With the all the talk of how incredibly cool the Oculus Rift is, and how it’s the future of gaming, and blah blah blah (don’t mind me, I’m just jealous I haven’t yet tried one), one has to wonder if the big three console manufacturers are secretly or not-so-secretly developing their own virtual reality offerings to be revealed down the line. Though a far cry from official confirmation, some recent patent filings from Sony seem to indicate (and affirm previous rumors) that the PlayStation 4 may one day have VR of its own.
The leak comes via a user on the NeoGAF forums, our good friend mister “gofreak.” The first of the bunch seems to involve technology that warns the user of hazards in the environment – it might allow particular sounds through if necessary, clear the user’s vision if a physical object draws nearer, or even allow for alarms or notifications. The second is more familiar and less vague – image stabilization that takes place within the head-mounted display itself.
Companies file patents all the time, and they aren’t always indicative of an actual product. Nintendo filed patents concerning the use of 3D screens far before the 3DS was ever announced, and when it comes to patents leading to actual consumer devices the 3DS is a best case scenario. Still, console makers pioneering their own VR technologies can only lead to better, more engrossing experiences, so if Sony wants to take matters into its own hands then I’m all for it. Uncharted 6 for PlayStation 4 Oculus EyeToy-Rift confirmed? Sounds fantastic to me.
