PlayStation VR news: New PSVR music video unveiled; Sony patent hints HTC Vive-like sensors

Sony recently released a new PlayStation VR music video that may be the first step towards virtual concerts in the future.

According to reports, the music video offers an immersive PSVR experience featuring a 360-degree studio session with violinist Joshua Bell. The video offers full movement, allowing users to step inside the venue while listening to adaptive audio. The company claims that the musical experience is the first of its kind because gives users the ability to walk around a concert.

Sony's FDR-X1000V action cameras were used to capture the clip and render it in 3D. Thanks to PSVR's positional tracking, users can also roam around the scene instead of just looking around. For a more realistic experience, Sony added an adaptive audio feature by using specially placed microphones to record sound inside Air Studios' Lyndhurst Hall in London. When users move closer to the performer, more detail can be heard from the violin. If they back away, however, users will hear more of the room's overall sound and natural reverb.

This new project isn't the first time the tech giant has focused on 3D audio. The Platinum Wireless Headset also featured the 3D audio label as it redefines gaming audio by introducing a detailed and rich soundstage for virtual worlds. The Joshua Bell VR Experience can be accessed for free via the PlayStation Store. However, a PSVR headset is required to play the video.

In other news, a patent filed by Sony has surfaced, and it details a possible tracking system for the PSVR. Reportedly submitted last year, the images in the patent shows a location-tracking sensor. It is wall-mounted in a similar way to HTC Vive's Base Station, which can be used with a PSVR device by connecting over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.