While virtual reality may not have taken off quite as well as some in the industry expected it to, Sony has by far had the most success in the medium. The PlayStation VR headset has sold over 4 million units at the time of this writing, largely thanks to the PS4's huge install base and the PSVR-exclusive games like Astro Bot Rescue Mission that can only be played using Sony's VR technology. Sony has kept quiet about a possible PlayStation VR successor for the PlayStation 5, but a new patent suggests that such technology is indeed in the works.
Sony has filed a patent for a PlayStation 5 Virtual Reality Headset. The new headset looks similar to the original PlayStation VR headset, but with some notable upgrades. This includes new front cameras, as well as a camera on the back of the headset. A new PlayStation Move-style controller can also be spotted, which too has a camera. Perhaps the biggest detail that can be spotted from the PS5 PlayStation VR patent is that the new device will apparently be wireless.
This isn't the first time that we've heard of a potential wireless PlayStation VR headset for the PS5, but this is the most substantial evidence we've had that such a device is actually in the works. A new VR headset for PlayStation 5 makes sense considering PSVR's success, though it remains to be seen exactly when such a device will be introduced to the PS5 ecosystem.
LetsGoDigital has put together the most relevant images from the new PS5 VR headset patent:
PlayStation 5 will launch in the holiday season of 2020, likely in November or thereabouts. The original PlayStation VR wasn't released for the PS4 until the console had already been on the market for three years, and so we don't expect the new PlayStation VR to come out for the PS5 at launch. The sticker shock of getting both a PS5 and a new PSVR headset could very well keep most consumers from taking the plunge on the technology.
A previous PlayStation VR 2 rumor claims that the headset will actually come out in January of 2021. That seems a little too soon after the PS5 itself launches, but we'll have to wait for official information from Sony to be sure one way or the other.
Source: Sony Patent (via LetsGoDigital)