Sony’s next-generation virtual reality hardware for PlayStation 5 will contain a number of fancy features and even some future-oriented technologies that are not yet available on popular consumer VR headsets, according to a to report UploadVR.
Citing “reliable sources” UploadVR reports that the next PlayStation VR headset offers eye tracking and foveated rendering, haptic feedback, inside-out controller tracking, an IPD dial and a resolution per eye of 2000 x 2040 pixels (4000 x 2040 in total).
Eye tracking and foveated rendering
So what does this jargon mean? Let’s start with gaze tracking, which lets the headset know exactly what you’re seeing in a scene. Developers could use this as a some form of input, or to make your avatar’s look more lifelike to other players in games like VR chat. (Similarly, the HTC Vive PC headset has a Face tracking accessories that leaves your Facial expressions are translated into VR. No word on whether Sony plans to include face tracking features.)
Eye tracking also opens the door to a long-hyped graphic technique called foveated rendering. Basically, the headset can provide additional GPU performance wherever you are looking and use significantly fewer GPU resources for areas in your peripheral vision. This could potentially allow more detailed scenes to be rendered with the same GPU performance, although I believe we have not yet proven this in any mainstream commercial VR product.
Oculus Quest and Quest 2 currently support a more basic technique called “Fixed foveated renderingThis enables a developer to activate the foveated rendering manually and without the knowledge from the eye tracking. This increases performance, but the downside is that your gaze can wander freely to the parts of the screen that are now low resolution as the VR system cannot tell that you are looking at its ugly parts. The new PlayStation VR headset knows where you’re looking and can adjust the resolution so it always looks great.
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Resolution and IPD adjustment
Speaking of graphics: The screen resolution of the new Sony headset should be a little north of 4K with a resolution per eye of 2000 x 2040 pixels. This is slightly higher than the Oculus Quest 2 (1832 x 1920 per eye). In this resolution, the Quest 2 is largely free of the “screen door effect” that plagued earlier VR headsets. So this is great news for the potential PlayStation device. The Quest 2 also has a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, but there is no word, rumor or anything about the upcoming maximum update from Sony.
The UploadVR History suggests that the new hardware will have a lens separation dial. This is another way of saying that you can get more accurate information about the distance between the pupils of your eyes. Make sure a headset fits yours Interpupillary distanceor IPD is an important factor in a solid, comfortable 3D image. The Oculus Quest 2, as good as it is, has been criticized for only offering three discrete IPD settings instead of a more adjustable dial, as some users’ IPD measurements fall between those discrete settings.
Inside-out tracking
Most previous VR hardware devices required special sensors that were set up around your play area to track the positions of your controllers. This outside-in persecution was a great pain in the bottom. With inside-out tracking, as is the case with the Oculus Quest devices, the headset can even track where your controllers are via built-in cameras without the need for external sensors. It is definitely the way to go.
Haptic feedback
UploadVRSources also claim that the next-generation Sony headset offers haptic feedback via a built-in motor, which gives developers a new way to make gamers feel like they are in the game. The new motor in the headset is used in addition to the touch-oriented functions already announced for the next generation PSVR controllers (pictured above), including adaptive triggers that can provide resistance (just like the regular DualSense controller) and the controller’s own haptic feedback capabilities. Long story short, high quality rumble is on the menu.
Wired anyway
If you’ve read this and thought, “This is very cheap compared to Oculus Quest 2,” you are not alone because it sure does. Perhaps the only major point that Sony’s upcoming PlayStation VR headset falls short in this comparison is that it’s still going to be wired. A single USB-C cable runs between your headset and the PlayStation 5. This is an improvement over the cumbersome multi-wire breakout box of the current PlayStation VR, but still far from the elegance and freedom of a wireless headset like Quest 2.
The wired thing aside, the alleged details in these leaks are pretty encouraging and suggest that Sony continues to be serious if it is called“Our commitment to virtual reality as a medium for games is stronger than ever.” While this next-gen PlayStation VR won’t be released this year, we hope that PlayStation 5 gamers can enjoy top-notch VR alongside their brothers Oculus Quest 2 and PC VR at some point.
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