Sony has unveiled a new upgraded version of its virtual helmet. The helmet is due to hit shelves in 2016 and will feature an OLED display as opposed to the current LCD one, raising comparisons with Facebook’s Oculus Rift. It will be able to show graphics at 120 fps, beating HTC’s new Vive headset, which offers a 90fps refresh rate. The fps rate will reduce the risk of nausea and result in moving objects looking smoother.
The device, Project Morpheus, was revealed at the same time as PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida announced plans to launch a software update for the console, allowing it to double its current maximum rate of 60fps.
Morpheus works with the standard DualShock 4 controller. It’s thought that the new frame rate will stop users feeling “sick”, with smoother, more fluid graphics being offered. The new latency rate will be just 0.018 seconds – an improvement on the previous 0.04 seconds, leading to what Mr. Yoshida called imperceptible lag. It will feature a quick-release button, though the screen resolution will remain at 1080p HD.
The Sony executive said the new version was “near final”, though it’s thought further improvements will be added. It’s expected to be released during the first half of 2016.
Sony recently announced a new three-year recovery plan.
