Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg requested a demo with Sony's Project Morpheus PS4 VR headset just one week before announcing his acquisition of Oculus, according to PlayStation marketing exec Guy Longworth.

Speaking during a panel at the Games Marketing Summit 2014, Longworth revealed that Zuckerberg asked for a "tech demo" just before Facebook revealed plans to acquire rival VR firm Oculus.

"I wish he bought ours," joked Longworth, as he recalled wondering why Zuckerberg wanted a VR demo, according to Gamespot.

The Facebook founder, it seems, was sizing up the competition before agreeing to drop $2 billion on a VR startup firm.

Sony revealed its PS4 headset Project Morpheus at GDC in March, just ahead of the Oculus Facebook buyout. "All the folks at Oculus have got big smiles on today," said Longworth, who insisted that Sony remains optimistic over its VR venture despite the the Oculus acquisition.

"If you think about VR, not just in terms of gaming, I think wearable technology is a huge trend that's going to continue," he said. "I think that being able to have experiences that are truly deep and immersive - that it somehow makes you feel you are there - is something that people want. If you could really deliver that in the future, that would be huge."

In the same panel, head of product planning for Xbox Albert Penello also expressed excitement for the future of VR. "I think [VR is] great," he said, comparing his early experiences with VR to that of his first encounters with Kinect.

Microsoft is rumored to be working on its own VR solution, although the firm is yet to officially reveal any such device. Microsoft's director of programming for Xbox Live Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb has admitted recently, however, that Microsoft is continuing to explore the possibility of entering the virtual reality market.

Posted: Apr 23, 2014 8:48 pm
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/460325/zuckerberg-tried-ps4-vr-ahead-of-oculus-purchase-says-sony-exec/