A recent patent filed by Sony might give a sneak peek into what the PlayStation 5‘s new PSVR setup might look like. While an official VR system has not been announced for the new console, Sony has confirmed that PSVR as it exists now will be compatible with the the PS5, along with all its games. This includes Minecraft, which recently got an update making it playable in PSVR.
PSVR has had a rocky road since it launched for the PS4. While the technology was appealing, and has been used to produce some genuinely good games, on the whole it felt like a needless add on, inferior to most other VR headsets on the market. This was remedied a bit when PS4-exclusive game creation platform Dreams added a VR mode, allowing players to create fully playable and deeply immersive experiences in virtual reality. This alone made PSVR a much more worthwhile investment. Dreams and its VR games will be playable on PS5, but many still wonder where Sony might take the technology now that it has access to next-gen hardware.
A recent patent discovered by Dutch gadget site LetsGoDigital (via GamesRadar+) might provide an answer. The patent shows a handheld VR controller with a joystick and two face buttons up top, and two smaller buttons underneath. It also has an arcing hand guard connecting the top to the bottom, like the hilt of a cutlass. The patent includes an image of a VR headset, seemingly tracking the controller’s location thanks to sensors built into the curved hand guard. These additional sensors would likely help the headset more accurately track hand positions and possibly even remove the need for an external camera.
There is nothing official about this discovery. Not every patent becomes reality; if the PS5 incorporates a new PSVR system it could look entirely different than this one. And there might not be a new PSVR system at all; the PS4 version certainly wasn’t a hit, and Sony might decide it isn’t worth the trouble to upgrade. But there’s definitely a lot that Sony could do with VR technology on the PS5, and given the success of Dreams VR it seems a waste to abandon the concept.
A new console generation is always an exciting time for speculation. The PlayStation 5 has made a lot of big promises about its powerful new hardware, and Sony’s even been advertising TVs specifically ready to handle the console. These advertisements were recently revealed to be completely meaningless, but the excitement remains. If Sony can nail VR tech on the PlayStation 5, that’ll be a strong selling point for the console and an excellent chance for PSVR to redeem itself.
