According to a presentation by Sony’s Ram Madhavan the Unite 2015 Developer Conference in Boston, U.S., the format holder’s upcoming PlayStation VR gaming headset will require an external processing unit to ensure a smooth virtual reality gaming experience for players.

Madhavan said that the processing unit will perform “most of the heavy lifting for the VR itself," and noted that Sony has made the device even more powerful and aims to continue to improve the unit itself in the run up to PS VR’s launch in the first quarter of 2016.

In addition to providing a silky smooth gaming experience for PS VR itself, the processing unit also ensures that developers working on Sony’s virtual reality gaming headset have the necessary power to make the best games possible, and more importantly, the titles people actually want to play. It’s also likely to improve the adoption rate of the device, as you’ll only need PS VR and a PS4 to get started in the realm of virtual reality gaming.

PS VR currently has over 50 games in the pipeline for the device, although at the time of writing some of them are tech demos and may or may not be converted into full retail products. Sony has been busy plugging its new VR tech at various trade events throughout the year, with PS VR getting the spotlight just last Tuesday during the format holder’s press conference at Paris Games Week. While we know the device will be released in the first quarter of 2016, Sony is stillkeeping mum in regards to a price point for the gaming headset, although it has suggested it will bepositioned close to that of a new console. Indeed, a recent listing on a European retailer seems to back up those comments.

Are you looking forward to PS VR? How much would you be willing to pay for the device? Let us know in the comments section below.

via cgmagonline