Tag Archives: Shuhei Yoshida

Train2Game News Sony VR Headset announced

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project_morpheusSony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida revealed the PS4 virtual reality headset, codenamed ‘Project Morpheus’, during an industry presentation late on Tuesday at GDC.

Sony aired short video clips of a prototype version of the headset – which appeared to consist of Sony’s current HMZ head mounted display with a Move controller attached to the side – being used to play a first-person version of God of War 3. The corporation also showed a video of downloadable title Datura being tested with the device. Sony has been working on the VR headset for three years

“Virtual reality is the next innovation from from PlayStation that may well shape the future of games.” Yoshida announced.

Morpheus will seamlessly integrate with the PS4 Move controllers and the unit also can mirror its display on a TV, allowing others to spectacle gameplay. The headset also adopts 3D audio technology uniquely developed by SCE. In addition to sounds coming from front, behind, left and right, Morpheus recreates stereoscopic sounds heard from below and above the players, such as footsteps climbing up stairs below them, or engine noises of helicopters flying overhead.

Only a single VR headset will be connectible to a PS4 console at a time.

Release date and pricing were left undisclosed, with Sony only willing to say that it would be released “as soon as possible and for as low as possible”.

The tech specs released for Project Morpheus are below:

  • LCD panel size: 5 inches
  • Panel Resolution: 1920×RGB×1080 (960×RGB×1080 per eye)
  • 1000Hz head tracking
  • Field of View: 90 degrees
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope
  • Connection interface: HDMI + USB
  • 3D audio support
  • ‘Social Screen feature’ mirrors experience onto TV (Allows for unique asymmetric gameplay)
  • 3 meter working volume
  • Supports ‘forward prediction’
  • DualShock 4 and PS Move compatible
  • Highly adjustable unit
  • Direct on-board audio jack for headphones
  • No weight placed on nose or cheeks

 

Train2Game News: Sony Virtual Reality Headset

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PS4 VR HeadsetStrong speculation has risen that Sony plans to enter the virtual reality gaming space in a big way with PlayStation 4.

Multiple sources have indicated that Sony’s VR headset will work similarly to Oculus’. Internally, the device has been demonstrated with Evolution Studios’ PS4 racer DriveClub, with players able to look around the cockpit of a car.

The Liverpool studio, Evolution Studios, is home to the Worldwide Studios Stereoscopic 3D team, which has worked on 3D game development since 2008. The team, and 3D chief Mick Hocking, have been relatively quiet since PlayStation’s ill-fated 3D push in 2011.

Amid the growing popularity of the Oculus Rift VR headset among the development community and a small number of gamers it will be interesting to see how this Sony headset will stand up.

Sony’s VR headset was set to appear in some form at German show Gamescom last week, but was pulled. It is now expect it to be unveiled next year.

Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida declined to comment when asked about VR in an interview with Eurogamer at Gamescom. “We don’t talk about that,” was all he’d say. This week Sony Computer Entertainment Europe declined to comment when contacted by Eurogamer.

This is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Train2Game News: PlayStation 4 at E3

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PS4At the biggest gaming convention in the world, E3, Sony have finally given their first look at the PlayStation 4.

The console was revealed to the world and it reminded me of the hugely popular PlayStation 2. With the same black colouring that all the Sony consoles have had and a parallelogram shape, the machine was more attractive than the Xbox One. This was the first of many “One-Ups” Sony performed over Microsoft.

The second came when it was announced that the PlayStation 4 will not force DRM restriction around used games. The clear message was that there were no changes to the way used games and lending games to your friends will be changed at all.

Sony has confirmed that you’ll need to subscribe to PS Plus in order to play PS4 games online. Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida explained that the PS Plus subscription covers the cost of Sony’s massive server-side investments for PS4. Currently a year’s subscription costs £39.99, though it’s yet to be confirmed how much it’ll cost on PS4. Those who already have a PS Plus subscription will have their subscription carried over and your subscription will cover your PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and your PS Vita.

If you do choose to subscribe to PS Plus not only will you be able to play your games online but Sony are also giving one free PS4 game a month, starting with Evolution Studio’s, Driveclub from launch.

Sony also confirmed that it’s new console will be region-free! So no longer will you have to worry so much about your favourite games, or even the console, being cheaper in America.

Speaking of cheaper I will finish off this round up of the console with the price that was announced.

The Sony PlayStation 4 will cost you £349 in the UK, coming in at £80 cheaper than the Xbox One.