PSVR 2: Everything we know - CONTENTS

• PSVR 2: Release Date and Price
• PSVR 2: Games
• PSVR 2: Technical Specifications
• PSVR 2: Sense Controllers
• PSVR 2: Backward Compatibility
• PSVR 2: Reviews
• PSVR 2: How to Shorten Your Wait?

PSVR 2: Release Date and price

The release date for PSVR 2 has not been officially announced yet, but there is speculation that the new PS5 headset could come out in late 2022. This is suggested by the latest News in January this year from a Chinese supply chain that said that Sony would begin production of the PSVR 2 soon, through Goertek - which also makes the Quest 2 VR headset. In addition, Goertek has confirmed the production of the VR headset for an unnamed Japanese partner. That Sony will want to meet this deadline has indirectly been confirmed by Bloomberg or Daniel Ahmad.

But while we have a lot to go on when predicting the release date, predicting the price of PSVR 2 is pure crystal ball divination. The only clue might be the product strategy of the current PSVR, for which Sony has taken the route of relatively inferior components and technical specifications, but thus lower price. While Sony is promising big innovations in its opening statements, the fact that the PS5 headset will continue to be wired could suggest that Sony will be aiming for a lower price tag this time around. According to our estimate, 399 to 499 US dollars. PSVR launched in 2016 for $399. However, please note that this is only our speculation.

PSVR 2: Games

The first game officially announced for PSVR 2 is Horizon Call of the Mountain, inspired by the Horizon series. It will probably be a first-person action-adventure game, we'll cover the game more in a separate article. Jim Ryan  revealed that some games are already officially in development in an interview with the British GQ magazine in 2021, giving us plenty of room for a bit of speculation. That these games could likely include Resident Evil: Village, as the seventh episode was one of the few games at the time that could be played entirely in VR, and it was one of the first "three-pack" PSVR games. This speculation is also aided by the fact that the eighth episode returns to the eye view, which is ideal for the VR genre.

Another title to expect PSVR 2 support for is Gran Turismo 7. The previous episode, Gran Turismo Sport, offered a VR mode (albeit a very limited one), plus the director of Polyphony Digital, the studio developing GT7, is a big fan of VR technology. In an interview with GTPlanet magazine, he also revealed that he thinks racing games are ideal for VR gaming. Also, the earlier speculations reveal that GT 7 could indeed offer PSVR 2 support. According to other Speculation, Rockstar Games could also release one of its open-world games for PSVR 2. Just imagine GTA V or Red Dead Redemption 2 in VR!

On the other hand, the release of a new VR game with Astrobots is almost a safe bet. In recent years, Sony has been using these cute little robots whenever it would release not only a new console, but also peripherals like PlayStation VR. So we can most likely expect a sequel to 2018's Astro Bot Rescue Mission VR, and like Astro's Playroom for PS5, it could easily be a free game bundled with PSVR 2. As part of the unveiling of the new controllers, we've learned that developers should be receiving prototypes soon, so we should hopefully see at least a small preview of what the next generation PSVR headset will bring by the end of the year.

PSVR 2: Technical Specifications

The power of PS5 will allow PSVR 2 to display games in 4K resolution with HDR support and 90 or 120Hz refresh rates. As with other VR headsets, the image will be composed of two separate OLED displays with a resolution of 2000×2040 px (the displays have a slightly lower resolution than the actual 4K, i.e. 3840 x 2160, but other manufacturers are not afraid of similar rounding). The field of view will offer a solid 110-degree "field of view" and, as previously speculated, there will be no shortage of eye-tracking technology, primarily for control or interaction in games, but rendering the image based on where you are looking is not excluded.

As expected, Sony's engineers have also reached for the Sense technology familiar from the DualSense controller, which will aim to make the game even more immersive. It combines haptic response, 3D sound and eye movement tracking. In practice, for example, we should be able to feel the acceleration of a vehicle or an object passing close to our head or even its impact better.

The fact that PSVR 2 won't need a PlayStation camera is also welcome news. The headset will track your movements thanks to four cameras and an infrared sensor, and will also be able to warn you of any collisions with your surroundings. PSVR 2 will offer a built-in microphone, headphone input and we'll connect the helmet to PlayStation 5 using a single USB-C cable. Previous speculations about a wireless version, which may come later, have not come true. At this point, all that's left for Sony to reveal is the look of the PSVR 2.

PSVR 2: Sense Controllers

We also know the exact technical specifications of the new Sense Controllers replacing the PS Move, which have been with us since 2010 and have been available on PS3, PS4 and now, thanks to backwards compatibility, PS5. The new controllers are designed to resemble an orb into which you insert your hand, and they also differ from PS Move in that they are not interchangeable. This means that one is designed exclusively for the left hand and the other for the right hand, which affects not only the ergonomics but also the layout of the buttons.

The very name Sense Controllers suggests that they take the best of the DualSense gamepad, supporting not only haptic response but also adaptive triggers, a technology that many gamers have come to love for its ability to immerse themselves more deeply in the game, which in the case of virtual reality can make the experience even more immersive. "When you take these kinds of mechanics and apply them to VR, the experience is multiplied to a whole new level," says Hideaki Nishino, vice president of planning and management at Sony, where they're not just recycling familiar technology - the hot new feature is single-finger detection, for example. The drivers not only recognise which finger you are using, but also the overall movement of the finger. But as Nishino adds, while Sony is excited about the Sense Controllers features, it will be up to developers to see how they can use them in games.

We've confirmed that the development of new games for PSVR 2 has already begun, and when Sony announced the controllers in March 2021, it said developers would receive prototypes soon. Work on the new VR titles is probably already underway and we can only guess how the new controllers will play. Sony, however, talks about them very confidently: "The result is an iconic design that will change the way VR titles are played," the announcement of the controllers reads. We have discussed them more in a separate Article.

PSVR 2: Backward Compatibility

The issue of backwards compatibility is still very uncertain. It's not clear at this point whether PSVR 2 will support games designed for the current PSVR version, but it's possible that they will be backwards-compatible just like PS4 games are supported on PlayStation 5. Conversely, support for new PSVR 2 games on the current PSVR headset is highly unlikely. There will be a big technological leap between the two systems, so it's expected that new VR games will only work on PSVR 2.

We also estimate that PSVR 2 will only work on PlayStation 5. The headset itself requires a lot of power, and the current version of PSVR on PS4 (and now PS5) is already assisted by an external computing unit. In all cases, however, these are only our estimates.

PSVR 2: Reviews

There are no reviews at the moment, as the headset won't be out until late 2022 at the earliest.

PSVR 2: How to Shorten Your Wait? 

We don't expect PSVR 2 to be released until next year at the earliest, but we can make the wait easier with the current PSVR version that's compatible with the new PlayStation 5. At the same time, the vast majority of PS4 games designed for PSVR are compatible with the console, and many of them have even received free upgrades to improve things like frame rates.

The only hitch is that the new PlayStation 5 HD Camera isn't compatible with PSVR, so you'll need to connect a PS4 camera to the PS5, which was and still is the standard PSVR camera. But because it has a different connector, you'll need a reducer, which Sony distributes to PSVR owners for free. You can apply for it on this page, we received the adapter about a month after the application.

If you're not sure which PlayStation VR game to get into, you can take inspiration from our ranking of The 20 best VR games, where much of it is also available on PlayStation VR.

- Sources: blog.playstation.com, gq-magazine.co.uk, gtplanet.net, nl. letsgodigital.org, pdfaiw. uspto. gov, playstation.com, uploadvr.com, techradar.com, thesixthaxis.com, washingtonpost.com

What We've Previously Written About PSVR 2

PlayStation VR2 to launch later this year with Gran Turismo 7 support

- Speculation: January 27, 2020 - Author: Filip Nemec

In a world of technology where companies race to the top in performance and boast slogans like "the world's most powerful console", Sony has pulled off a near feat. Indeed, the PlayStation VR headset has been the least technologically advanced helmet from the start, and in recent months one of the worst VR headsets on paper in terms of resolution or even field of view. Yet PlayStation VR is the best-selling virtual reality helmet today. While the main competitor Oculus Rift has sold around 1.5 million units, PSVR has already surpassed the 5 million mark. But nothing lasts forever, so it's no surprise that Sony has previously confirmed that it's already working on a new version of the headset.

Officially, we don't have anything in hand yet, according to VR Focus Magazine but a major publisher of virtual reality games, VR Education (Apollo 11 VR or Titanic VR), mentions in a report recapping the past year that Sony is set to launch a new version of PlayStation VR this year. "In 2020, Sony will release PlayStation 5 and a new version of the PlayStation VR headset to further expand the user base of high-end VR headsets," the official release reads.

Those are pretty bold words, considering that Sony hasn't confirmed anything of the sort so far, and on the contrary, it's been rumored that although the company is working on the PSVR 2, it doesn't plan to release the new headset at the same time as the PlayStation 5 because it would force its customers into two big investments at the same time. In addition, we have official confirmation that PS5 will also support the existing PlayStation VRso Sony's in no hurry.

The new version of PSVR is finally set to be wireless and with three cameras directly on the helmet to improve the precision of the controls. One of the recent speculations also talks about eye movement tracking and a greater focus on AAA titles. Namely, Gran Turismo 7, which is set to be the launch title for PS5. Previously titled Gran Turismo Sport also offers PSVR support, albeit in a greatly reduced form (only some tracks, a few cars and only one opponent).

So it's really possible that the second generation of the popular PlayStation VR headset will arrive this year. However, although the statement of the well-known VR game publisher seems plausible, it should still be approached with caution and, as always, it is better to wait for an official announcement.

- Sources: VR Focus, Wccftech

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Second Generation PSVR Will Be a Wireless Triple-camera Helmet

- Speculation: October 14, 2019 - Author: Filip Nemec

You can be as secretive as you like and keep better tabs on all your employees than your own children, but the patent office can't keep secrets forever anyway. That's exactly what happened with Sony's patent covering a new version of the PlayStation VR headset. While the upcoming next-gen PlayStation 5 console will be compatible with the current version of PSVR, since Sony's headset is the best-selling virtual reality helmet of the moment and has been very successful within its segment, there's no doubt that an upgraded version is in the works, which is being called PSVR 2 for now. Sony has already confirmed that it is developing a new generation at a shareholder meeting.

The patent in question was published in February, but the magazine LetsGoDigital has only just been discovered. Two interesting improvements come out of it. First of all, the PSVR 2 headset should now have three separate cameras. Two on the front and one on the back. The camera on the back in particular makes the most sense, as the current version of PSVR has a blind spot right behind your back. Movement is captured by a single PlayStation camera above or below the TV, and anything happening behind you (or with your back to the camera) is virtually invisible to the game. However, this handicap is cleverly addressed by the creators of PSVR exclusives such as Iron Man VR, which should be able to predict movements that the camera cannot detect accurately.

The second news is perhaps even more interesting, but not really surprising. According to the magazine Polygon The patent also briefly mentions the connection between the headset and the console, which should be completely wireless using Bluetooth technology. This information has already been reported some time ago by the magazine Inverse. This is, of course, an expected move, and by the time the PSVR 2 is likely to come out, the vast majority of competing headsets will already be wireless. The question is how these technologies will translate into the final price, which is currently almost cheap compared to the competition. The aforementioned Inverse magazine, however, estimates that the PSVR 2 will cost around $200.

Sony has already told its shareholders that the PSVR 2 is in development, however, we shouldn't expect the headset at the same time as the PlayStation 5. The company reportedly doesn't want to force its fans into getting two expensive systems at the same time, so the PSVR 2 will hit the market later. Moreover, according to this statement, it is not very reasonable to cling to the price tag estimated by Inverse magazine, as it is still wild guesses and unsubstantiated information.

The patent also mentions the new Move controllers. These have been on the market for almost a decade and certainly deserve a new version. The patent speaks about it more briefly, but the most significant information is the presence of a camera in each controller. At the very least, the next generation of PSVR could be far more accurate.

- Sources: LetsGoDigital, Inverse, Polygon

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Sony Is Likely Preparing a New Version of PSVR

- Speculation: July 18, 2019 - Author: Filip Nemec

The PlayStation VR virtual reality headset may not be a technology leader, but its low price and range of exciting games have quickly made it the best-selling VR platform. Competition in the form of HTC Vive a Oculus Rift doesn't publish its numbers, agencies, However, market researchers predict that PSVR is far ahead of the competition in sales figures. In March, Sony recognized that 4.2 million PSVR headsets have already reached gamers, which isn't a huge number considering that PlayStation 4 needed to launch the console may soon see it hit the 100 million mark. But that's a decent number for a start-up technology.

So it is very likely that Sony will continue with this platform. After all, the company has no other platforms besides the PlayStation desktop console and PSVR after it discontinued the PS Vita handheld. Journalists have been asking about the new version of PSVR, especially in connection with the upcoming next-gen PlayStation 5, but its architect Mark Cerny revealed in an interview that they have no new information on VR strategy yet. However, he added that the platform is very important to them and this will make the current version of the PSVR headset compatible with the PS5.

According to some analysts, the reason for the current silence is that Sony does not want to launch two new and expensive technologies simultaneously. Once the PlayStation 5 owner base is established, the company will introduce another product to offer its fans. We don't know how long we'll have to wait, but the first information that a new version of the headset is in the works is already emerging.

PSVR 2 Without Unnecessary Cables and With Eye Movement Tracking

According to the magazine Inverse, the new version of PSVR will be completely devoid of the annoying wires, so we'll see a fully wireless connection, while the battery should last five hours, which is definitely enough time considering that not many people can be in virtual reality for 5 hours continuously. The resolution of each display should be 2560x1440 px with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a 220-degree field of view. Currently, PSVR can handle a resolution of 960x1080px, a refresh rate of 90 to 120Hz and a field of view of 100 degrees.

Most interesting, however, is the projected price, which according to Inverse magazine should be around