The king of home consoles has once again struck a threatening blow against its competitors as Sony hints at a PlayStation 5 (PS5) feature which will outmatch its Xbox and Nintendo counterparts.
While Sony has not yet guaranteed when the PS5 will launch, the electronics company has boasted a "killer feature" of their future PS4 successor. As confirmed by Express UK, the new PS5 is likely to take advantage of the relatively new virtual reality (VR) headset technology, meaning the television might slowly become obsolete as a primary display for the PlayStation.
This was bolstered by the fact that Sony also sold approximately one million of its own VR headsets by June, with Shawn Layden, President and CEO of Sony, believing that sales are still coming and will rise later in the year due to increased availability.
This paradigm shift in console technology might prove troublesome for Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's Wii or Switch, as currently, both consoles do not have access to VR technology. That said, Microsoft is reportedly developing its own VR tech but has kept quiet about it so far.
Despite the hype surrounding PS5, Sony's current generation console PS4 still has the crown and is still outselling both Nintendo and Microsoft Xbox by a large margin. PS4 is unlikely to be dethroned by any upcoming console later in the year. As for Nintendo, while its home console Wii is no match for PS4, its handheld consoles, particularly Switch, make up a big chunk of Nintendo's income.
Dataminers have since uncovered a VR code support in Switch's database, but so far, this is the only hint that the Switch might support VR, and not a very strong one.
Still, the PS5 may not arrive next year or the year after that, as Sony has not yet released anything but has only confirmed that it is indeed in the works. Some speculations point to Sony even waiting on hopes that 4K resolution technology will be more common in the near future.
Estimations for the PS5's release ranges from as early as next year to as late as 2020.
