The PlayStation Camera is a
motion sensor and camera accessory for the
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
and
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
, developed by
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American video game and digital entertainment company that is a major subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. It primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game co ...
. It is the successor to the
PlayStation Eye for the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
, which was released in 2007. It is also the motion sensor used to track the
PlayStation VR virtual reality headset
A virtual reality headset (or VR headset) is a Head-mounted display, head-mounted device that uses 3D near-eye displays and positional tracking to provide a virtual reality environment for the user. VR headsets are widely used with Virtual reali ...
.
History

On February 21, 2013, a day after the
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
was announced,
a camera was revealed to be in development for the PlayStation 4, nicknamed the "PlayStation 4 Eye" after its predecessor, the
PlayStation Eye. It was also featured in the trailer that teased the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation Camera was released on November 15, 2013, alongside the PlayStation 4.
In March 2014, Sony announced that over 900,000 PlayStation Cameras were sold alongside the PlayStation 4 console, leading to shortages of stock supply. It was estimated that 15% of PlayStation 4 owners also owned a PlayStation Camera.
Alongside the unveiling of the
PlayStation 4 Pro and
PlayStation 4 Slim on September 7, 2016, a design revision of the PlayStation Camera was unveiled for release on September 15, 2016. The new design has a cylindrical shape instead of the rectangular shape of the original revision, and now features a stand that can be used to adjust the camera's angle, instead of a movable part of the camera itself.
Hardware
PlayStation Camera has two
1280×800 pixel
cameras with
lenses having an f 2.0, with a 30 cm focusing distance, and an 85°
field of view
The field of view (FOV) is the angle, angular extent of the observable world that is visual perception, seen at any given moment. In the case of optical instruments or sensors, it is a solid angle through which a detector is sensitive to elec ...
.
With the dual camera setup, the camera can operate at different modes, depending on the target application.
The two cameras can be used together for the
depth perception
Depth perception is the ability to perceive distance to objects in the world using the visual system and visual perception. It is a major factor in perceiving the world in three dimensions.
Depth sensation is the corresponding term for non-hum ...
of objects in its field of vision,
akin to the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
's
Kinect
Kinect is a discontinued line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB color model, RGB cameras, and Thermographic camera, infrared projectors and detectors that map dep ...
peripheral.
Alternatively, one of the cameras can be used for recording video, and the other for
motion tracking.
The camera features a four-channel microphone array,
which reduces background noise and may even be used to receive voice commands.
It is (width × height × depth), with a weight of .
It records video in
RAW and
YUV formats and connects to the console via its specified port.
Compatible games
The following is a list of PlayStation 4 games and software with Camera functionality, some of which were not specifically developed for the PlayStation Camera. All PlayStation VR games require the camera for head tracking as well as the Move controllers, if they are used.
*''
Alien: Isolation''
*''
Angry Birds Star Wars''
*''
Baila Latino''
*''
Burnout Paradise Remastered''
*''Commander Cherry's Puzzled Journey''
*''
Dreams''
*''
FIFA 15'', ''
16'' and ''
17''
*''
Just Dance 2014'', ''
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
'', ''
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
'', ''
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
'', ''
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
'', ''
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
'', ''
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
'', ''
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
'' and ''
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
''
*''
LittleBigPlanet 3''
*''
NBA 2K15'', ''
2K16,'' and ''
2K17''
*''
Octodad''
*''
Omega Quintet''
*''
Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show''
*''
Singstar'', ''
SingStar Celebration''
*SHAREfactory (Software, not game)
*''
Sportsfriends''
*''
Super Stardust Ultra''
*''
Surgeon Simulator''
*''
Tearaway Unfolded''
*''
The Playroom''
*''
Until Dawn''
*''
War Thunder''
The PlayStation 4 system menu supports motion controls and voice commands via the PlayStation Camera (the latter is supported using any microphone).
PlayStation VR
Since the release of
PlayStation VR virtual reality headset
A virtual reality headset (or VR headset) is a Head-mounted display, head-mounted device that uses 3D near-eye displays and positional tracking to provide a virtual reality environment for the user. VR headsets are widely used with Virtual reali ...
on October 13, 2016 the PlayStation Camera is used as a major component of the
PlayStation VR system. The camera detects LEDs embedded in the headset for the purposes of motion tracking.
A USB dongle is required for the camera to be used on the PlayStation 5. This dongle was freely available from Sony directly, provided the user could supply the serial number of their VR breakout box, but as of Nov. 26, 2024 this adapter will no longer be provided by Sony, although third-party options also exist.
References
{{PlayStation
PlayStation 4 accessories
PlayStation 5 accessories
PlayStation (brand)
Cameras by type
Sony cameras