Sony locks down a release window for its PS4-compatible Project Morpheus VR headset and announces a host of technical improvements.
Sony’s virtual reality headset, codenamed Morpheus, is a regular fixture of the Game Developers Conference, currently taking place in San Francisco. The headset was originally announced here, back when Oculus Rift was the only other player in the market, and Sony has regularly updated attendees of the conference on its progress ever since. Today, the Japanese company solidified some of those plans by announcing a release window for Morpheus, as well as some crucial technical improvements.
Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida announced that Morpheus will launch in the first half of 2016. No further details such as precise launch date or price were announced, but it lays down the gauntlet for other VR manufacturers such as Oculus and HTC/Valve’s recently-announced headset, neither of which have rough release dates.
The headset itself also received a hardware revision, approaching what Yoshida described as “approaching the final consumer model”. The headset has become slightly smaller, with a new headband that distributes the weight across the top of the head. The headset can also be pulled in and out easily, allowing the user to adjust the fitting of the device, or take a drink, for example.
Related: Oculus Rift vs Project Morpheus
The really important improvements are on the unit’s technical specifications, however. The 5.7-inch screen is now an OLED display, pushing 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a new wider 100-degree viewing angle. The biggest upgrade, though, is the new 120Hz refresh rate, which is important in order to make viewing as natural and comfortable as possible for the end user.
Also aiding comfort for the end user are the new LEDs on the headset, which are up from six to nine. These LEDs are tracked by the PlayStation camera, and are used to monitor how the player is moving their heads in real-time. Like the refresh rate, better head tracking results in more natural and enjoyable gameplay.
Sony failed to lock down pricing or an exact release date for Morpheus in its GDC 2015 presentation, but Trusted Reviews will have more information as we get it.