PS4 requires processing box for PlayStation VR to work: probably won’t be cheap

While the Oculus Rift is our preferred virtual reality (VR) headset, offering the best image quality and demonstrating the most potential thus far, we can’t help but be impressed with Sony’s VR efforts.

Demonstrating a large array of titles at PlayStation Experience earlier this month, it looks like quite a few developers are interested in its application and potential as a virtual reality headset.

Sony has also done quite a bit to assure us that, unlike the PS Vita or 3D for the PS3, they are investing an awful lot into PlayStation VR, perhaps cushioning the blow for the investment required to use the headset.

That’s because you’ll need an additional processing box to make the thing work, reports Polygon.

In fact, the PlayStation VR headset connects into the processing box and subsequently your PS4.

The box’s job is to use its own processing power to process the VR graphics and anything else the PlayStation VR headset might need. It’s also apparently quite sizable – around the size of a Wii, says Polygon.

To be honest, we’re not at all surprised by this development.

If the Oculus Rift has taught us anything it’s that VR requires some serious processing grunt to perform, which is why we were shocked to hear Sony promising a similar experience to the Oculus Rift with, what was then called, Project Morpheus.

There’s no way the PS4 has the performance necessary to handle that, not by a long shot.

It’s why we were concerned that any experienced produced by the PlayStation VR would have to be seriously limited, but now that’s no longer the case.

Unfortunately, while Polygon was able to report on their findings, they weren’t allowed to take any pictures – Sony also didn’t mention a price either.

We’ll just have to see what happens come PlayStation VR’s release next year.

For now, all we can do is hope that the addition of the box doesn’t bump the price up too much – because it may well be the next Kinect should it be too costly.