PSVR 2 — everything we know so far
Sony's PSVR 2 is a follow up to its first PlayStation virtual reality headset, which offered a rather neat and accessible way to PS4 players to get into VR.
Sony really made us wait for it, but we've finally got our first look at the PSVR 2 design from Sony itself and now a number of publications have gone hands-on with the new hardware and titles. Unsurprisingly, it looks quite a lot like the original PSVR but with rounded edges and a black/white color scheme to match the PS5.
Below, we've included a roundup on everything there is to know about the Sony PSVR 2, including all the latest information about a potential release date as well as speculation on price, features and specs. And be sure to check out our PSVR 2 vs PSVR guide to see all the biggest expected changes.
Latest PSVR 2 news
Sony has confirmed that the PSVR 2 will launch in "early 2023"
The PSVR2 will have see-through and custom play area functionalities
An image of what appears to be a physical PSVR 2, rather than a render, briefly appeared on an indie developer's Twitter account
PSVR 2 potential release date
After much speculation as well as various rumors on the subject matter, Sony has confirmed that the PSVR 2 is set to launch in "early 2023" via a out-of-the-blue social media post.
This is the first time that Sony has confirmed any release date information about the PSVR 2 officially, but it does corroborate the various industry whispers that suggested the headline wasn't on track to launch this year. A 2022 release date had been speculated but whether 2023 was always the target launch year remains any unclear.
Sony hasn't given any indications of exactly when in 2023 the PS5 virtual reality headset will launch, but we expect it to arrive within the first three months of the year. Any later and the gaming giant would be really stretching the boundaries of what can be classified as "early 2023". Hopefully Sony doesn't keep us waiting much longer for a concrete release date.
PSVR 2 price speculation
As far as the pricing goes, the original PSVR initially launched at $499 for the full set, which was a bit pricey for the average consumer at the time. It's now down to $349, packaged with newer PlayStation VR games such as Iron Man VR. The core set, with just the headset, was $100 cheaper, but it's increasingly hard to find one of those in the wild.
It's unlikely that Sony is going to release a PlayStation VR headset that costs more than the system again. The Oculus Quest 2 is a relatively affordable $299, while the Oculus Rift S costs $399. Sony wants to grow its VR fortunes, and it feels like the new PlayStation VR will probably not break $499.
It's likely that Sony will take on Oculus directly and land at the $399 price tag. Combined with the $500 price of the PS5 itself, that still brings the entire next-gen PlayStation VR platform under the price of the Valve Index, which can cost as much as $999 with accessories and trackers. We can only hope that by the time of its release, the global chip shortage will improve, and the next-gen PSVR (PSVR 2) will not be affected by scalper pricing.
PSVR 2 controllers
Thankfully, Sony has dropped the PlayStation Move motion controllers, which were first launched in 2010 with the PS3, and has instead opted for units that look similar to the Oculus Touch controllers. Patents also show that the PS5's DualSense adaptive triggers will also make an appearance.
The new controllers will each feature an analog stick, making navigation much easier than the standard PlayStation Move wands as well as a tracking ring across the controller, which is a huge improvement over the wands.
Although it's still a bit murky, the controllers will include capacitive touch sensors that can allegedly detect whenever a user is holding the controller or simply interacting with its buttons. And that's not all; the new controller for Sony's next-gen VR system could even detect the distance to the user's fingers, according to the source.
PSVR 2 headset
After months of speculation, Sony has finally given us our first look at the PSVR 2 headset via the PlayStation Blog.
The design inspiration clearly comes from the original PSVR headset with the PSVR 2 baring a close resemblance to its predecessor. The headsets aren't identical, however, the PSVR 2 has a more rounded look in contrast with the first PSVR which was more rectangular in shape. Sony states this refresh was to match the look of the PSVR 2 Sense controller's orb-like appearance.
The look of the PSVR 2 also takes clear design inspiration from the PS5 console. This is most apparent with apparent with the identical black/white color schemes the gaming machines sport. Bad luck for anybody who switched out their original PS5 console faceplates for black ones!
The PSVR 2 has also been designed with ergonomics in mind. The unit has been tested on a wide variety of head sizes, and will be keeping the adjustable headbands of its predecessor. Other returning features include the adjustable scope to place the lens closer or further from your face and the stereo headphone jack port will also be again located on the rear of the headset.
The PSVR 2 headset will also be lighter than the first PSVR. This is a bigger deal than it might first sound. Having a bulky virtual reality headset strapped to your face for prolonged periods of time is not an especially comfortable experience. Any weight that Sony has been able to shave off the unit will make a sizeable difference.
Also small but important addition to the PSVR 2 has been outlined by Yujin Morisawa, who led the PSVR 2 design team, he explained: “When I started to work on the design for the PlayStation VR2 headset, one of the areas I wanted to focus on first was the idea of creating a vent in the headset to let air out, similar to the vents on the PS5 console that allows airflow.”
This has lead to a small gap above the lens that is designed to offer ventilation. This should in theory prevent the PSVR from fogging up during extended play sessions. Anybody who owns an original PSVR headset will tell you that needing to take the unit off for wipe down is a regular annoyance.
The latest PSVR 2 update has also re confirmed that the headset will offer a single cord set up. While some users might be disappointed the PSVR 2 definitely won't be wireless, a single cord is a huge improvement from the first PSVR's cable spaghetti and break out box. Not to mention, a wireless headset would be significantly more expensive.
While we haven't seen any official images of the real world headset, indie game developer Bit Planet Games posted what appears to be a PSVR2 on its Twitter account. The tweet has since been deleted, and the devs have insisted it was fake, but it does look a lot like the official renders we've seen so far.
PSVR 2 other features and specs
PSVR 2 specs
Display: Fresnel OLED screens
Resolution: 4K HDR, 2000 x 2040 per eye
FOV: 110 degrees
Refresh rate: 90, 120 Hz
FSR: Flexible scaling resolution concentrates rendering resources on player’s area of focus
Eye tracking: Yes
Haptics in headset: Yes
Controllers: Adaptive triggers, capacitive touch sensors
Sony confirmed that the PSVR2 will have a 110-degree field of view, 4K HDR displays with a resolution of 2,000 x 2,040 in each eye. Both figures are significant upgrades from the current PSVR, which has a 100-degree field of view and a 1920 x 1080 OLED display.
Other features of the new headset include eye tracking, headset feedback, and 3D Audio. Eye tracking allows the VR2 to monitor the movement of your eyes, so that it can respond without you having to move your entire head.
Headset feedback provides haptic vibrations via a single motor during gameplay, while 3D audio also adds to a more immersive experience overall.
Playstation's Dominic Mallinson also talked about Sony's next-gen wireless VR headset: "Wireless transmission technology is getting better every day. New technologies such as 60 gigahertz are allowing for these options to become possible for VR products," he said.
The executive also talked about the idea of eye-tracking too. Not only did Mallinson talk about eye tracking in terms of user comfort and display calibration, he also sees it as another form of input for VR games.
"I think that the gaze tracking is the most exciting change that we’ll see in next-gen VR," said Mallinson. "So really, if you look at the history of user input, starting off with keyboards, and then the mouse, and recently touchscreen interfaces, I seriously think that having gaze as user input is going to be as fundamental as each of those changes we’ve had in the past. That’s my number one point about next-generation VR: Gaze will allow much, much richer user interaction."
PSVR 2 games
The PSVR 2 headset is expected to come with 20 plus games at launch, according to the latest business briefing from Sony.
Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan, who in a business briefing outlined some plans for PlayStation’s next steps in virtual reality, said: “Right now, there is a considerable amount of money being spent on partnerships with independent and other third-party developers to secure a considerable pipeline of attractive VR content at the launch of PlayStation VR2."
And he noted there’ll be more to come after the PSVR 2’s release: “That energy, that effort and that money will continue to grow as the installed base of PlayStation VR 2 headsets grows also.”
One of them will be Horizon Call of the Mountain from Guerrilla and Firesprite, which is being built exclusively for Sony's headset.
According to Jay Peters, one of the journalists that have already played it, "The sense of scale in the game is amazing, and watching a gigantic mechanical dino walk directly overhead felt like visiting a post-apocalyptic Jurassic Park.”
PSVR 2 outlook
The PSVR 2 is shaping up to be an impressive follow-up to the original PSVR. And with the power of the PS5 is could deliver some impressive virtual reality experiences.
Thus far, we only have a few first look pieces and are still lacking a lot of crucial information, but it sounds like PSVR 2 is really delivering on the promise of accessible VR for people without powerful PCs. It this the next-gen headset that will push VR evermore into the mainstream gaming world?
