Does The Camera Come With The PS5?
Sony's PlayStation 5 reveal on June 11, 2020 gave fans a lot of food for thought regarding its next-generation console due out this holiday season. That presentation succeeded in its aim to get gamers excited about what's to come. It has made Sony the talk of the town, so to speak — at least for now.
In part that's because there are still so many unanswered questions about the system. In fact, while fans now have more information about what the new PlayStation will look like and some of its peripherals, there are more questions that need answering, too. For example, what's up with that camera? Here's what's known about the accessory so far.
Sony likely designed the PS5 camera with streamers in mind
Sony's new stereo HD Camera comes with dual 1080p lenses according to The Verge. Industry insiders believe Sony wants to help players focus on content creation and streaming, so the updated camera may be intended to assist amateurs in streaming more easily and sharing games they're playing. The evidence for this isn't just the inclusion of the new camera, but also the "Create" button on the DualSense controller announced previously.
You can infer a few other things about the camera, too. The availability of such a precise peripheral suggests that it will be compatible with Sony's current PSVR hardware. It should be compatible with the next generation of PSVR 2.0 as well, since that is expected to come out during the lifetime of the PlayStation 5. It could be used as a tracking mechanism for Sony's virtual reality products.
However, it's unclear what the frame rates will be for the PlayStation 5 camera. Sony also hasn't shared if will have higher-resolution sensors and other features that would help improve the virtual reality experience.
The camera probably won't come with the PlayStation 5
Chances are the PlayStation 5 camera won't be bundled with the console when it's released later this year. That's because it will likely be an expensive add on — and when it comes to the console war, any edge in the launch price can help. With the PlayStation's hardware said to be expensive just to manufacture, Sony is going to need to shed the extras if it wants to repeat its successful attempt to undercut Microsoft. The Xbox One came bundled with Kinect when it released, causing a $100 price difference between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Guess which one sold more in the month after launch?
However, whether the HD Camera will be bundled with the PlayStation 5 for launch or anytime in the future is unknown. Sony hasn't announced anything officially about this or any of the other peripherals it showed alongside the Sony PlayStation 5, including the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset. And the price of the console or its accessories, either separately or together, remains unknown. You'll just have to keep guessing until Sony provides additional information.