Sony Patents Hint at the Future of PlayStation VR

What's around the corner for VR?
PlayStation VR

Two new patents filed by Sony could provide some hints as to where the company’s virtual reality technology, PlayStation VR, is headed.

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As reported by VR Focus, the patents suggest two potential changes to the PlayStation Move controller that would dramatically change how PlayStation VR games are played: an analog stick and finger-tracking technology.

The first patent includes diagrams that also feature a side-mounted handstrap (as opposed to the bottom-mounted strap that’s currently on the controller) as well as additional buttons set inside the controller. The addition of an analog stick has been a highly-requested feature by PlayStation VR owners, so it’s interesting to see Sony at least entertaining the idea of adding one to the Move controller.

playstation vr patents

The second patent hints at even bigger changes to Sony’s VR technology. Originally filed in 2017, it details potential finger-tracking technology that would be able to recognize and monitor finger placement on the controller. This would allow for more nuanced movements and would give players even more control over their VR experiences.

What’s even more interesting is that the patent also details how the Move controller would be tracked by the head-mounted PlayStation VR display, not the PlayStation camera as is currently the case. VR players have complained about tracking issues with the PlayStation camera since launch, so a head-mounted tracking system could reduce these problems significantly. Of course, this feature isn’t currently a part of the headset, which could indicate at an upgrade (PlayStation VR 2?) if Sony executes on this idea.

Sony’s first virtual reality outing had a pretty strong year in 2017, yet even at launch there were hardware and software issues that could be improved and smoothed out. It’s unclear if either idea in these patents will come to fruition, but Sony is clearly looking to evolve PlayStation VR and push the technology even further.

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This post was originally written by Cody Mello-Klein.


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Chris Jecks
Chris Jecks has been covering the games industry for over eight years. He typically covers new releases, FIFA, Fortnite, any good shooters, and loves nothing more than a good Pro Clubs session with the lads. Chris has a History degree from the University of Central Lancashire. He spends his days eagerly awaiting the release of BioShock 4.