Rumors and speculation about Sony’s next plans regarding virtual reality continue to crop up. The latest on this front comes via VR publisher Immersive VR Education (Apollo 11 VR), which alleges Sony will launch a new PlayStation VR model when the PlayStation 5 arrives. At present, Immersive VR Education’s claim remains unsubstantiated. Still, it warrants at least a cursory glance, since the company has spoken about developing software for the next PSVR.
According to VRFocus, Immersive VR Education recently shared a “trading update” concerning the end of 2019. In addition to detailing its projections for 2020, the publisher directly referenced an updated version of Sony’s VR device. The brief mention is as follows: “2020 will see Sony release the PlayStation 5 and a new version of the PlayStation VR headset (PSVR), which will further expand the high-end VR user base–the Group intends to support this device with its current suite of showcase software.”
Interestingly, this does not align with what Sony executives have said previously. During last year’s Collison Toronto conference, Sony’s Global Head of R&D for PlayStation, Dominic Mallinson, noted that launching PS5 and PSVR’s successor simultaneously would be a mistake. The last thing the company wants is to make consumers feel “bombarded” with new hardware. “In some ways, it’s good to have a little breathing space between those things,” he explained at the time.
There’s no doubt the company is working on the headset’s follow-up in some respect, though. A few months ago, patents for PlayStation VR2 hit the web. While this in no way confirms what a new model may entail, it at least hints at how Sony could go about improving the technology overall.
So far, PlayStation VR has been rather successful, recently crossing five million units sold worldwide. Hopefully, this kind of momentum ensures Sony’s continued support for virtual reality.
