Virtual reality gaming has been on the tip of developer's tongues for quite some time. After Oculus Rift made waves at this year's E3 2013 gaming conference, the idea of a headset that will render a 360 degree gaming environment has felt like more of a possibility than ever before. Now patents from Sony have been spotted that may relate to a headset device the company is allegedly developing for use with the upcoming next-generation console the PlayStation 4.
The patents were originally discovered by NeoGAF user 'gofreak,' the patents cover an audio system and a head mounted HDM display. This lends further evidence to the idea that a rival to the Oculus Rift is being created by Sony.
There is reportedly an audio alery system that will cover a range of methods for alerting the gamer to a real-life emergency such as a crying baby, fire alarm or object moving toward your head, according to IGN. This indicates that the finished product might feature noise cancelling headphones and will make you unable to see your natural surroundings.
The patent includes motion detection and image stabilization information. It was filed back in May but it has only just been published. Unfortunately, the content and accompanying images, featured HERE via IGN, don't offer much insight in terms of what people can expect when and if this rumor comes true and the PlayStation 4 ends up working with a VR headset.
The patent was filed by Sony WWS Steroscopic Team senior engineer Ian Bickerstaff and PlayStation Europe senior development manager Simon Benson. IGN also reports that these people worked at DriveClub developer Evolution Studios. The testing for the Sony VR headset was supposedly taking place at that studio.
Several reports suggest that the headset was originally down for a big reveal at Gamescom 2013. However, thanks to a last minute decision, the reveal was pushed back to sometime in 2014.
