Sony has filed a patent showcasing some very ambitious ideas on where it wants to take PSVR 2 in the future. Virtual reality gaming has seen a spike in both popularity and functionality in recent years as many in the industry believe it is the next obvious step for video games. Sony seems to be ahead of the curve, filing patents that show where its ambitions might lead it in future projects.
Sony has always held a considerable lead on its console competitors as Playstation consoles have always boasted state of the art features across their many iterations. PlayStation‘s two biggest contributions to the gaming industry are the revolutionary DualShock/DualSense controller platforms and the successful PSVR system. PSVR was the best selling virtual reality peripheral by 2018 and has held considerable popularity since, even though there are some users who feel that the platform is becoming outdated. The PS5 released with PSVR functionality using PS4 accessories but players are looking forward to the eventual release of the new system’s own VR add-on.
According to an article by GameIndustry, Sony has filed a patent that shows in what ways it is looking to revolutionize the VR gaming scene when PSVR 2 eventually releases. The post details that Sony is experimenting with the idea of using various household objects as peripherals instead of the classic video game controller. This would lower the barrier on VR gaming, allowing anyone to enjoy the PSVR 2 with whatever items they have lying around. The patent shows that a primary example would be the ability to use a banana as a controller through the use of various VR cameras located in the player’s headset and another plugged into the console itself.
While this patent is an early-development experimental design, it is interesting to see the avenues that Sony is looking to take as it advances its systems within the VR technology field. The recent announcement that PSVR 2 is on the way has also caused a few other patents to be noticed, such as one that might allow audience participation through microphones and cameras. As previously mentioned, PSVR has had a rather successful lifespan but the platform itself is out of date and cannot fully utilize the power that the PS5 brings to bear and Sony seems to be looking for some big ideas to remedy that.
There are already murmurs of the projects that could be heading towards the PS5 via PSVR 2. One PSVR developer had job postings detailing a PSVR 2 project with an online multiplayer component that looks to bring a VR gaming experience that has not been seen before. Sony has some big shoes to fill if it wants to surpass the standard set by the PSVR as the system sold over 3 million units and created a competitive marketplace for virtual reality gaming that only has a few competitors to begin with.
