Sony has unveiled its latest virtual reality device in the Japanese consumer technology giant’s most recent foray into the metaverse-adjacent market.
Using six coloured ‘pucks’ attached to your limbs and head, Mocopi connects to a mobile application downloadable on Android and iPhone devices.
In a rudimentary form of motion capture reminiscent of techniques used for King Kong or Gollum from Lord of the Rings, an onscreen animated avatar responds to whole-body movements and actions.
From December 15, Sony intends to provide a software development kit to prospective developers “that can link the acquired motion data with metaverse services and 3D development software”.
Mocopi’s colourful design gives the mocap device a ‘fun factor’ aesthetic – Source: sony.jp
In terms of design and marketing, Mocopi appears to be targeted towards casual, fun users, even though at 49,500 yen (US$360), is only marginally cheaper than Meta’s (formerly Facebook’s) stand-alone Oculus Quest 2 headset.
Additionally, Sony touts Mocopi’s utility in the video production industry.
“Normally, video production using motion capture requires dedicated equipment and operators," Sony wrote in a statement, adding: "By utilising our proprietary algorithm, Mocopi realises highly accurate motion measurement with a small number of sensors, freeing VTubers (virtual YouTubers) and creators involved in movie and animation production from time and place constraints."
Mocopi is not the first metaverse-adjacent tech developed by Sony.
Sony and Meta square off
The PlayStation VR headset was launched back in 2016 as an expansion of the consumer technology company’s video gaming empire.
Scheduled for release in 2023, the next-generation VR2 device will go on sale for US$550 - despite being an accessory to the PS5, the headset will actually cost more than the recommended retail price of the PS5.
Given Sony’s recent focus on metaverse-adjacent tech, comparisons with Meta (formerly Facebook (NASDAQ:META)), are inevitable.
But the companies have different ideas on what direction virtual reality tech should take.
Sony’s VR headset differs from Oculus in that it is not a stand-alone product: VR works as a peripheral to the PlayStation while Oculus is a stand-alone device.
Their use cases, therefore, aren’t the same.
Whereas Meta’s multi-billion-dollar gamble banks on its vision of the metaverse taking over every facet of society, from town planning to dating, Sony is firmly planted in the arena of gaming and entertainment.
But Mocopi does represent a strategic shift for Sony.
While still focused on the fun factor, Mocopi aims to be compatible with any VR headset or PC device, thus substantially widening the product’s addressable market.
Mocopi will go on sale in Japan in early 2023. An international launch date has yet to be released.
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