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PlayStation VR Will Require External Processing Unit

PlayStation VR Will Require External Processing Unit

Virtual reality is just as novel and unfamiliar to many developers as it is to most gamers. The challenges that arise as devs attempt to craft enjoyable, accessible, and smoothly running games and experiences are many: latency between movement and perception can cause extreme discomfort, frame rates and refresh rates must be very high for the sake of continuity and to account for user proximity to the display, how users engage with the audio can greatly impact immersion… all of these issues have to be addressed in creative ways, and implementing the solutions will require a good bit of processing power.

One of the concerns regarding PlayStation VR was whether or not the PS4’s processor could handle the heavy load of all of this new hardware and software. Thankfully we’ve learned that the PlayStation VR will operate through a separate, external processing unit (PU). According to Ram Madhavan, who works with Sony to support developers, this PU will handle most of the heavy lifting when it comes to rendering and audio. One of the most exciting things this extra power will afford is the ability to use the PS VR display as a second screen while friends join in and play in the same game world through the television. One possible downside though, and this could be a big one, is how this additional piece of hardware may affect the price. We’ve heard that when PlayStation VR launches we should expect to pay around the price of a console, be whether that means a $300 price tag or a $500 price tag remains to be seen.

If you’d like to watch Ram Madhavan’s Unite 2015 presentation, you can do so right here:

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