighter EVE: Valkyrie and a VR rendition of action-adventure title Thief.
Although Sony has released other head-mounted display units, Project Morpheus marks the company’s first foray into virtual reality with PlayStation.
It is similar to the Oculus Rift, a device currently in development by the California-based startup Oculus VR.
Both devices use head tracking to reduce queasiness when users move around a virtual landscape.
