PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi said that he finds VR headsets “annoying”, and doesn’t seem interested in the metaverse either in a recent interview.
Kutaragi spoke with Bloomberg about the hot button topics of the metaverse and VR in a recent interview. He believes that VR headsets just lead to further division rather than bringing the real world and virtual world together.
“Being in the real world is very important, but the metaverse is about making quasi-real in the virtual world, and I can’t see the point of doing it,” said Kutaragi.
“You would rather be a polished avatar instead of your real self? That’s essentially no different from anonymous messageboard sites.” The PlayStation creator currently works at Ascent Robotics Inc., an artificial intelligence startup. They are interested in blending real and virtual worlds together, but through something more like a Star Wars hologram rather than a headset. “Headsets would isolate you from the real world, and I can’t agree with that,” Kutaragi said. “Headsets are simply annoying.”
PlayStation itself clearly doesn’t agree with Kutaragi though, as it continues to invest in the trend with the PSVR2. Which even has an exclusive game set in the world of Horizon.
While VR headsets can be a bit cumbersome, games like VR chat do provide players with the opportunity to spend time together in a virtual space. It’s important to acknowledge the significance this has for players with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Especially during a pandemic which means such players can’t leave their homes as much.
Kutaragi is right about tech companies’ approach to the metaverse though, as many misunderstand the apparel of virtual spaces. How big the metaverse will end up being remains to be seen, as it could just be a short trend.
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Featured Image Credit: PlayStation