Sony patent a wireless PlayStation VR headset

Sony’s current design for PlayStation VR is somewhat encumbered by the rather thick cables leading from the fancy hat back to the processing unit, but that may change in the future as a patent has been found for a wireless version of device.

It seems the device will communicate wirelessly with the break out box and I think the back part of the headset looks chunkier so that may be where the battery pack is held. Many patents never make it in to production but a cable free version of PSVR does seem a good move for Sony, what do you think?

PlayStation VR has been a quiet success for Sony, the device is now the market leader but will face competition from Quest, the new headset from Oculus.

Source: J-PlayPat

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11 Comments

  1. After using a PSVR for a quite a while on Saturday, all I’ll say is this needs to happen. It would be a much better experience, paired with higher resolution screens – it might actually become something I’d happily purchase.

  2. I’m not convinced it’s entirely necessary.

    What would the battery life be like? I guess batteries are slowly improving, so in a couple of years time, it might manage 6 hours?

    So instead of the current situation where I plug it in to the little mini-PS4 box, play for probably far too long, and then unplug it and put it safely on a shelf out of the way, I now don’t have to plug it in, play for an hour, realise it wasn’t charged, and have to try and remember to charge it every time I stop using it.

    And for what benefit? The cable to the headset is long enough that there’s no real risk of pulling everything on to the floor, even if something terrifying happens and you try and run away (yeah, fuck you, Resident Evil!)

    Does this patent make it less likely the PS5 will have the breakout box built in? If it’s now got to have some wireless receiver, would Sony build that into the PS5 at a (small, but quickly adds up) cost to everyone, or put it in the breakout box and shift the cost onto people buying the new headset?

    There’s also the theory that the Move and Aim controllers don’t play well with EM interference, so adding another source of that might not be ideal. Unless they also give us improved controllers, which would make sense, with the Move controllers being 10+ years old by the time a PSVR2 happens.

    • I agree, I always use the HMD sitting down and it’s kept right next to the chair so a wireless one wouldn’t make any difference to me except like you said remembering to charge it.

      With Oculus and others going down the wireless route I can see it happening, especially with PSVR 2.

      • The danger is what happens to the cost? I’m sure a major reason PSVR has been such a success compared to the others is the price. It’s certainly not as technically advanced as some of the PC options.

        They could make it wireless, and improve the resolution, and add creepy eye-tracking and all sorts of other things, but that’ll add to the cost and they might lose some advantage.

        On the other hand, they build some of it into the PS5, do the minimum needed to be able to claim all sorts of new features (it’s wireless, but lasts 20 minutes and doesn’t work if your phone rings) and somehow keep the cost down.

        Or just patent everything, no matter how stupidly obvious, and make loads of money licensing stuff to everyone else.

      • The only thing that I would like to improve on the PSVR is the screen, I’m happy with the current one but the higher resolution the better the experience would be. But I think Sony will do the same with a new version as what they did with the current one, go for a spec that’s not cutting edge to keep the price down.

  3. Wifi would be neat but i would prefer a flip-up visor to be worked into the next PSVR design.

    • Use a straw like everyone else does!

      (I’m assuming you want it to flip up so you can drink something. Flipping it up so you can see the horrors of the real world would be silly!)

      • Yep – i once almost rested my drink on a virtual pool table! ;)

      • It’s remarkably easy to forget things aren’t really there in VR.

        It took me ages to stop trying to put the Move controllers down on the big table in Star Trek Bridge Crew while chatting and waiting to play. Worst thing about that is if you’ve got the straps on, they fall through the table that isn’t really there and then kind of swing towards you and smack you in the balls.

        You’d think that counts as one of those “I’m not making that mistake again!” moments. Turns out it isn’t, and I can’t stop doing it.

  4. I’d be very interested. I loved PSVR but it was a nightmare having to rearrange the living room to play it. That’s what in the end caused me to get rid. I’d be all over a wireless version which I could easily just pick up and play.

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