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Sony's VR headset Project Morpheus due out in 2016
Thu, 5th Mar 2015
FYI, this story is more than a year old

The VR headset marketplace is with heating up Project Morpheus coming out in 2016.  GDC 2015 happened earlier this week and Sony revealed a new prototype for its Project Morpheus VR headset. The company also announced that it will be released in the first half of 2016.  “With the technical specs achieved on the new prototype, we are one step closer to realizing our vision for making amazing VR experiences on PS4, and ultimately to deliver a real sense of presence to players,” said Shuhei Yoshida, President of SCE Worldwide Studios. “We believe that the near-final technology of Morpheus combined with the power of PS4 will provide a standard for game developers to target as they build on their creative ideas and turn them into VR games and experiences.”  Here are all the features of Project Morpheus:

  • 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, removes motion blur and flicker, both of which build immersion and help deliver the sense of presence for the player. 
  • 120fps output By adopting OLED, Morpheus now supports 120fps output, and is able to render 120 images per second. Furthermore, via a system software update, all PS4 systems will handle native 120fps output when connected to Morpheus. By combining the OLED display's high refresh rate and the power of the PS4 system, Morpheus produces amazingly smooth visuals and achieves the next level of immersion. 
  • More accurate tracking and reduced latency To make positional tracking more accurate with PlayStation®Camera, the new prototype has added three more LEDs to the headset for a total of nine. Morpheus continues to support 360 degree tracking, and additional LEDs improve robustness and stability. Additionally, the overall system has been optimized to reduce latency between the physical movement of a player's head and rendering on the headset's screen. 
  • User-friendly design While inheriting the original visor style headset design that reduces the pressure on the players' face, the new Morpheus prototype features a single band and a quick release button, which makes it easier for players to put it on and take it off. 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. 

Virtual reality gaming is expected to be the future of home entertainment. Valve just announced its own VR headset called the HTC Vive. Not to mention the Oculus Rift will be out very soon and Microsoft is working on its HoloLens device too.