Sony has been trying to make the camera a must-have accessory for three generations now – will that trend continue with the PlayStation 5? First introduced with the PlayStation 2 under the EyeToy moniker, the camera was a novelty at best, a waste of space at worst. Used with only a handful of games, the EyeToy was mostly a proof of concept, as it was rare to see any sort of webcam technology outside of the computer. Naturally, it crashed and burned, though it can be said the EyeToy was before its time. Luckily, Sony saw promise in the device and didn’t give up just yet. The PlayStation Eye, released for the PlayStation 3, improved on the EyeToy but it still wasn’t enough to make the camera any sort of must-have accessory. The games that supported it were weak, and Sony’s competitors, most notably Microsoft with the Kinect, were doing much grander things. The camera’s functionality expanded, allowing for video chat among friends, but the PlayStation Eye ended up being another forgotten relic, finding itself in clearance bins across the country. Luckily for Sony, a lot changed during the lifespan of the PlayStation 3, notably the advent of Twitch and Let’s Plays near the end of the PS3 era. Suddenly, everyone was streaming not only video games but themselves as well, as personalities like PewDiePie burst onto the scene. The person playing the game was almost as important as the games themselves, and any sort of camera became a must-have purchase for both established streamers and those who wanted to get in on the action. The Modern PlayStation Camera When the PlayStation 4 released, the camera saw a name overhaul, becoming the PlayStation Camera. The device was so popular that it sold out during the launch, commanding large sums of money on eBay. Why was the camera, which was a dud during the previous two generations, suddenly so sought after at the PS4 launch? Because of the system’s integration with Twitch, letting players stream content directly from the PS4. Suddenly, the camera wasn’t just an accessory, it was a necessity, especially for gamers who are making their living streaming, and those gamers who want to start streaming. With the release of the SHAREfactory app on the PS4, suddenly users could create their own prerecorded Let’s Play videos, taking the camera’s functionality up to the next level. Once the dust settled though, what else could this camera really do? Well, beyond the free augmented reality game “The Playroom” and some voice control features, there wasn’t much for you to do with the thing. Currently, the camera hasn’t seen overwhelming support from any games, but it is still used as a means of streaming commentary during play sessions online. Despite this, the PlayStation Camera is poised to make a comeback. Sony announced a virtual reality headset for the PS4 called Project Morpheus which has reinvigorated the need for the PlayStation Camera if only by necessity. This headset features and OLED display with … Read More