Reports indicate that Sony has transferred a large portfolio of patents related to virtual reality, augmented reality and extended reality to Meta; a move that could signal reduced investment by the company in the virtual reality technology market and increase doubts about the release of PlayStation VR 3.
According to Etna quoting TechSpot, based on patent filings in the United States and other countries, Meta purchased 419 patents owned by Sony. These patents cover technologies Sony developed between 2010 and 2022; including head-mounted displays, extended reality glasses and motion-tracking technologies in virtual environments.
According to ZDNet Korea, Sony and Meta signed a formal patent transfer agreement in December 2025. Of these assets, 180 patents are registered in the United States, 43 of which were transferred to Meta between June and September 2026. Another 239 patents are registered in Japan, China, South Korea, Europe and other regions.
The transfer comes as Sony executives had previously identified virtual reality as one of the company’s important areas of activity. However, the widespread transfer of the company's intellectual property could reduce the likelihood of releasing the next-generation PlayStation VR headset. There is also speculation about the possibility of restricting the release of exclusive virtual reality games for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro; although these matters do not yet constitute official confirmation of halting development of these products.
On the other hand, virtual reality gaming enthusiasts have received good news. A free unofficial mod for Titanfall 2 has been released that enables playing the game's entire single-player campaign in virtual reality.
The mod supports features such as stereoscopic 3D rendering, full-body motion simulation and manual weapon loading, and works with PC virtual reality headsets compatible with the OpenXR standard. Currently, support is limited to the single-player portion; but the developer is considering adding a multiplayer mode.
Thus, while the future of Sony's virtual reality headsets faces uncertainty, independent developers continue to help expand the virtual reality gaming experience on personal computers.