PlayStation VR2: Everything you need to know about PS5 VR. Since Sony released the PlayStation VR in 2016, it has been a long six years. Fortunately, the PlayStation VR2 is finally available to advance the greatest console VR to a new level.
It’s hardly surprising that fans have been waiting for a PS VR2 headset to pair with the new home system now that the PS5 is available everywhere. We now have it, but beware—it is more expensive than a PS5 alone.
PlayStation VR2: Everything you need to know about PS5 VR:
If that’s too expensive for you, the PlayStation VR headgear from the previous generation is still compatible with the PlayStation 5, but owners must ask for a free adaptor to connect the camera to the system.
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When was PS VR2 released?
The PS VR2 launched worldwide on 22 February 2023, with more than 40 games released alongside it in the first month or so.
How much does PS VR2 cost?
The bad news is that PS VR2 is pricey. The basic package, which retails for $549/£529/€599, contains the headset, two controllers, and stereo headphones. This price is higher than that of the first PS VR headset launch and even surpasses the price of the current-generation PS5, which is $499/£479/€549.
The price of the new VR headset is the lowest in that case. Horizon Call of the Mountain is included in a more expensive bundle that costs $599/£569/€649 overall. A controller charging dock costs an additional $49/£39/€49.
Depending on where you reside, you may now purchase either set via Amazon, Best Buy, or Currys, but at launch, you could only purchase either set from PlayStation Direct, Sony’s official online store. See the whole guide on where to buy the PlayStation VR2 for a list of retailers as well as the best offers and savings we could locate today.
Unfortunately, there are some early indications that this initial price may simply be too expensive for most people to bear. According to Bloomberg, Sony has already cut its anticipated shipments for the console’s first three months of sales in half, from 2 million to 1 million, due to weak pre-order figures, and is now anticipating shipping just 1.5 million devices worldwide.
For reference, the high-end Vive Cosmos costs $699/£699 and the new Meta Quest Pro is even more at $1,499/£1,499, although the Meta Quest 2 is much cheaper at $399/£399.
What about the PS VR2’s design and specs?
The new VR hardware has now been fully unveiled by Sony, who gave us a peek at the headset and the Sense controllers and disclosed the majority of the system’s specifications.
Here, you can find a comprehensive collection of Sony’s official information.
Design:
One of the final pieces of information Sony held back from sharing was the headset’s design.
Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president, adds that the design was inspired by the PS5 itself but has rounded edges and curves to depict the 360-degree vision that users experience in the VR environment.
The headphone jack’s position and the adjustable scope and headband are two details that have been purposely left alone so that returning players would feel at home. A lens adjustment dial to match the lens distance between the player’s eyes is one of the additional new components.
Both the new headgear and its predecessor are lighter and thinner.
A new vent along the front of the scope is one of the other significant comfort improvements. It should keep you cool (and help you perspire less) during prolonged gameplay sessions.
Oh, and in case you were concerned, the little PlayStation emblems that can be found on the DualSense and PS5 are also present here and run along the front and back straps of the PS VR2 headgear.
Sense controllers:
The current Move controllers do the job, allowing you to interact with virtual environments, but without 1:1 tracking, they simply can’t compete with the experience on offer from Vive, Cosmos, or Oculus Touch controllers – and Sony knows it.
Sony released a PlayStation Blog article revealing our first proper look at the future controllers, which have subsequently been revealed to be known as the Sense controllers, weeks after confirming that it was developing new controllers for the PSVR 2 headset.
Sony claims that the shape “allows you to hold the controller naturally” with no restrictions on how you can move your hands, and the ergonomic design should translate to a more comfortable experience than holding the aging batons. It has an orb-like design reminiscent of the Oculus Quest 2 controllers.
The DualSense controller for PS5 has perhaps the best features of Sony’s new controller, adaptive triggers, and haptic feedback, which are also featured on the Sense controllers. This is supported with finger touch sensing, which enables you to use realistic gestures in-game, as well as the usual abundance of analog sticks and action buttons.
This time around, Sony has chosen to use tiny tracking rings that are located at the bottom of each controller rather than large, obtrusive LEDs.
Connectivity:
Let’s start with some unfavorable information. One of the most eagerly anticipated improvements to the second-generation PSVR is wireless connectivity, but Sony says that instead the headset “will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience.”
Since Sony positioned a single USB-C port quite conspicuously on the front of the console, the cord in question is a 4.5m (14.7ft) USB-C lead.
Only standalone devices like the Meta Quest 2, which are by their very nature less powerful, are currently available with wireless connectivity as standard. Although HTC has launched wireless accessories for the Vive and Vive Cosmos, wireless play is not supported by HTC as standard; possibly Sony will change this.
Headset-based tracking:
The usage of “inside-out tracking,” which uses cameras integrated into the headset itself to detect your motions, is one of the new headset’s biggest advancements.
This is significant since it eliminates the need for an external camera, which results in one less expensive piece of equipment to purchase and less clutter and wiring to take up space in your living room.
Eye tracking:
The PlayStation VR2’s embedded cameras aren’t the only tracking improvement.
The eye-tracking feature of the headset enables it to detect your gaze even when you don’t move your head. According to Sony, you will be able to use staring in particular directions to “create an additional input for the game character.”
The IR eye-tracking technology will be provided by eye-tracking industry leader Tobii, which announced its agreement to do so in July 2022. Tobii predicts that the deal will account for more than 10% of its sales in 2022.
Anand Srivatsa, CEO of Tobii, stated that “PlayStation VR2 establishes a new benchmark for immersive virtual reality (VR) entertainment and will enable millions of users around the world to experience the power of eye tracking.”
Our collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) “continues to validate Tobii’s leading-edge technology capabilities to deliver cutting-edge solutions at mass-market scale.”
Displays:
OLED panels, which are present in the PS VR2, have a resolution of 2000 x 2040 for each eye, for a total resolution of 4000 x 2040, making the headgear 4K.
Foveated rendering, which includes lowering image quality in the player’s peripheral vision in order to boost quality in the areas where they are looking, is supported along with HDR.
With support for both 90Hz and 120Hz frame rates, the 110-degree field of view is among the broadest on the market for VR headsets right now. This will result in a smoother, more realistic visual experience.
Haptic feedback:
Sony has added haptic feedback to the headset itself in addition to the haptic feedback already present in the new Sense controllers.
Games may become considerably more immersive thanks to a single built-in motor that vibrates the headgear in reaction to events in the game and the console’s Tempest 3D audio capability.
“For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward,” according to Sony’s official blog.
Software features:
In a blog post, Sony has also acknowledged a number of new software features coming to the PS VR2.
You may now connect your PS5 HD Camera in a new broadcasting mode, which is ideal for streamers who wish to demonstrate their in-game reactions without a cumbersome setup.
One of the other updates is a new see-through mode, which takes advantage of the headset’s front-facing cameras to let you see outside without removing them—for example, to retrieve your controllers or chat with friends.
Even more impressively, you’ll be able to create a personalized play area by defining the perimeter to exclude furniture, staircases, and other potential hazards using the cameras and controllers together. By doing this, the headset will warn you if you approach the boundaries you’ve established too closely, preventing an unpleasant accident.
The PS5 operating system, non-VR games, and material like TV or films may all be seen on a simulated theater screen using the theater Mode. The content presented in cinematic mode will be in 1920 x 1080 HDR with a 24/60Hz and 120Hz frame rate.
Backward compatibility:
We assumed that since the PS5 is backward compatible with practically the entire PS4 library, that would also be the case with the PlayStation VR library, however, it doesn’t appear to be the case.
According to Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president of platform experience at PlayStation, “developing games for PSVR2 requires a whole different approach than the original PSVR,” which is why “PSVR games are not compatible with PSVR2 because PSVR2 is designed to deliver a truly next-generation VR experience.”
However, according to a report from PSVR Without Parole, Sony will prioritize remasters of first-generation PSVR games, so be prepared to see many older games re-released and tailored for the new gear.
Confirmed PS VR2 games:
With over 40 games scheduled to release for the VR headset within the launch window and more than 100 already in production overall, there are several PS VR2 games that have been confirmed now that the device is available.
Horizon Call of the Mountain, a virtual reality spin-off of Horizon Zero Dawn and its follow-up Horizon Forbidden West, is the major release.
The second major update brings PS VR2 compatibility to the whole campaign of the horror classic Resident Evil Village. Updated VR versions of No Man’s Sky, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, and Gran Turismo 7 are also now available.
Beat Sabre and the VR edition of Resident Evil 4 will also be released, though not at launch.
There will be a PS VR2 sequel to The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners as well as independent games such as Samurai Slaughter House, Firewall Ultra, and Among Us PlayStation VR2.
The complete list of titles that are accessible during the launch window, which runs roughly from the launch on February 22 to the end of March, is provided below:
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- After the Fall: Complete Edition
- Altair Breaker
- Another Fisherman’s Tale
- Before Your Eyes
- Cities VR: Enhanced Edition
- Cosmonious High
- Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition
- Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
- Demeo
- Dyschronia
- Fantavision 202X
- Gorn
- Gran Turismo 7
- Hellsweeper VR
- Horizon Call of the Mountain
- Job Simulator/Vacation Simulator
- Jurassic World Aftermath Collection
- Kayak VR: Mirage
- Kizuna AI – Touch the Beat!
- The Last Clockwinder
- The Light Brigade
- Moss
- Moss Book 2
- NFL Pro Era
- No Man’s Sky
- Nock: Bow + Arrow Soccer
- Pavlov
- Pistol Whip
- Puzzling Places
- Ragnarok
- Resident Evil Village VR
- Rez Infinite
- Runner
- Song in the Smoke: Rekindled
- Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy Edge: Enhanced Edition
- Startenders: Intergalactic Bartending
- Sushi Ben
- Swordsman VR
- Synth Riders: Remastered Edition
- The Tale of Onogoro
- Tentacular
- Tetris Effect Connected
- Thumper
- The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution
- Unplugged: Air Guitar
- What is the Bat?
- Zenith: The Last City
And here are just some of the other titles so far confirmed to launch later:
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Beat Saber
- Samurai Slaughter House
- Firewall Ultra
- Among US VR
- Crossfire: Sierra Squad
- Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue