Sony 'Project Morpheus' Release Date, Specs & Features: Microsoft HoloLens Rival? 5 Things to Know

On Wednesday, Microsoft surprised the public with its preview of the Windows Holographic system -- a taste of the virtual future. As told by PCWorld, the emerging technology is based on three systems designed to work with one another: (1) the Windows Holographic, (2) the HoloLens and (3) the HoloStudio.

Perhaps the most intriguing of them all is the HoloLens, a wearable head gear which appears to resemble the Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR and Sony's "Project Morpheus."

With the arrival of Microsoft's newest technology, and given that it does something for the Xbox One, is it safe to say that "Project Morpheus" already found its greatest competitor?

That may be difficult to answer, but we can review their differences based on current information.

1. Morpheus is designed for gaming.

To start with, let it be known that Morpheus is a virtual reality (VR) system, primarily aimed to widen the horizons of PlayStation 4.

SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida announced, "Project Morpheus is the latest example of innovation from SCE, and we're looking forward to its continued development and the games that will be created as development kits get into the hands of content creators."

2. Morpheus brings you to another world.

According to Sony's announcement, Morpheus is designed to work with the PlayStation Camera, PlayStation Move Motion Controller and DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller. The head gear is packed with inertial sensors, which function to track the player's head orientation and movement. This results to natural and real-time vision.

Yoshida informed in an earlier post that a Morpheus prototype featured 1080p resolution and a 90-degree field of view.

3. Morpheus' 'other world' is not all visual.

The VR headset will reportedly bring Sony's 3D audio technology, which is basically an upgrade from traditional audio mechanisms heard in front, behind, and at the left and right sides of the wearer. Morpheus "re-creates" stereoscopic sounds heard from above and below, so this gives us a picture of a 360-degree virtual world. And take note -- sensors will be guiding your head, so these sounds are not expected to remain static.

4. The HoloLens brings the best of both worlds.

Microsoft's HoloLens is a holographic computer that allows users to interact with real and physical environments. According to Trusted Reviews, the head gear is also packed with a series of sensors, including a Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) designed to process real-time data. Interestingly, the outlet noted that Microsoft has worked with NASA in pursuit of the HoloLens.

If Morpheus has been described to predominantly cover virtual reality, the HoloLens seems to capture more of the augmented counterpart. As both may become more flexible in the future, we'll be on the lookout for their development. In the meantime, for those who may not know, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are two different things.

5. Virtual Reality vs Augmented Reality

Virtual reality is the creation of a virtual world which users can interact with, the Tech Times wrote. On the other hand, augmented reality is defined as the merging of real and virtual worlds -- simply put, users are aware of their physical environment when interacting with the latter.

In terms of release date, Wareable reported that the consumer version of Morpheus "isn't expected to hit shops until next year....at the very least."

Meanwhile, the HoloLens' release is expected within the timeline of Windows 10, Trusted Reviews said.

Take a look at the head gears below.