Sony unveiled a brand new location-based leisure (LBE) idea based mostly on The Final of Us recreation and TV franchise. Whereas it appears to be like ripe for VR arcades, it seems to be skipping VR headsets altogether for an array of enormous format LED panels.
The idea, which is presently being proven at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, is claimed to mix “the newest applied sciences together with Sony’s Crystal LED panels, participating audio, haptics, scent and atmospherics with interactive PlayStation recreation content material.”
Very like the older CAVE (cave automated digital surroundings) setups, which use projectors as an alternative of headsets, The Final of Us LBE idea expertise permits a gaggle of customers to discover the contaminated tunnels beneath Seattle, which is suffering from a fungal an infection that’s turned the world’s inhabitants into monsters.
The trailer provides us a couple of clues how the corporate hopes to do that, displaying off a gaggle of customers carrying flashlights and weapons, the latter of which look like tracked by SteamVR base stations by way of HTC Vive monitoring pucks.
In response to a press launch, Sony says it’s presently “exploring methods to develop the worth of content material IP by creating a proof-of-concept for location-based leisure with numerous applied sciences corresponding to video, audio, and haptics to offer creators with new avenues for expression.”
“That is nonetheless within the proof of idea section,” Neil Druckmann stated, studio head of Naughty Canine and co-creator of The Final of Us. “However this new and unimaginable know-how permits us to immerse your whole senses.”
Sony hasn’t stated whether or not it’s really rolling out The Final of Us expertise, or the place, nonetheless a superb guess can be its Sony’s new Wonderverse vacation spot in Chicago, which showcases each VR and non-VR leisure for Sony IP corresponding to Jumanji, Ghostbusters, Uncharted, and Zombieland.
Whereas Sony has turned a couple of of its most recognizable IP into VR leisure experiences over time, there could also be a couple of causes behind the CAVE-style setup.
Though undoubtedly costly to create, a headset-less expertise might enable for a a lot faster person onboarding course of, since members don’t must undergo tutorials on the way to match into headsets or put on haptic gear. Extra rapidly transferring the paying public by way of the expertise is sweet, however so is the general discount in downtime, corresponding to tools checks and sanitization, which is a continuing a part of the VR arcade workflow.
Then once more, it may be only a huge industrial for Sony’s Crystal LED panel tech, giving CES-goers one thing to speak about (current firm included).
