Sony PUD-J5A Virtual Reality Headset

Released in 2002 and available only in Japan, the Sony PUD-J5A headset brought virtual reality to the Playstation 2. The headset uses stereoscopic technology, projecting two slightly different images to each eye to simulate 3D vision, as well as motion sensor-based head tracking to capture players’ head movements. It originally sold for 598000 yen (around $500 US) on the Sony Japan website.¹

The headset features adjustable over-ear headphones; an adjustable head-mounted display; manuals; and a control box with video, USB, and power inputs.

Only 6 games supported the PUD-J5A, which helps explain its lack of popularity in Japan and why it was never released in the US¹:

• Energy Airforce and its sequel Energy Airforce aimStrike! – flight simulators
• SideWinder V – flight simulator
• AirForce Delta: Blue Wing Knights – aerial combat simulator
• Simple2000 Vol. 33: The Jet Coaster – roller coaster simulator
• Virtual View: R.C.T. Eyes Play – photography

An additional photo plus scans of some manual pages are in our collections database. Some great pictures, including the technology that Sony used to create the VR images, are at PlayStation Collecting.

The headset and games work only on a Japanese region PS2; our thanks to our anonymous donor for bringing a Japanese PS2 and compatible flight sim game by so that we could try it out. (Dave was pretty good, but Judith ran off the runway. Looking around the cockpit was awesome, though). All packaging and materials are in Japanese, which made figuring out how to set up the equipment a challenge.

DGM is always looking for volunteers, including Japanese speakers to translate our Japanese artifacts. Come help out!

2015.038.001 – Anonymous Gift