“Project Morpheus” Announced – VR Headset Revealed For PS4

It looks as though the future of gaming consoles is upon us as Sony has revealed that they are working on a VR headset entitled “Project Morpheus” for the PlayStation 4. The headset has been rumoured to be in development for several months and the new hardware was unveiled at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

In a press release from Sony, the following specifications were announced:

* Component -Processor unit, head-mounted unit

* Display Method – LCD

* Panel Size – 5 inches

* Panel Resolution – 1920xRGBx1080 (960xRGBx1080 per eye)

* Field of View – 90 degrees

* Sensors – Accelerometer, Gyroscope

* Connection interface – HDMI + USB

* Function – 3D audio, Social Screen

*Specifications and designs are those of the prototype and are subject to change.

When Project Morpheus is combined with the PlayStation Camera, it will allow players to be able to feel as though they are physically involved in a game. In terms of gameplay features, you will be able to use your hands as a sword. As you swing your arms around, the camera will track this motion and it will be reflected on-screen. As the player’s head moves, the picture which is being broadcast via the headset will allow the player to see everything which is around them in real-time.

The VR headset also features enhanced 3D audio technology which recreates noises heard in the game from below and above the character as well as from in front, behind or at either side. The example which was provided was of someone walking upstairs or a helicopter flying overhead and, much like the visual feature, the amount of noise heard depends on which angle you have your head tilted at.

Attendees of the GDC conference were able to sample some of the games which will benefit from the Morpheus’ power. These games included dogfighting pilot shooter “EVE Valkyrie”, sneaky action game “Thief”, PlayStation Move title “The Castle” and underwater shark showcase “The Deep”.

Sony did not disclose information regarding pricing or when Project Morpheus would be available from.

In terms of looking to the future, Project Morpheus seems exciting when you think of how this could impact games and take you that step closer to actually being in the game. The graphical power, the technology involved and everything listed in the specifications seems exciting.

Amidst all this excitement, however, I think the announcement should be approached with some caution from my point of view. When the Wii became the perfect example for motion controls, both Sony and Microsoft attempted to create their own unique version of the successful fad. Many will regard the PlayStation move and Kinect as being failures for not being as good as they could have been and playing bit-part roles in AAA games such as Mass Effect 3 and and recent FIFA titles.

In addition to this, the Oculus Rift has received a largely positive response from the gaming community and this may harm Sony’s future plans as the Oculus Rift is expected sometime this year and should cost $350. It has also been heavily rumoured that Microsoft are also developing their own VR headset to bring to the Xbox One which may make the future of console games either exciting or worryingly expensive. It is obviously too early to tell of how things will turn out, but the signs so far seem promising. Hopefully this will be the future that PS4 owners have been waiting for.