Sony’s Project Morpheus needs lights on PS4 controllers

The VR headset that Sony Computer Entertainment is developing for the PlayStation 4 uses the lights that are located on the PlayStation 4 DualShock controllers. It was previously unclear why those lights could not be turned off.

Virtual reality headset Project Morpheus needs the lights on the controllers to track their movements, Sony explained to Techradar. That was the reason that Sony already indicated at the release of the PlayStation 4 that the lights on the DualShock 4 controllers could not be turned off. It now appears that this has always been ‘thanks’ to Project Morpheus.

“It was our department who said they should be on the lights because it’s needed for tracking,” designer Jed Ashforth told Techradar. “When all those controllers came on the market six months ago and everyone came with complaints, like, ‘It reflects in my television,’ we thought, ‘Oh no,’ because we couldn’t tell anyone what it was for.”

Sony’s VR headset was announced in March under the name Project Morpheus. The device works in conjunction with the PlayStation Camera and Move, and displays images in 1920×1080 resolution. Sony is expected to reveal more about Project Morpheus and the games being developed for it at the E3 games show to be held next month in Los Angeles.