While the PlayStation VR might be a mere whippersnapper at only two years old, the PlayStation 4 is looking like an OAP in console terms, since the PlayStation 4 was originally released towards the end of 2013. Recent releases have also shown that the console is starting to reach the end of its life-cycle, with developers struggling to pull more performance out of the machine. What will this mean for the future of Sony’s virtual reality (VR) system?
News has recently emerged that Sony are indeed working on a new, next generation console. There’s no indication yet if it will be dubbed the PlayStation 5 or get another name, but most outlets are referring to it as the PlayStation 5 for simplicity’s sake.
There have been absolutely no details on the hardware that this new console will be using, but speculation has already begun. It has already been noted by critics that in many ways the PlayStation VR lags behind its rivals the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in many ways, offering a lower resolution display and motion controllers from the previous generation.
It stands to reason that Sony will take what it has learned with the PlayStation VR, as well as analyses of the rivals to develop new technology for VR. Higher resolution displays are high on the wish list of most users, as it the desire for more accurate and intuitive motion controllers. There have been some signs that Sony is working on both of these things, perhaps for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR 2.
What else can customers hope for? Improved tracking seems like an obvious bet, with some hoping for either room-scale functionality, perhaps even inside-out tracking. There is no indications that Sony are planning on making PlayStation VR wireless, but it still remains a possibility.
In terms of direct competitors, Sony is usually looking at Microsoft/Xbox and Nintendo on the videogame front. However, Xbox appear to have quit the VR field entirely, and Nintendo have shown very little interest in creating its own VR headset. That leaves Oculus and HTC Vive. The Oculus Half-Dome might well act as a competitor to a theoretical PlayStation VR 2, but so far there hasn’t been much word that HTC Vive are planning on releasing a new VR device any time soon.
There is of course, no certainly when discussing the future, but whatever happens with Sony’s VR ambitions, the coverage will be right here at VRFocus.
Kodera also commented on the appointment, saying “I’m very happy and pleased to have Jim as Deputy President, 