Playstation VR Virtual Reality Headset

The Playstation VR, which was initially known by the much cooler codename ‘Morpheus’, is the official virtual reality HMD for the Sony Playstation 4. The PS4 is Sony’s latest generation of gaming console, and also one of the most popular worldwide.

The Playstation VR is actually not Sony’s first rodeo… or their first HMD. The company has experimented with various head mounted devices over the years, although none were specifically created with virtual reality gaming in mind. The Playstation VR is part of the Playstation ecosystem, which means it relies pretty much on what already exists within the PS4. The Playstation camera, for example, is repurposed and used for external head tracking. The standard Playstation Dualshock 4 gamepad controller already contains full motion tracking, as well as a headphone socket for convenient sound connectivity.

The Playstation VR can also make use of the Playstation Move wand controllers that were first released for use with the Playstation 3. Although they never made too much of a splash as a form of motion gaming (something that was popularized initially by the Nintendo Wii), the Move controller is an incredibly immersive way for a user to use their hands within a virtual space. As inexpensive and available as they already are, it may well be that the technology developed for the Playstation Move will come back and have the life it was destined for within the virtual reality industry.

A huge amount of research and development has been put into the Playstation VR’s overall efficiency. It’s easy to put on and wear, it’s comfortable, and it can be used with glasses. It also has an appealing flip-up visor design, which means that users can flit in and out of their virtual world without having to completely remove their HMD.

The Playstation VR will be more of a plug-and-play situation than something particularly mobile. Developers also only have to focus on one specific HMD, and can therefore better tap into the hardware’s potential. Although the bigger players, such as the Oculus Rift, which is now backed and owned by Facebook, have a wider visibility and are currently more a part of the conversation on VR tech, the Playstation has a loyal mass of followers. For this reason as well as others, the Playstation VR may be the first truly mainstream virtual reality device to find a place in the living rooms of millions of PS4 owners worldwide.