Sony has showcased a 4K OLED microdisplay, which could be used in a future virtual reality headset. The prototype hardware was debuted during the organisation’s internal Technology Day, and was introduced by Sony’s R&D Center – not, it must be stressed, Sony Interactive Entertainment. In the video, engineers Yasuka Ishihara and Kei Kimura explain that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we work, but VR can help us to overcome a number of obstacles.
It’s important to note that this is not, currently, a commercial product – and is not related to the organisation’s next-gen PSVR headset, which will reportedly run at a resolution of 4000x2040. However, the 4K microdisplays here are incredibly exciting, as they pack an enormous number of pixels into a minuscule space, promising enhanced visual clarity and latency at less than 0.01 seconds – outrageously impressive stuff.
For those of you who don’t know, resolution is important when it comes to virtual reality because it helps to enhance the sense of presence you experience when you observe the scene around you. In the video, the engineers explain that it’s possible to examine small details, such as the numbers on a car’s dashboard dial. Clearly this technology isn’t commercially ready right now, but it’s one to earmark for the future – perhaps the next-next-gen PSVR headset.
[source youtube.com, via uploadvr.com]
Comments 34
Man, I love VR so much. So cool.
This is very cool. I'm getting very hyped for PSVR 2.
The hardest thing to attach to PSVR2 will be a decent price tag. I am super interested in VR, but not for $400+
I’m all in on VR. Some of the best gaming I’ve had in years.
I’d preorder PSVR2 right now if I could. Easily my most anticipated thing in gaming right now.
I really hope we get a proper look during the first quarter of 2022.
I'm honest. Before I tried VR, I talked down on it and called it a gimmick as well. Then, I visited Gamescom and had the chance to play RE7 in VR before release and I thought: Why not? I still remember how I pulled out my smartphone and immediately pre-ordered a unit as soon as I took off the headset. To this day, RE7 and Astro Bot Rescue Mission are the best gaming experiences in my entire life (not necessarily the best games but overall experience). They even beat my fondest childhood memory games. That said, I don't want to miss "flat gaming" and for a lot of games, it is still the best way to play. But every time I put that headset on, it is pure magic and I can't wait for PSVR2.
@Just2Milky
£400+ is easily worth it to me. I used to buy all consoles every generation, but with reduced gaming time I now will just get PS and PSVR. Another console will offer largely the same content, VR is a totally different experience.
@Just2Milky It definitely will be expensive because of the new controllers as well. Hopefully they can hit $399 with it, but obviously that's still an enormous amount of money.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what PSVR2 will provide that the first doesn't beyond 4k OLED. My biggest request is that they focus on motion sickness as I get horribly sick while "walking" in VR.
I'm good with games like Moss and Astro Bot even where you're mostly stationary and watching a character. I'm even pretty good in games with vehicles as my brain is used to being stationary while moving in a vehicle. Beyond that though.... it's not good. I think it's as little as 2 minutes before I have a raging headache in games like Rise of the Tomb Raider... about 10 minutes in RE7.
I hope this is kind of representative of what to expect from the next iteration of PS VR (i.e. similar form factor and image quality, but at lower resolution).
Concerning VR in general: I tried an early occulus during a film festival and was immediately sold. That wasn't even interactive. Now, it is always difficult to go back to flat games. I always think, it would be so great in VR. It is certainly an expensive accessory, but could eventually replace a TV. Though, I doubt that it could ever replace a monitor e.g. for work (an 8k HDM might have a good enough resolution, but it would still be less comfortable).
That presentation and the voice overs are just great!
It takes early adopters to make this technology mainstream and I hope Sony will be able to strengthen their foothold in VR beyond games as well. I really don't want to see Facebook taking over the VR Metaverse. The new branding is just a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Very cool prototype. But would be more happy to see Sony implement current technologies (like proper VRR and 4K/120fps) in their panels and displays first.
@thefourfoldroot @get2sammyb I imagine the minimum will be 400, but that’s quite a lot for something I don’t know if I’ll like
@tameshiyaku Agreed. As an Oculus user and VR super-fan, it is great to see other companies such as Sony and Apple invest in upcoming VR solutions and not have FB vacuum up the marketshare. Good to have competition. I feel like VR (and the Oculus 2) is amazing right now, but I also feel like it is nothing compared to what the next couple of years will bring.
One thing I love about Sony is they’re always been Innovators when It comes to new Technology that enhance the way we play games.
I wonder what the barrier is to lower latency in panels of this size? 10ms is better than most current TV sets, but there have been gaming monitors on the market for a while now with 1ms response times, with some newer panels achieving <1ms response times.
narrators sound like robots
@Shepherd_Tallon this isn’t gonna be used on the PSVR2
I don’t think anybody read the article correctly lol that display isn’t gonna be used on the PSVR2. It’s a prototype that Sony R&D made, has nothing to do with Sony Interactive
Big fan of vr but keeping with a wired headset for psvr2 is definitely putting me off. Love the psvr but my quest 2 gets a lot more game time due to being wireless
@danzoEX Indeed. The article suggested as much.
Can I still be hyped for PSVR 2 though? 😜
Very impressive stuff. I adore my PSVR and cannot wait for PSVR2. I have a huge collection of VR games and hope that they'll somehow be made compatible with the new system.
@thefourfoldroot I ditched Xbox One the last generation in favour of PSVR. It's a seperate platform with an equally (relatively) steep pricetag and it's own library. I used to buy every new console from the big three manufacturers, but if one had to go, it's Xbox. Grew up on Nintendo and Zelda is my favorite game series of all time, and also a Metroid or Mario is eventually a bigger deal to me than Halo or something like Gears. I own my PSVR for four years now and am still amazed by the tech and innovation it adds to the gameplay. I still play 'flat' ofcourse, but VR games are the priority nowadays. No brainer i will buy PSVR2, and maybe even a Xbox Series X/S years from now to play the Bethesda stuff. Maybe..
@Trousersnake
Exactly the same here, although I fell out of love with Ninty games as I found them too cookie-cutter. I have time for PlayStation and one other, and that one other should be wondrous and significantly different. Only VR really fits the bill.
PSVR2 is going to cost more than a scalped PS5, isn't it?
@danzoEX LOL, I think we all just saw the video and went to preorder without reading
That's actually a little disappointing. It means PSVR2 is already obsolete in Sony's stable and it hasn't even been formally announced yet.
@Uncharted2007 I found walking quickly became normal, but turning took A LOT longer to get used to. Still get a bit motion if I do a 360. Can't play Rigs or Squadrons :/
I really hope smaller games implement more reactions of NPCs. For a while, it's funny throwing a stack of money or cigar at someone and watching them have 0 reaction like you're some petulant child that has already been told off too many times, but it loses the appeal after a while.
I’m getting quest 2 for Xmas. I wanted a psvr for my ps5 but you can’t find in stock of the hardware. Quest has a smaller library, but better tech and wireless. I hope psvr 2 is wireless. That’d be amazing
Great, I'll look forward to seeing it used in the wild in 10 years time.
i knew there would be growing pains with vr. all these years later, it feels like interest has waned and the vr market has failed to evolve or grow in any meaningful ways. niche is the only way to describe it. let us just accept that gen1 vr is a failure due to the lack of developer support and the limitations of the hardware itself. if psvr 2 does in fact feature a 4k oled headset and garners more interest from developers to create some must play games, vr may finally take begin to take off. keeping the price down is going to be difficult, though. might have to wait until psvr 3 until the tech hits the sweet spot.
@godofwarj5 it's not wireless unfortunately but you'll enjoy the quest 2, recommend blades and sorcery
@Porco Still waiting for VR technology to reach the level of Sword Art Online or dot Hack/Log Horizon...maybe one day we'll eventually achieve it.
(fully immersive VR where our actual minds are placed inside the video games)
@Uncharted2007...... Rewatch the video, they clearly address motion sickness .........
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