Sony Unveils Prototype of Morpheus Virtual Reality Device

Sony Corp. unveiled the prototype of Morpheus, a virtual reality device that would give its users a feel of being in the game scenario without being physically there.

In 2010, Sony has formed a "cross-functional team" composed of hardware developers and game developers, and began experimenting with a crude prototype of a virtual reality device. Reportedly, the company also worked with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to create a virtual reality view using of its Mars rover.

Roughly three years after, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida has finally introduced in the 2014 Game Developers Conference (GDC) the product of all their efforts -- a device that will redefine gaming experience.

"I have long dreamed about VR and the possibilities it brings in regards to game development. This new technology will deliver a sense of presence, where you as the player actually feel like you're inside the game and your emotions feel that much more real," Yoshida wrote in a blog post.

Morpheus is a headset device. It is composed of accelerometers and other sensors that will bring the gamers a different sensory experience. It has a screen placed before their eyes, which displays three-dimensional, high-definition images and a 90-degree field of view. It is designed as a wired accessory for its game console PlayStation 4.

Given all its features, "It's going to be the preferred medium for all sort of applications, not just games," said Richard Marks, senior director of Sony's research and development unit, Magic Lab, to SFGate.

"Letting people feel like they're present somewhere else is going to impact all sorts of other entertainment and even non-entertainment applications," he added.

Though the device looks promising, Morpheus is still far from a finished product. The company is still in the process of refining its six key components, which are its contents, control, usability, sight, sound, and tracking.

Sony hasn't revealed the price or the release date of the device yet, but, it targets the general market.