sony

Import Records Reveal Sony Has Shipped Thousands of Dev Kits, Possibly PSVR 2

March 16, 2022 From roadtovr

United States import records from late 2021 onward show that Sony Interactive Entertainment has shipped thousands of boxes containing developer kits from Asia to the US. The exact contents of the boxes hasn’t been specified, however Sony’s next-gen PlayStation VR 2 headset is a very likely candidate.

As first reported by TweakTown, Sony has shipped 2,374 cartons containing “DEVELOPMENT KIT[s] FOR INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE,” starting back in October 2021.

Here’s the relevant data from TweakTown, sourced from import/export firm Import Genius and confirmed with Seair Exim Solutions:

January 2022 – 434 CTN (cartons), 4730 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
December 2021 – 980 CTN, 8712 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
November 2021 – 480 CTN, 5218 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
October 2021 – 240 CTN, 2612 kg, Korea -> Oakland, CA
October 2021 – 240 CTN, 2612 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA

Granted, records don’t specify which dev kit is inside the box, however we can make a few educated guesses.

Platform holders like Sony typically distribute dev kits to a handful of select studios months before launch so they can properly target the new hardware. PSVR 2 is rumored to release in early 2023, so the clock is ticking for studios to make the best use of all the new tech packed into Sony’s next-gen headset, including eye-tracking, face haptics and its new Sense controllers.

PlayStation 5 released in November 2020 and continues to lag in production due to the global chip shortage, so it’s unlikely Sony is shipping additional PS5 consoles to developers at this late stage.

Sony also hasn’t announced any other console, like a PlayStation 5 Pro. Given the ongoing supply chain problem with microprocessors, a surprise PS5 Pro launch seems like a non-starter considering PS5 is still in high demand and relatively little supply.

Want to learn everything there is to know about PSVR 2? Check out specs and a breakdown of the tech in PSVR 2.

Sony Announces PlayStation VR 2 Specs Including Eye-tracking, HDR, & 110° Field-of-view

January 5, 2022 From roadtovr

Today during Sony’s CES 2022 press conference the company revealed the first details on PlayStation VR 2, including eye-tracking, a “4K” HDR display, and a 110° Field-of-view.

For the first time today, Sony confirmed that its next-gen VR headset for PS5 will be called… *drumroll*… PlayStation VR 2. Although it’s not really much of a surprise, it’s the first time the company has officially revealed the headset’s name.

During the company’s CES 2022 press conference today Sony also confirmed a range of features and specs for PSVR 2. Here’s what we know so far:

PlayStation VR 2 Specs
Resolution	2,000 × 2,040 (4.1MP) per-eye, OLED, HDR
Refresh Rate	90Hz, 120Hz
Field-of-view (claimed)	110° (diagonal presumed)
Optical Adjustments	IPD
Connectors	USB-C
Tracking	Inside-out (no external beacons)
On-board cameras	4x IR (external), 2x IR (internal)
Input	Motion controllers (rechargeable battery), eye-tracking
Audio	3.5mm aux output
Microphone	Yes
Haptics	Controllers, headset

Sony said that the headset will include foveated rendering. This is a rendering technique which uses eye-tracking to render high detail only at the center of the user’s field-of-view (where the eye sees most of its detail), while reducing detail in the periphery. This allows for more detailed virtual scenes without giving up much performance.

Eye-tracking and foveated rendering tech has been available in high-end enterprise VR headsets for some time now, but so far no major consumer-class headset has adopted the technology. Unless another headset beats Sony to the punch, PSVR 2 will be the first in its category to adopt the technology.

Similarly, PSVR 2 will include HDR (high dynamic range) technology which has yet to be seen in commercial headsets, even among high-end enterprise devices. HDR allows for a much wider range of brightness which more closely mimics what your eye can see in the real world. Sony hasn’t specified exactly how bright the display can get, so it’s tough to know at this point how impressive the feature could be. Luckily the underlying display in PSVR 2 is based on OLED, which is generally a good sign for quality HDR capabilities.

Eye-tracking and HDR aren’t the only new technologies that Sony is embracing for PlayStation VR 2. The device will also be the first to include on-board haptic feedback on the headset itself. Sony says haptics on the headset will allow for greater immersion (and it could even combat motion sickness).

According to Sony, PSVR 2 will go a long way toward simplifying the VR setup compared to its predecessor. The new headset is ditching the PS camera (which was previously used to track the headset and controllers) in favor of inside-out tracking via cameras mounted on the headset itself. Four infrared cameras will look out at the real world to track the movement of the headset and also track the controllers when they are in view.

And beyond inside-out tracking, PlayStation VR 2 will connect to PS5 with a single USB-C cable. We don’t have the full details yet, but it sounds like there will be no breakout box between the headset and the console. That’s going to get a cheer from fans of the original headset who were used to dealing with a big VHS-sized breakout box which had multiple cables running in and out of it, and needed its own power supply.

Generally the specs on PSVR 2 seem very impressive except for one area… from the specs provided, it appears that the headset will not have on-board audio, instead expecting users to either use their TV speakers or attach their own headphones with a 3.5mm jack. Like the original headset, it’s possible that PSVR 2 will come with a pair of earbuds, though this isn’t an ideal solution for VR headset audio. These details are still early so we’re hoping there might be something we’re missing about audio on the headset that will be revealed once the company releases more info on the hardware.

Although Sony shared a decent set of specs and features today, the price and release date for PSVR 2 is still unannounced, and we still don’t actually know what the headset itself looks like.

Sony Reveals VR Headset Prototype with Display Tech That Could Wind Up in PSVR 2

December 7, 2021 From roadtovr

During an online showcase today, Sony revealed a VR headset prototype with a 4K OLED microdisplay. While it appears to be a wholly different project than the upcoming PSVR 2, the company says it expects the display itself to be “used in the entertainment field,” which could include other VR headsets.

Today during the Sony Technology Day showcase the company highlighted new technology from across its various businesses.

During the event the Sony Group R&D Center revealed a VR headset prototype which employs a 4K OLED microdisplay. The headset is shown connected to a PC and uses a hand-held form-factor rather than a headstrap. The prototype appears to only support rotation tracking for the time being.

The headset’s 4K OLED microdisplay is ostensibly Sony-made. It’s not only significantly higher resolution than what was in the original PSVR headset, (roughly 1MP vs. 16MP per-eye) it’s also much more compact. The exact specifications weren’t given but a 1-inch² size was suggested.

While the original PSVR used a single large display that spanned both eyes, the display shown in the prototype headset has a nearly square form-factor which makes it better for VR headsets since one display can be used for each eye (which improves design flexibility and pixel utilization).

Although the new display is more compact, it’s appears to be so small that zooming and focusing the image for an immersive field-of-view would necessitate more advanced optics than what’s in most consumer VR headsets today. Doing so could lead to a rather compact headset, though the presentation doesn’t offer a clear sense of the headset’s fundamental size, nor what kind of optics are used.

The prototype headset appears to be a totally different project than what Sony’s PlayStation group is working on with the upcoming PSVR 2, however it’s an intriguing possibility that PSVR 2 might make use of the same displays.

Although Sony is in the display business, the original PSVR actually used a Samsung-made OLED display. While many first-gen VR headsets similarly used OLED displays, second-gen headsets have largely moved to LCD for improvements in price, resolution, and brightness, at the cost of the rich colors and dark blacks that OLED displays are known for.

Sony has yet to release its second-gen headset and at this point it’s unclear if it will continue to opt for OLED in the next PSVR headset or move to LCD like most of its peers; rumors suggest it will be OLED, but possibly made by Samsung once again.

For Sony’s part, however, the company says it expects its 4K OLED microdisplay will be used in “industrial applications” as well as the “entertainment field.” This suggests that if PSVR 2 doesn’t use the display, we might ironically see it in other non-Sony VR headsets. The size suggests it might be best fit for compact VR headsets like Vive Flow.

Sony Teases Prototype VR Headset With Stunning 8K Visuals

December 7, 2021 From vrscout

It appears as though Sony is making serious progress with its VR technology.

Earlier today the company hosted an online event called Sony Technology Day, revealing new information on eight different technologies revolving around the theme of “Technology that inspires emotion.” This included a prototype VR headset with next-gen visuals and low latency.

In a section called “Pursuit of Reality”, the company detailed an original VR device that offers a 4K per eye resolution achieved via an OLED microdisplay, which removes any pixelation to deliver a crystal-clear image. In a video provided by the company, we see the prototype headset in action as one user explores the interior of a vintage car. As she leans around the driver’s seat, you can see fine details in the texture of the steering wheel, seat, and dashboard.

“This is a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) that projects a high-definition 3D space and achieves a high-resolution of 4K with one eye and 8K with both eyes,” stated the company in an official release. “High image quality is achieved through multi-pixel and miniaturization using fine processing and advanced packaging technology cultivated through the development and manufacture of CMOS image sensors, and Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) microdisplay using device and circuit technology cultivated through the development of displays.”

In addition to improved visuals, the company also teased major updates to latency in an effort to provide a more comfortable in-headset experience. For context, the latency between the user’s actions and what’s being displayed on-screen is one of the most common causes of motion sickness among sensitive users. By removing this small, but noticeable delay, Sony hopes to provide a more comfortable experience that doesn’t make you as dizzy. This is also demonstrated in the video in the form of a side-by-side comparison.

Image Credit: Sony

“The processing time is reduced by decreasing the amount of latency throughout the entire system thanks to the integration of data from multiple sensors,” the company added. “The person watching in VR can experience high-definition images in real-time according to the movement of his/her head. In addition to industrial applications, the OLED microdisplay is expected to be used in the entertainment field, as it can express the texture of materials and human expressions in high-definition in real-time based on movements of the viewer’s head.”

Whether or not any of the technology shown will be utilized in the near future remains to be seen. We’ve already received word that Sony is currently in development on the PlayStation VR 2, with rumors of a Holiday 2022 release date currently circling the web.

For more information on all of the announcements from Sony Technology Day visit here.

Feature Image Credit: Sony