Sony launching Virtual Boy-style visor

By Tom Phillips Published 31 August, 2011

For Japan this year, ages 15 and up.

Sony will launch a 3D-capable head mounted display in Japan this November.

The device crams two 720p OLED screens in front of gamers' eyeballs, capable of both 2D and 3D output.

Sony expects the device to sell for 60,000 yen (£480).

Notably, Sony's press release warns the device should not be used by children under 15 years old, while sudden movements could cause motion sickness.

Aesthetically it's similar to Nintendo's failed Virtual Boy, which never saw release in Europe after its less-than stellar 1995 Japanese launch. Official pictures of Sony's device are below.

Sony Worldwide Studios exec Mick Hocking previously predicted virtual reality gaming would return to popularity - powered by the company's new headset.

"So we have our new HMD - or head-mounted display - which was announced at CES earlier this year, and you can see that we can now get back to where we really wanted to get with virtual reality in the '80s.

"Being in a virtual world where I can see my virtual hands or a virtual gun with all the things we can do in the gaming world is going to be absolutely amazing," he added.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard. @TomPhillips151 on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Phillips archive page.

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Comments (66) Latest comment 9 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • syra #1 9 months ago

    LOL

  • Dolly #2 9 months ago

    Looks more like the old Tomy 3D visor games from the 80s like shark attack.

  • sonicyoda #3 9 months ago

    Holy shit, it's the future!

  • Erinan #4 9 months ago

    Holy cow. 15-year-old me would be super excited. Present me can only think it will be really uncomfortable to be cut off from the world and make you look silly. Is there actually a pilot on Sony's plane...?

  • Earl_G #5 9 months ago

    £480?? Fair to say this isn't mass market!!

  • Architect_z #6 9 months ago

    It's probably a really awesome device, but theres no chance i'd consider wearing them, using them or even buying them, especially not for 60,000 yen.

  • AceGrace #7 9 months ago

    The first picture looks like a C5!

    Still at £480 it is not going to sell. Under £100, Possibly.

  • MyBigToe #8 9 months ago

    And its not the beginning of april? weird

  • RodHull #9 9 months ago

    Perfect to go lawnmowing in.

  • Bradach #10 9 months ago

    is there any accelerometers in this baby? can it detect movement and move the screen accordingly?

  • kassmageant #11 9 months ago

    ( imagining how killzone would work with these) " WOW!"

    ( looking at price of this gizmo) " oh GTFO"

  • kangarootoo #12 9 months ago

    Are there really people that still factor "this will make me look silly" into their purchasing decisions? Especially for something like this, where you are hardly likely to use it in the middle of your local Tescos.

    Another thing that makes people look silly is an overwhelming desire to fit in and look cool at all times. Get some balls!

    ;)

  • kassmageant #13 9 months ago

    also - do you have to plug it into ps 3, or to tv, up your arse - where? is it compatible with anything else, in other words?

  • slippysloppy #14 9 months ago

    Excellent, I can watch bluray porn while my girlfriend watches Eastenders and she need never know (save for the huge rock in my pants).

  • ZizouFC #15 9 months ago

    Looks like a little hovercraft.

  • wizlon #16 9 months ago

    I'd love to give one of these a go, but without an accelerometer in the device to "look around" it seems like an expensive 3D TV.

  • FireMonkey #17 9 months ago

    "The device crams two 720p OLED screens in front of gamers' eyeballs, capable of both 2D and 3D output"

    That makes it sound like both screens are capable of 3D output! 8P

  • MiniAmin #18 9 months ago

    As a black guy, i'm thrilled that I may now resemble that black guy from Star Trek.

  • FireMonkey #19 9 months ago

    Am I right in saying this has no head tracking at all?
    Until they get that on it and have a much reduced price I'm not interested.

    I can't see it doing too well when so many people moan about having to wear a pair of lightweight glasses for standard 3D TVs

  • f00b_inc #20 9 months ago

    6D?

    3^2D??!

  • Lunastra78 #21 9 months ago

    Looks like an experiment for next gen's motion tech. I doubt Sony will opt for Move again.

  • sandmania #22 9 months ago

    I thought it was an updated Sinclair C5!

  • DirectAim #23 9 months ago

    I'm glad Sony are pushing something new and exciting, even if most the comments here are from people moaning and bitching! This device might not be the most awesome thing this century but its certainly a step in the right direction! I look forward to this kind of tech in another 10 years!

    Also the price is so high due to Sony having to design build and market this product, everyone should know by now that in 6 months it will be £100 cheaper!

    Cant wait to give it a go!!! *blows dust off PS3

  • the_dudefather #24 9 months ago

    The 90s version of me who watched Bad influence on telly loves this

  • SpaceMonkey77 #25 9 months ago

    Takes me back to the awfulness of VR, back in the day. However, if I had the cash and the time, I'd check one of these out. Needs to be cheaper though, Sony. £480 is too steep for something that's only for one person. Get this baby to a £200 price point and I might invest in one.

    Indeed, it would be awesome, to play games on my PS3, without need for a TV (if its wireless), and if Sony were to market this heavily enough, it could also give Nintendo's Wii U portability, a run for its money. Would be awesome if this thing also had a microphone included.

  • vizzini #26 9 months ago

    I think most people here are really missing the point with this headset, and failing to remember the excitement the prototype people tried back in February at an electronics expo generated.

    The device won't suffer cross talk, will have excellent contrast ratios, colour response as it won't be dimmed by being filtered through shutter or polarizing lenses(and is OLED), will encompass your full view envelope(like a cinema projector), but from 1/2 inch from your eye will effectively be delivering best in class resolution of any 3D screen; even @ the 720p per lens.

    The other half isn't sure she wants 3D, and the cost of replacing the lounge TV with something at the same level (but with 3D) is going to be +£2k, so a single player gamer option without sizesor quality compromises is likely to get my money if just a little bit cheaper(£300).

  • Psiloc #27 9 months ago

    And the Vita is aesthetically similar to a Game Boy.

  • mr2ange #28 9 months ago

    VR has always been my childhood dream, At least some companies are trying to realise that dream still.

    One day we may actually get there... this looks to be a step in the right direction :)

  • Snufkin #29 9 months ago

    All you naysayers go to hell, you KNOW that you'd love to give these badboys a whirl!

    But seriously Sony - £480? Art thou of thy rocker?

  • Lucodeath #30 9 months ago

    Is it April the 1st already?

  • Ryze #31 9 months ago

    If they could release something like this as an optional add-on to the PSVita and PS3, then it could take off.

    If I could wear this on a plane to watch 3D films, or play 3D games, then I'd be all over it.

    Making it popular for the masses at £500 in JAPAN (more like £999 over in the UK), will be tricky, with it only being useful for 1 person at a time.

  • -cerberus- #32 9 months ago

    Man, we'd all look so cool wearing this in the street!

  • Timotei #33 9 months ago

    "Are there really people that still factor "this will make me look silly" into their purchasing decisions?"

    Yes, which is why I have never owned a bluetooth earpiece for my phone.

  • HL706 #34 9 months ago

    "6D?

    3^2D??!"

    3 ^ 2 is 9 btw ;-)

  • randompanda #35 9 months ago

    "two 720p OLED screens"

    Fuck the resolution - especially at that size, and distance from the eye. The refresh rate is what's going to make or break this.
    Edited by randompanda at 31/08/11 @ 11:32

  • funkateer #36 9 months ago

    Although easy to dismiss, there's something to be said for this device (especially with the curtains closed).

    With no cross-talk, a really large viewing angle and integrated 5.1 sound, it might well be the best way to experience 3D games on PS3 (considering those don't get above 720p anyway). And at $600, one of the cheapest ways.

  • Ceatlan #37 9 months ago

    randompanda - I think the biggest issue, over and above refresh rate, will be whether they've managed to work it so that your eyes don't feel like they are focusing on something a inch or 2 away away. If they've managed to make it feel like you are looking at something a few feet away, then it will be awesome, otherwise it will only be any use for short periods for the majority of people. Most people get splitting headaches if they ask there eyes to focus on something so close for very long.

    Proper separate images to each eye like this, are by far the best way to achieve totally convincing 3D, however in my experience virtual retina displays are the only method I've tried so far that was comfortable to use, but I don't thing they've managed to get those devices down small enough or cheap enough yet.
    Edited by Ceatlan at 31/08/11 @ 11:44

  • bad09 #38 9 months ago

    LOL! With 3D and now VR are Sony the kings of flogging long dead horses now? They must really be struggling for new ideas if they want to dig up the rotting long forgotten corpse of VR.

  • JahB #39 9 months ago

    The teenage nerd in me wants this to be good.... the financially responsible adult I'm supposed to be doesn't.

  • ryandsimmons #40 9 months ago

    I want!

    Fuck the naysayers, virtual reality is cool. Just because it has failed before doesn't mean it can't succeed in the future.

  • vizzini #41 9 months ago

    Bad09: LOL! With 3D and now VR are Sony the kings of flogging long dead horses now? They must really be struggling for new ideas if they want to dig up the rotting long forgotten corpse of VR.

    That's the beauty of science over commercialism, and the mark of excellent open minded R&D. Past commercial success or failure doesn't stop people working in R&D making the correct technology choices again, if other research has allowed conditions to improve; increasing the likelihood of commercial success.

    A 3D camera controller(ie Kinect) in its current form, on its own, at 30fps sample rate & room size requirements, isn't a good fit for gaming as most people will admit. But revisited with a hybrid technique and 240fps sample rate in HD, it might really add something special, like 3D is today is for gaming.

  • Chibi-Kibou #42 9 months ago

    Lordy, a lot of the people in here...

    "It failed in the mid-90's, therefore sixteen years of technological progress later, with computing power more than 250 times greater than it was, it's going to be exactly the same!"

    Honestly, if it fails it fails, but it certainly won't be for the same reasons as the old VB. I'm just bloody glad someone is still willing to try things like this.
    Edited by Chibi-Kibou at 31/08/11 @ 12:17

  • Freek #43 9 months ago

    Virtual boy was just one of the many VR headset things that never made it out of the 90s. Large headsets is not what people want out of technology. And this isn't even VR (no motion tracking) so it actually has LESS functionality then devices of the past.

  • gmmonkey #44 9 months ago

    The problem with these virtual headsets is that the images look like a big tv screen in a darked out room. Until they're able to make a full peripheral vision experience I'm not interested. Unfortunately, the only way to do it just now is to develop something like this monstrosity:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/a...

    Anyway, I hope it's popular so they actually invest in R&D in developing a proper headset.
    Edited by gmmonkey at 31/08/11 @ 12:33

  • jonharrispro #45 9 months ago

    "As a black guy, i'm thrilled that I may now resemble that black guy from Star Trek."

    Possibly the funniest thing i have ever read on Eurogamer

  • Sabreman64 #46 9 months ago

    Here's to headaches and motion sickness - the future of gaming.

  • madeinbeats #47 9 months ago

    All these posts and no one has said 'gimmick' yet! Why?

  • YGNUK-Munsen #48 9 months ago

    Wouldnt mind trying this, maybe EG can get one at their Expo one year ;)

  • Dewin #49 9 months ago

    It may looks stupid, but it does work very well.

    [link url=http://www.techradar.com/news/home-cinema/high-definition/hands-on-sony-oled-3d-headset-review-920230
    ]http://www.techradar.com/news/home-cinem...[/link]

    http://uk.gear.ign.com/articles/114/1142...

  • madeinbeats #50 9 months ago

    I have applied to Sony fanboy union for a licence (they hold the trademark to the word 'gimmick') to make this officially a gimmick. Just waiting for them to get back to me!!! They're taking their bloody time...
    Edited by madeinbeats at 31/08/11 @ 13:21

  • Toothball #51 9 months ago

    I do like the look of this, but as with any device I have to attach to my head I'd like to know whether it would interfere with my glasses. I find that fitting a pair of 3D glasses over my regular glasses generally works fine, but it doesn't look like there's space for that here.

  • _LarZen_ #52 9 months ago

    I want one so bad I could move to Japan!

  • flaming.carrot #53 9 months ago

    Sony, I want a new Aibo

  • thiagots85 #54 9 months ago

    BEGONE, FOUL BEAST!

  • davisorle #55 9 months ago

    Post deleted at 15:13:17 09-05-2012

  • vizzini #56 9 months ago

    flaming.carrot: Sony, I want a new Aibo

    +1 to that idea,

    I always wanted one, even after they were discontinued, but couldn't afford it.

    After playing the start of MGS4 again the other day, I was thinking about a programmable robot again.

  • CloisterBlack #57 9 months ago

    It would be nice if they would put a motion sensor, so that you can actually control the camera by moving your head. That would be something new in driving/FPS/I-don't-know-what-else games.

  • Jacksie66 #58 9 months ago

    Im quite happy sitting down with a bog standard controller playin a good game on my normal telly. Call me old fashioned....

  • darc #59 9 months ago

    The current price is obviously not doable for most of us, but it's a first-generation product, and early adopters will pay for R&D and the high ratio between cost of mfr and sales.

    That said, I think it's the right idea. Why keep buying bigger and bigger appliances (and one for every media source/ computing device in your home/workplace) when the ultimate aim is to get the image(s) to your eyeballs? Fast forward a few years when this is cheap and light, and connects wirelessly to whatever device your interested in at any given moment (probably streaming content from the likes of OnLive etc) and we'll all want/need a pair. So it's short-sighted to bag on a company investing in the early development, even if it's a bit cumbersome now.

  • Isinona #60 9 months ago

    It works with any HDMI product apparently.

    That means anyone with a PC and Track-IR will be able to move their head and change the viewpoint. This would be amazing for racing and flight games.

    [link url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20099619-1/sony-debuts-3d-oled-head-mounted-display/
    ]http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-2009...[/link]

    "The best part of all this is that it's not another Sony product crippled with proprietary nonsense. The HMZ-T1 uses a normal HDMI connection, meaning it works with a game console, cable box, Blu-ray player, video card, etc. It can even control connected devices through the HDMI CEC function (including play, pause, FF, rewind, previous, next, etc.)."

  • Bander #61 9 months ago

    Been waiting for something like this for a while. I'm not convinced that stereoscopic displays are really 3D, but something like this will be better for tracking head movement in games than any television or monitor. Plus it's just about the only way to get the high-contrast and refresh-rate goodness of an OLED display onto a screen that will fill most of a viewer's vision. I don't have a PS3, but if it's fine for movie viewing, and any devices with HDMI outputs, like even my phone, I'll be happy.

    It looks nothing like a Virtual Boy though! It's definitely more of a Sinclair C5. If it was lying around my flat, I'd expect it to drive itself towards me if I called it. Whereas a Virtual Boy would walk or hop...

  • AnotherIdiot #62 9 months ago

    I don't care how it looks to be honest, if it could deliver the VR experience. Even if this doesn't motion tracking etc, it is atleast going some way towards putting VR back on the menu, which is a good thing.

  • initialsBB #63 9 months ago

    I want so much, too bad I can't justify the price :(

  • CamberGreber #64 9 months ago

    Laforge has a new look. :)

  • KayTannee #65 9 months ago

    Sold!

    I want it. I wonder if these can be connected to other devices via HDMi.

  • Isinona #66 9 months ago

    @KeyTanne it can, see my link in comment 63 above