Sony Announces Project Morpheus for PlayStation 4

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) announced Tuesday the development of “Project Morpheus” (Morpheus).

It is a virtual reality (VR) system that takes the PlayStation 4 (PS4) system to the next level of immersion and demonstrates the future of gaming, says the company.

SCE will continue development of Morpheus looking towards a future commercial launch.

“Project Morpheus is the latest example of innovation from SCE,” said Shuhei Yoshida, president of SCE Worldwide Studios.

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.

Morpheus features a visor style head-mounted display and works seamlessly with PlayStation Camera to deliver a 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 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 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 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, says the company.

Developers will be able to create Morpheus content for PS4. According to the company, the Morpheus dedicated SDK is currently under development and will become available when ready.