Sony Dev Explains Why PS VR Screen Is Crisper Than The Others, Says Project Started In Late 2010

Richard Marks from PlayStation Magic Lab talked about PS VR, from the quality of the screen to the beginning of the project.

[ccgr]

Look forward to seeing it, the price will determine if i buy it though

[vlashyr]

Me too. The wife already wanted to kill me when I bought PS4...

[JEECE]

Yet it is perfectly normal to shell out $700ish dollars every 9-12 months for the new iPhone (not saying your wife does that, just a general comment).

[Cindy-rella]

No explanation needed because its a sony product and sony likes to make quality.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

@shloobmm

The quality of Sony's Bravia TVs has never come into question. That's not the reason sales dropped.

[S2Killinit]

@shloobmm
Bravia tv quality was top notch. It was the price that made them difficult to justify. Otherwise they have always had a reputation that everything else being equal, Sony displays were superior.

[3-4-5]

JEECE - NO it it not normal to pay $800 a year for a new iphone.

That is what cult members do.

Most people just re-up the plan for the free phone. THAT is normal.

[ThunderPulse]

Get a divorce then.

[Fz6soldier]

@shloobmm
10 to 15 years ago flat screens were still a newer tech, all brands had their issues. And I believe Sony/Samsung/Sharp all shared the same panels.

[Loktai]

@schloo,

Sony tvs continue to have great performance very low motion blur and as technology improves smaller companies are able to get closer to Sony which makes the prices harder to swallow in the shaky economy but the quality has never swayed at all, competitors like Samsung and Sharp and cheap undercutters like Visio have just taken a cut which happens. They still rank very highly especially if you care about motion blur and contrast in dark rooms.

[starchild]

Sony does generally make great TVs. However, they aren't always the best at a given price point. For example, the Vizio P and M series have deeper black levels and better contrast ratios than all but Sony's flagships like the X950B, which retails for about $6,000 (vs about $850 for the same sized Vizio M series). This is because all of those sets use full array local dimming, whereas Sony's midrange and low end sets don't have this feature and thus have inferior black levels.

Still, Sony do generally make some of the best TVs at the high end. I own both a Sony and Vizio tv and they're both great at what they do. I'm looking forward to when Sony starts releasing OLED TVs.

[freshslicepizza]

i'm hoping they have a demo set up near my area. that will be the only way to determine if i like it or not. you can't go by feedback from others or looking at videos.

[dantesparda]

@starchild,

Did you say local dimming? Hold on, I just threw up in my mouth. Full array, yes, ..... local dimming, big no no

[NewMonday]

@starchild

got a 60'4K Sony TV, that local dimming is fantastic, my brightness setting is turned down and now I can see whole new shades of color, this is deeper than my previous Panasonic Plasma TV and very close to an OLED.

[XisThatKid]

To most that didn't know Sony and Samsung shared components for TV's along with vizio. Sony was deff top notch tv's with great design and quality Sony was always seen as a quality brand especially to people outside the gaming industry that don't know all the semantics. Sony sold their shared components to Samsung to start from scratch in the TV industry.
and from what I seem at CES looking forward to must things Sony has to offer that has a screen

[MikleDemi]

I think that is just common sense. I will also wait and see how people are using it. No point if its just another PS Move/Camera/EyeToy/etc.

[Imp0ssibl3]

It will be much more than that, though I'm still concerned about motion sickness issues.

[Timesplitter14]

expect something like $250-$300, maybe more
http://www.idigitaltimes.co...

[Genuine-User]

I would love for it to be in between £300-350.

[sprinterboy]

Will pay £299, any more and I'll have a rethink, but £229 would be a great launch price with it being priced at £149 yr or 2 later.
I personally think it will be ps5 before its consumer price friendly for the masses. I expect playstation vr to be included with every ps5 hopefully

[nitus10]

Some people may have problems using VR devices so it is very important to try before you weigh up the pros and cons of buying such a device.

Yes price is important but it should also be considered with functionality, quality and reliability.

[Scatpants]

I'm predicting $400

[ABBAJESUS]

$599 PS4 bundle

[AndrewLB]

It's "Crisper" because Oculus DK2 doesn't have the higher resolution screen that will be in the retail model. Oculus Rift's screen when it launches will be 2160x1200 OLED. DK2 is only 960x1080 per eye.

[S2Killinit]

Thats actually incorrect.

[mixelon]

Umm, you're right about the DK2 being 1080p and the retail version being higher res. :)

[Gunstar75]

Sony's headmounted 3D cinema hardware costs a fortune, so will be interesting to see how the quality compares.

[bluebenjamin]

My Sony Bravia hdmi sound goes a wall sometimes it's a little annoying when I'm in game and I have to turn off my TV and turn it back on again.Not a fan of the tv's but they built good gaming consoles my ps2 still running strong blowing cool air out the vents!!!

[ShottyGibs]

How about Sony start telling us how they are going to muster up enough FPS for this VR not to be a nauseating experience. Surely that must be the biggest problem right now.

[Scatpants]

The headset itself has some sort of system that interpolates frames. The headset I believe outputs the same framerate all the time.

[XanderZane]

Will wait for the price and see how many quality games are available for it when it launches. Don't think I'll get it day one though.

[JKSimmons]

Got some high hopes set for PlayStation VR. Hoping to hear more about it at PGW.

[vlashyr]

We'll get the price and release date either at PGW or (more probably) at the PlayStation Experience in San Francisco.

[S2Killinit]

Ive heard about this in another review. At the time i thought the guy was just exaggerating or something. But there have been a couple of others who keep mentioning that whatever it is Sony has done has had the effect that their picture actually looks crisper than the rest of VR devises despite having a lower resolution display than the Oculus. He explained that when he asked a Sony rep, the rep responded that it might be because Sony has been in the business of displays for years and that experience might have to do with the better picture quality of PSVR. Another revuew also mentioned that the PSVR had less of the dreaded "window" effect, which i am personally still in the dark about.

Edit: just read the article, they are confirming what i just said. Although they call it the "screen door" effect not "window". Not sure where i got window from.

[Imp0ssibl3]

That definitely makes sense, Sony has produced cutting edge televisions and cameras for decades. They have surely exploited some of that know-how when they designed PlayStation VR

[uth11]

or alternatively they supplied screens to the competitors and ensured they received inferior products ;)

[S2Killinit]

Lol the ultimate technique.

[WeAreLegion]

Playing the long con.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I rarely legit "lol" but that was a huge lolz!

I feel it would play out sorta like Oceans Eleven

[Timesplitter14]

After trying PSVR at Unite 2015 and working with the Oculus regularly, I'd say PSVR does feel a bit less "weird" when moving your head for whatever reason. But it will have lower resolution than the final oculus product

Overall I'm expecting both products to be very comparable when their consumer versions launch

[kaiserfranz]

Do you mean that you feel less dizzy? Because I got that with the Oculus (never tried PS VR yet).

[kneon]

That sounds like the PSVR is better at tracking your head movement and with low latency. People often get motion sickness when what their eyes are seeing doesn't match what their brain is expecting.

[Bladesfist]

Have you tried CV1? I got to try it earlier this year and it has really spot on head tracking. Interesting the best display for VR I have tried is the Gear VR due to the 2560x1440 resolution and super high pixel density. The screen door effect almost disappears.

[Davi123]

Awesome! :)

[Pillsbury1]

If oculus have already stated that it will be over 350$ then I expect psVR with move controllers to be at least 399$. If it is that high a price it would become a very niche product only for VR enthusiasts.

[traumadisaster]

Agree, I'm not sure how this can sell enough to get major developer support. Even if they sell at a huge loss, say $300, would half or less of ps4 owners purchase?

Developers would have to set aside a vr team that could be working on a standard ps4 game that has a much larger base.

Think of ND and the other big 3, they will pull resources from the ps4 to vr that only has 5 million units, maybe 10.

[uth11]

This is where having multiple VR devices on the market helps. Developers can make cross-platform VR and target PSVR, Oculus and Vive.

[AndrewLB]

Half??? sorry man, but no way. VR is going to be a niche market IMO. That goes for Oculus as well. It will likely be all the rage for a while just like 3D, but it wont last.

And if it makes people sick as frequently as articles suggest... hehe.

[Alexious]

Well, they did say PlayStation VR would be priced as a gaming platform and PS4 retailed at $/€ 400, so it's completely possible.

[ABizzel1]

Oculus was going to be $299, it moved the over $350, because they've added more tech, even better screens, and remodeling the device for more comfort and balance.

PSVR shouldn't cost as much, and it would be foolish to go over $299.

@Alexious

Wii was a gaming platform and launched at $250, along with 3DS and Vita.

[Angeljuice]

Well there is no audio involved with PS VR to keep the costs down.
They are also a first party hardware manufacturer, so manufacturing costs will be lower than they are for Oculus.

[Aurenar]

I am very curious to try it before I buy it.

[_-EDMIX-_]

That is one of the hardest things to really market about devices like this as you really need to try it before buying it, no one wants to put this on for the first time and not like it....and also have already paid for it lol.

They need a strong Kiosk push, best buys, Wal Marts, Gamestop etc. I think they are doing fine so far and they are properly investing in the concept. I just want to know how they will market it further!

[kaiserfranz]

You're definitely right, it's going to be a challenge. I guess they're counting a lot on word of mouth

[Mkai28]

I agree, with a device like that you have to try it before you buy it. In a since it should be the way with every device. Buying automobiles have the same concept, test drive it before you buy it.. I got a lot of flack because I commented on ppl saying they would buy it without even trying it..

[Paleblood]

Can't wait to try it.

[squeezx]

$299.99 calling it.

[Scatpants]

$399.99

[Alexious]

That might be the sweet spot. $349 or $399 could be too much, though. Let's hope they can keep it down

[S2Killinit]

I think it will be $349. And i would be very happy with it because it implies they didnt cheap out AND its not mind boggling expensive.

[Mkai28]

Do people really think Sony would have a add on device that would cost more then the console? I agree that would be too much.

[ajax17]

Sony does make killer displays.

[vlashyr]

I love my Bravia TV! I hope they don't stop making TVs, I would be very sad.

[kenwonobi]

I heard of this. In another article it was mentioned despite lower resolution it is a crisper view. That is sometimes the case with TV as well. It's about the quality of the screen not just resolution when it comes to tv screens.

[mochachino]

If every game displays on it, 400 is a lot cheaper than a big screen TV

[TheCommentator]

It's better because Sony says so? Great article. Where are the facts? "People" think its better? Who? "Some" competitors don't have rgb subpixels? Which ones? "We've been working on it longer"? WTF, I guess Duke Nukem Forever is the greatest game of all time then too? Or that interpolation for many games to hit 1080p/60 per eye is better than a higher native resolution/framerate? What effect did interpolation in Killzone's multiplayer have on the consumers mindset?

Morpheus, I think I'll take the red pill now so I can wake up from this PR nightmare...

[ApocalypseShadow]

https://m.youtube.com/watch...

Sony did this for GDC using datura.oculous rift wasn't presented until E3 of that same year of 2012.(2 months later) the fact that ps4 has built in vr elements shows that they were heading into this direction anyway without oculous.oculous just solidified Sony's plan direction as other companies planned the same.

If you really want to go back, I could show you that Sony was working on head tracking and vr WAY back on ps2.

[TheCommentator]

I never said it wasn't in development that long. I insinuated that a lengthy development doesn't automatically make something better(which the dev insinuated in the interview). Reread my post.

[nosferatuzodd]

So when other company said the same thing I don't hear you complaining all I hear is yes it's true now Sony giving a statement why they think theirs will be better and it's pr crap lol ok ,the hypocrisy is strong with this one

[TheCommentator]

All you hear is yes it's true?

Sure, I think Hololens is a better device and it will be more successful too. Will it be a better platform for gaming? Most likely not, evidenced by MS support of VR on XB1. Will it sell better? Absolutely. AR is a tool for a myriad of business applications. Hololens may also appeal to some of the tablet/laptop crowd. Gaming applications are a benefit of its design, and are not its primary target.

As for Oculus, it will most likely outsell Morpheus by a wide margin too. It works on multiple devices that have a significantly larger install base than consoles alone ever could. It will also improve as processing power improves with less lag and better visuals.

My original post questions the ways in which this article was ambiguous. To me it was on purpose; they put as much positive spin on things as possible without use of facts to back these claims up. Notice that I didn't use any facts in my post? It is my opinion that Morpheus will not compete with Oculus Rift in gaming. Feel free to do some research and form one of your own.

[Angeljuice]

Lots of people have mentioned how good the PS screens look in comparison with the Rift, most saying there was no noticeable difference despite the lower resolution.

Some have said that the PS VR actually looks better.

Anyone of a non-partisan persuasion would be able to glean this from the various show videos, its not just Sony saying it.

[TheCommentator]

So you're suggesting that it doesn't matter how powerful Morpheus is, but how it uses its' hardware that makes it better? Interesting, because people here who claim XB1 will catch the PS4 in terms of fidelity are always met with on paper performance "facts" to show otherwise. You are implying that either a data sheet can be wrong, or that an entirely subjective opinion is more important than any measureable data. Kind of a catch 22 if you think about it.

That aside, we're still looking at unreleased hardware with demos being shown in a controlled environment. I remember "people" being blown away by demos of Kinect as well. How did that turn out? What do some people believe about Cloud Computing, even though the data says it will work on today's networks? The fact is that data is never infallable, as it can be miscalculated, incomplete, or even falsified. Data is, however, way more reliable as a source of information than any impressions an observer may proclaim, or any endorsement by a dev who works for the company making the product. Anyone who is of non-partisan persuasion would not be influenced simply by the opinions of others, but by the facts as well.

[kenwonobi]

Since you are being dense The Commentators I'll explain how a screen as opposed to game resulution is different. A tv screen which is essentially what the lenses are in PSVR and oculus could have completely different technology in them. Which in turn can make the image crisper no matter the resolution of a different higher resolution screen. Examples LED 720p vs LCD 1080p. Plasma vs a higher resolution projector tv. Now follow me here. Sony makes TV. It's their specialty. So it is very likely and possible that Sony's lower resolution screens show a higher quality images. Seeing this is not software vs software on the same tv dueling in resolution? It's a completely different argument than PS4 resolution vs Xbox resolution? Follow that?

[Angeljuice]

I was just anwering your question. Why ask a question if you don't want an answer? Oh, to get a reaction, I see now.

TROLLING

[Angeljuice]

If you're looking for "measurable data" and reasons why the PSVR screen looks crisper, you should try reading the article.

The PSVR has more sub-pixels per pixel but the Rift has more raw pixels. So which is the superior screen on paper?

It isn't as straight forward as you pretend, which is why you need to use the observations of users who have experienced both.

Sony's screen has a crisper image, sorry to be the one to break it to you.

[ApocalypseShadow]

I expect it to be great when its finally released.the cool thing about PSVR is that Sony is not just showing unrealistic expectation videos like Samsung is doing with gear vr

https://m.youtube.com/watch...

They are letting the developers,journalists and gamers try it and the vast majority agree it's a good piece of kit.just needs a launch price and what games will be at launch.

The resolution is great
The frame rate support up to 120fps is great
Ds4 is ready for vr and is great
Move used with PSVR is accurate and great.

You can't beat that level of readiness when it all just WORKS.those who compare it to 20 year old virtualboy hardware are fooling themselves.or compare it to 3d when you can't turn fully around in 360 degrees and not even close to being immersed.

Lastly,Sony's final acquisition wrap up of softkinetic is going to be key as well as seen here(look at 38 seconds into the video and 2:13 seconds)

https://m.youtube.com/watch...

That's ps4 and what do you see him holding in his hand?look at his full body movement.now imagine that with vr.only question is: was he using their depth sensor or the ps4 camera?and can they duplicate that with the PS camera if it wasn't?softkinetic was bought for a reason.

[Gamist2dot0]

Also the problem with 3D is that your TV needs to support 3D which not a lot of people have. When I tried 3D, I lost interest in seconds because I wasn't immersed.
VR on the other hand, is like putting on headphones immersing yourself with your favorite music or game. And those of us who display three monitors to immerse ourselves in games know that VR will replace that in a greater way.

[italiangamer]

Hopefully this article will shut up the idiots who think that Oculus Rift came before PSVR. They were working on it almost 2 years before they even kickstarted the Rift. As always, Sony comes first.

[DigitalRaptor]

Sony is always working on this stuff before the competition in the gaming field. They either don't release it quick enough to gain a foothold, or well enough for it to become mainstream.

PlayStation Eye was way before Kinect.

PlayStation Move (on PS2) had public demos before the Wii was even announced.

Project Morpheus in R&D before Oculus Kickstarter.

[mixelon]

Nobody is seriously saying Sony copied the rift are they?

We've known they, and others have been working on VR on and off for ages. None of these are revolutionary tech, VR has been failing to boom and then busting for decades. It's not going to fail this time though. :)

[neoandrew]

Every OLED screen has 3 subpixels per pixel, coz u need someway to display every color on every pixel, and this is the way, this is the technology.

So oculus and htc vive also must have 3 subpixels.

There are also better OLEDs with WRGB, additional 1 subpixel with white light, but don't know if any is used in vr products.

[Mr Logic]

That's no true. For a long time Samsung phones have used a pentile layout where they share subpixels. So if they tell you the phone display is 1080p it actually isn't.

[neoandrew]

For me pentile was a pure hoax. False marketing that should end in court.

But yeah, they could cheat, then they liars and if not then this sony dev is a liar.

We will see, sony has a HMZ with great screen so they know what they doing, but HMZ has over 2000 ppi on 0,7 inch 720p dsiplay, 1080p on couple inch is way less.

And you just can't count subpixels as resolution.

But my concern is ps4 performance, you really need high fps and 2 separate views, ps4 could not be enough for AAA graphics quality titles, they will have to lower something.

If their display is really so great, then it would be ideal to sell it separately for pc.

[Frisky]

I can't help but think there is definitely something going on behind the curtains at Xbox related to VR as well, keep aside the HoloLens.

Btw, whatever happened to Xbox illumiroom?

[TheCommentator]

Irides and a partnership with OR are a good start.

[Angeljuice]

"Btw, whatever happened to Xbox illumiroom?"

It turned out to be a pipe dream.

MS have focused on AR rather than VR, the only way they can bring VR to XBO (short term) is via a partnership with Oculus or a similar company.

[S2Killinit]

I wonder if they could do Skyrim on PSVR. (or skyrim type games)?

[mixelon]

They could.. I've played skyrim with my Oculus Rift DK2, it's pretty great.

[wesjanson99]

Love me some VR!!!!

[WelkinCole]

Does anyone know if you can use the Playsation VR for watching movies with like a movie theater view?.

Can it do 3d blu-ray?

I am interested in any other functions.

If I can watch my movies on it then it is a sure buy for me on that alone.

[specialguest]

More crisper at 1080p vs 1440p on the Oculus & Vive huh? Well I'll be the judge of that when I buy both the PS VR and the Oculus or Vive. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter since they're not directly competing(different platforms).

[Kyizen]

The problem is how do you market this without people trying it. I guess i'll have to go to Best Buy if they have a display but that's pretty much it. That and they will need a killer must buy game for it. If it has those 2 things and sells for $299 I'm sold.

[Hroach616]

Day one for me. Just waiting for the pre orders to start so I can keep putting money down $50 to $100 at a time. Come release day I can just pick it up and go.

[TABSF]

Cannot see how this will be better than Oculus or Vive
The PSVR is limited by the performance of the PS4.
The others have no limit (well the limit is the users PC)

[Maxor]

There might be a period of parity as VR is still in it's infancy but that will quickly fade once PC based VRs begin to iterate. I have no idea how PSVR will be able to compete with the Rift 2 or 3.

[OB1Biker]

Well its a bit like wondering how consoles can compete with PC.
Consoles are more for people who want hassle free gaming and PSVR will just work with the console they already have with plug and play.

[plmkoh]

Sony uses a 1080p OLED screen with RGB matrix where as the Oculus uses a 2K OLED panel from the Samsung Note4 which is a pentile display. Pentile displays are half the sharpness of a display with RGB that's why most word of mouth says the PSVR isn't bad compared to the Oculus despite being half the resolution.

[iNFAMOUZ1]

seems like its taking forever for them and oculus, hurry up and release the damn things, jeez man, we've been waiting years, just release them already, everythings boring right now

[skeetys]

Project Morpheus was only announced last year... In March 2014.

[Angeljuice]

In a few years we'll download and print out new tech like VR headsets on 3D printers.
No hardware shortages, no manufacturing plants (at first just the plastic components, but eventually printing computer chips will be possible).

[llMurcielagoll]

It is not extremely likely that I am going to buy PS VR, though I wouldn't mind trying out a demo.

The demo is what most likely would sell this product for me.

[andygee1987]

Can not wait for this, had half a hour at EGX on it was awesome