Virtual Reality is all the rage right now, offering entirely new gaming experiences – but its success hinges on how much people will be willing to throw down for the privilege. Each system that’ll be bringing in a digitised hyper-reality is going to cost quite a bit of cash; an awful lot of money for mere peripherals. Only the Morpheus, Sony’s new VR headset isn’t a peripheral. It’s a platform unto itself.
“VR for us, it’s not a peripheral,” Sony of America’s Shawn Layden told Forbes in an interview (via VRfocus). “It’s not a, ‘here’s the latest way to interact with the game’ thing. It’s a platform. It has the ability to impact gaming the same way that smart phones [changed] cell phones… before it was ‘I can talk to a person, I can text a person, what more do I need?’”
“But then the smart phone came out and it’s like, wow, I can do all that in my hand? I think Morpheus is going to have a similar impact on gaming or entertainment consumption.”
While most of us are focused on the gaming aspects of VR, Layden believes it’ll have broader appeal.
“This thing about VR is that it is like nothing we’ve experienced before, and because that’s true, everyone’s trying to come at it with as fresh a pair of eyes as possible. How do I take this known 2D reality and swing it into a full VR experience?” he asked.
While gamers are likely to be the early adopters, linear content producers want to jump in on Virtual Reality too, opening it up for mainstream appeal.
“If I have this technology what could I make happen? Now I think the entry point for VR is going to be from the gaming community, because [gamers] are accustomed to being on the bleeding edge and trying new things… [But] the more linear content folks, they want to get into this thing seriously.
We have dozens, if not hundreds, of inquiries coming in from TV production houses, movie studios, record companies, sports arenas, museums, scientific and aerospace organizations, all coming to look at this technology and how it can speak to them. I think over time, the non-gaming applications of VR are really going to explode and perhaps even be larger than the gaming piece.”
I don’t quite buy it. If it plugs in to a PS4 and costs money, it’s a peripheral. It is, admittedly, quite a nice one. We’ve all gone eye-balls on with the Morpheus and walked away impressed...even those of us who want to vomit when we play first person games.
Last Updated: June 29, 2015
Pieter Kruger
June 29, 2015 at 11:43
This will fade away just like the Vita unfortunately, no mention of Morpheus at E3 2017…….
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 29, 2015 at 11:49
I heard if you look at an Xbox One while wearing a Hololens the Kinect disappears. 😉
Pieter Kruger
June 29, 2015 at 11:53
If Morpheus reach even 25% of Kinect sales I’ll consider it a huge success but I fear the only thing that will accomplish is a huge increase in the price of copper as there’ll be a global shortage because….TOO MANY WIRES!????
HvR
June 29, 2015 at 13:27
Well that will not be a fair comparison because like herpes he Kinect was forced unto unwilling receivers.
Pieter Kruger
June 29, 2015 at 14:46
Haha, don’t think you’re 100% correct in your assumption that all/most Kinects were sold bundled with Xbox but I suspect you know that too!???? 8 million units in the first 60 days is not too shabby. What do you think of Sony “forcing” Morpheus buyers to also get the eye toy and move rattlers?????
HvR
June 29, 2015 at 15:00
Think my Dildo Dan comment lower down clearly shows my feeling on the Sony EyeMove.
On the fastest selling consumer product ever: MS marketing the crap out of the short lived movement-body-controller hyped up craze. It will probably score close to the top as the most overhyped consumer product ever; this is evident in MS finally listening to consumers and unbundling it and instantly doubling their sales.
Hammersteyn
June 29, 2015 at 12:12
Maybe the Vita can do a 180?
Pieter Kruger
June 29, 2015 at 12:40
Vita needs a 180 done right, not all companies have the insight to pull off 180’s for the better you know, Sony did a few but introducing a paid online service makes me think they’re doing it the wrong way? ????
Hammersteyn
June 29, 2015 at 12:44
a few?
Admiral Chief's Adventure
June 29, 2015 at 11:46
If those were lightsabres, he’d be poking a hole through his faaaace
HairyEwok
June 29, 2015 at 11:56
Must be playing GTA 5….
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 29, 2015 at 11:57
So dramatic 😉
Hammersteyn
June 29, 2015 at 11:48
Difference between a platform and a peripheral? Oh about R5000
HvR
June 29, 2015 at 11:55
Gawd. As much as MS is learning from their mistakes it seems Sony is trying their best to emulate them.
“This is not a peripheral it is a platform” is up there with “This is not a gaming console it is the ONE entertainment hub you need”
Also having Dildo Dan as your marketing mascot isn’t good idea.
Hammersteyn
June 29, 2015 at 12:11
hahaha dildo dan
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 29, 2015 at 11:56
I am ready for VR