A year ago at GDC 2014, Sony revealed their virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4 — Project Morpheus (you know, the reason behind the blue light on the DualShock 4). Since its initial reveal, Sony has optimized the headset quite a bit.
A more finalized version of Project Morpheus was revealed during this year's GDC and it almost blows the prototype out of the water in tech. Project Morpheus has double the refresh rate than the prototype did (120hz vs. 60hz) and halves the latency time to 18 milliseconds.
The prototype boasted 1080p resolution and the upgraded model echoes that thought with a bigger screen, the Project Morpheus screen went from a 5inch LCD to a 5.7 inch 1920 X RGB X 1080 resolution OLED display. I'm freaking out with these specs, I want this on my face.
The best part is that this isn't the last time we will see the headset before it launches in the first half of 2016; it's going to be at E3 and later events with VR friendly games.
For a more concise overview of the changes check out the bullet points below:
- OLED display: In exchange for the 5 inch LCD, the new Morpheus VR headset is equipped with a 5.7 inch 1920 X RGB X 1080 resolution OLED display. This new screen expands the field of view and enables low persistence, removing motion blur.
- 120hz refresh rate: The previous refresh rate spec has been doubled for this new prototype, which means games for Morpheus can be rendered at 120fps. When combined with the OLED display’s high refresh rate and the power of PS4, Morpheus is able to output amazingly smooth visuals.
- Super low latency: We know how critical low latency is to delivering a great VR experience, and we’ve reduced latency to less than 18ms, about half of what the first Morpheus prototype had. Low latency is critical to deliver a sense of presence, at the same time making the VR experience comfortable to players.
- More accurate tracking: To make positional tracking more precise, we’ve added three LEDs to the headset – one on the front and two on the side – for a total of nine LEDs to support robust 360 degree tracking.
- User-friendly design: We’ve made the Morpheus VR headset easier to put on and take off, with a single band design and quick release button. The headband supports the weight of the unit on the top of your head, so there is no pressure on your face. Other components have also been adjusted and configured to make the headset lighter, so that players do not find the headset cumbersome or uncomfortable to use.
I haven't really been excited for VR since I got my hands on a devkit version of the Oculus…but I feel the hype. The hype is real!
[PS]
