Ken Kutaragi, the creator of the PlayStation console and brand, isn’t impressed by VR or the metaverse it will supposedly facilitate. He doesn’t believe the technology bridges the real and virtual worlds as it promises, and he doesn’t get the point.
Why Does the Creator of the PlayStation Not Like VR and the Metaverse?
In an interview with Bloomberg, Ken Kutaragi explains the reasoning behind his apathy toward VR and the metaverse. To him, this technology isn’t about unifying the real and virtual. Instead, he believes the metaverse is trying to replicate mundane real-world experiences virtually, which is pointless. He said of the metaverse: “You would rather be a polished avatar instead of your real self? That’s essentially no different from anonymous messageboard sites.”
Kutaragi isn’t coming out of left field with his assessment. As CEO of Ascent Robotics Inc., he and his team are attempting to create technology that will help robots better understand interactions with the real world and react to new situations.
In essence, Kutaragi hopes to accomplish the opposite of what the metaverse is setting out to do. He hopes that tech from Ascent can one day reproduce digital scenes in the real world that would allow customers to interact with products remotely without the need for headsets or bulky gear.
There’s no question that VR allows for unique gaming experiences, and PSVR was one of the first headsets to make enjoying the tech affordable. However, replacing physical social and work spaces, like what Facebook’s metaverse sets out to do, doesn’t seem ideal. After all, why would anyone want to wear a headset when a Zoom call performs essentially the same function with much less hassle.
Of course, much of the technology that is required to power the current idea of the metaverse is in development. So it’s possible that upcoming products like the PSVR 2 might have features that make the metaverse more appealing.
In other news, the Take-Two CEO thinks issues with the GTA Trilogy launch were just glitches, and we take a look at what series we hope return to the PS5.
[Source: Bloomberg]
