Sony recently announced that the PlayStation Virtual Reality (VR) headset is going to get a major hardware upgrade soon. The gaming headgear, which allowed players to enjoy their favorite video games in the VR platform, will have an updated version that will include an integrated headphone and HDR passthrough support.
As reported by Engadget, the upcoming hardware update on the PlayStation VR will bring quite an advantage for the users. It is noted that the current PSVR headset has a 3.5mm headphone jack at the inline remote side where the players can plug their earpiece. Having the earphones connected to the headgear is not a major cause for concern, but some players might be bothered by the earphone cords loosely hanging on the PSVR while they move around in the heat of the game.
The upcoming PSVR hardware upgrade will feature an all-new design to transfer the 3.5mm audio port at the back portion of the headset. Moreover, Sony also plans to make a slimmer headphone connector to make the unit lighter.
Aside from the changes in the headphones department, the PSVR update will also highlight an HDR passthrough, which means that the new gaming headset will come with an updated PSVR Processor Unit. The advantage of this new HDR feature is that players will no longer have to unplug their PSVR headset before they can connect the HDR. To recall, the PSVR received a minor update last year to include HDR support, although users would have to disconnect the headgear first before they can enable the HDR contents.
There is no exact release date yet for the PSVR hardware update, although the new headset is said to launch in Japan later this October, Tech Crunch reported. Afterwards, the new PSVR headgears are expected to arrive in the U.S. markets. Sony also said that there will be no price increase in spite of the major design changes. The performance of the current PSVR headgears is not expected to be any less than the updated hardware once they arrive. Thus, all the VR game titles will run just the same in the new headgear version.
The first PSVR launched almost a year ago, formally welcoming Sony in the VR arena and rivaling other VR headsets such as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Throughout the year, the headset did not have any major design updates, although Sony has brought down its price.
