James Batchelor UK Editor Tuesday 14th February 2017 Share this article Share

Companies in this article Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony PlayStation

Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a patent for a new system to track virtual reality devices that's not dissimilar to that of the HTC Vive.

The patent application, spotted by CGM, outlines a device that projects a beam to determine the position of the headset with more accuracy than the PlayStation VR's current internal tracking system. It's comparable to the Vive's Lighthouse tracking system which uses beams from each of the two stations that come with the device and must be set up either side of the room.

The current PSVR tracking system relies on the PlayStation Camera picking up lights emitting from various positions on the headset itself, but since launch players have noticed that light interference can hamper the tracking, tarnishing their VR experience somewhat. The new system would allow for more accuracy, bringing PSVR closer to the likes of Vive and Oculus.

UploadVR also noticed the description int he patent application refers to a wireless connections between the headset and a computing device such as the PS4, whether via wi-fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency or other methods. While it's not confirmation, it suggests Sony may be working on a wireless version of PSVR.

As always, a patent application is no guarantee that a final product will emerge using this technology, but it does suggest a potential update to the current PlaySation VR, or perhaps a brand new version entirely.