Virtual Reality was the reason why the PS4 Controller had to have the lightbar

The Lightbar on the PS4 Controller has been one of the few controversial aspects of Sony’s newest PlayStation console. While many of the complaints have been remedied about the light being too bright with adjustable settings in PS4 Update 1.70, many wondered why it was included in the first place. Today we find out the answer to that question, and the reason is that Sony has been planning Project Morpheus’ inclusion in the PlayStation ecosystem for quite some time.

According to an interview with TechRadar, Jed Ashforth an SCEE designer, claims that his department is the one that said it was a must have for the VR tracking that is destined to be included down the line for the PS4.

The Lightbar is for VR Tracking, says Sony desginer

It was our department that said we need that,” says Ashforth. “It was for tracking for VR, and when all these things were coming out six months ago and everyone was going ‘it’s reflecting in my TV,’ we were going ‘oh no’ because we couldn’t tell anyone what it was for.”

So when will Sony make good use of the Light Bar in meaningful ways with Project Morpheus? We’ve haven’t heard much about the VR technology since its unveiling at GDC ’14. It’s unclear whether the PlayStation VR technology will have a big presence at this year’s E3 Convention or not.