The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is poised to arrive next year. And now it seems a follow-up to the successful PlayStation VR (PSVR) could be en route.
As Lets Go Digital first uncovered, Sony Interactive Entertainment filed a patent for a new VR headset that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) approved on October 3.
The new headset looks almost identical to the original PSVR but comes with a few upgrades. The patent features a design with two cameras built into the font and another in the back. Even the Move controller has a built-in camera.
It also features a number of LEDs around the headset for improved tracking and motion detection. The headset is designed to use a unique display for each eye, with the ability to display 3D stereoscopic images. Like it's predecessor, the new headset also includes a built-in mic.
The patent indicates the new headset may be wireless—a feature that would give players more freedom of mobility while playing in the virtual world.
The patent also shows the head-mounted display (HMD) VR headset to use the front-facing cameras to generate a transparency effect. This mode allows the wearer to see the actual room around them, which points to the potential for augmented reality (AR) experiences.
This news comes off the tail of the recent news on the PS5, including the use of AMD ray tracing. It's not clear whether PSVR 2 will be part of the PS5 release or even if this patent will come into fruition. Patents often dont’t.
We don't know how long it'll be before we see an official PSVR 2 from Sony. But with Sony currently leading the VR hardware market, we expect it wants to continue investing in VR gaming.
