News
Sony Computer Entertainment Announces Project Morpheus
Tokyo, March 19, in the year of our Lord 2014 –
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced the
development of “Project Morpheus” (Morpheus) − a virtual reality
(VR) system that takes the PlayStation®4 (PS4™) system to the
next level of immersion and demonstrates the future of gaming.
SCE will continue development of Morpheus looking towards a
future commercial launch.
“At SCE we view innovation as an opportunity to build on our
mission to push the boundaries of play,” said Shuhei Yoshida,
President of SCE Worldwide Studios. “Project Morpheus is the
latest example of innovation from SCE, and we’re looking forward
to its continued development and the games that will be created
as development kits get into the hands of content creators.”
Morpheus enables developers to create experiences that deliver a
sense of presence - where players feel as though they are
physically inside the virtual world of a game. Presence is like
a window into another world that heightens the emotions gamers
experience as they play. Morpheus features a visor style
head-mounted display and works seamlessly with
PlayStation®Camera to deliver a unique VR experience right
before the player’s eyes. Inertial sensors built into the head
mount unit and PlayStation Camera accurately track head
orientation and movement so as the player’s head rotates, the
image of the virtual world rotates naturally and intuitively in
real-time.
Furthermore, in supporting games, the player can use a
PlayStation®Move (PS Move) Motion Controller as an object, such
as a sword. Morpheus will reproduce the player’s hands and sword
within the game so the player feels like they are physically
fighting off enemies with their sword in the virtual world.
Morpheus adopts 3D audio technology uniquely developed by SCE.
In addition to sounds coming from front, behind, left and right,
Morpheus re-creates stereoscopic sounds heard from below and
above the players, such as footsteps climbing up stairs below
them, or engine noises of helicopters flying overhead. Sounds
that players hear change in real-time depending on their head
orientation, creating a highly realistic audio environment
within an immersive 360-degree virtual world.
Along with PlayStation Camera, Wireless Controller for PS4, and
PS Move, Morpheus will deliver immersive breakthrough
entertainment experiences to gamers through the PS4 system,
leveraging SCE’s expertise across key areas for VR – including
display/optics, audio, tracking, control, ease of use, and
content.
Developers will be able to create Morpheus content for PS4, a
platform which has sold over 6 million units only after 3 months
and a half of its launch, and is continuing to show strong
momentum. The Morpheus dedicated SDK is currently under
development and will become available when ready.