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(Image credit: Sony)
Sony has officially unveiled the PSVR 2, with the new design landing on the PlayStation Blog this week. The new system slots straight into the PS5 family with its clean black and white aesthetic and grey accents but we’ve also got our first look at some of the new features heading to the system with the next generation.
That means we know more than ever about how PlayStation VR 2 will run and it’s certainly looking to compete with some of the best VR headsets on the market. New vents will stop users overheating during use, a lens adjustment dial means everyone can experience picture perfect VR. While many were expecting the PSVR 2 to abandon cables all together, those who battled against the wires of the original system will be glad to know that the whole headset connects with a single tether.
Before the PSVR 2 design announcement, we already knew that the PSVR 2 will feature a 4K resolution at 2,000 x 2040 per eye, all set upon an OLED HDR panel at refresh rates of 90Hz or 120Hz. Those are some impressive starter specs, but with eye-tracking and haptic feedback also built-in, PSVR 2 is already exciting fans.
The next-generation headset comes as a successor to the popular PlayStation VR system built for PS4, which even today stands as one of the best PS5 accessories. The new model will be a PS5 exclusive, with a tentative rumored release date of Holiday 2022. We’re rounding up everything you need to know about PSVR 2 specs, release dates, and all the latest news right here.
PS5 restocks: all the latest updatesWhat is PlayStation VR 2?A quick guide to PSVR 2
Release Date: Rumored Holiday 2022
Price: Not confirmed – expected $399 / £399
Key specs: 4K resolution at 2,000 x 2040 per eye, haptic feedback, single cable connection, eye tracking, controller tracking via headset
PSVR 2 is Sony’s next step into the world of virtual reality, building on the original PlayStation VR headset that was released for the PS4 system in 2016. The new PS5-exclusive headset promises a boosted resolution, new eye-tracking system, wider field of view, and a new controller-headset tracking system to replace the old (and sometimes unreliable) LED-PlayStation Camera method.
PlayStation VR has held its audience well over the course of the last five years. While it still remained a fairly niche peripheral during its lifetime, we saw regular releases and a devoted fan base spring up around the system. Supplies, however, have dwindled over the last few years leaving many VR hopefuls searching for PlayStation VR bundle stock as Sony phases its previous headset out of its lineup.
PSVR 2 specsSony gave us our first real look at the internals running under the hood of the PSVR 2 at CES 2022, and there’s plenty to get excited about. You’ll find all the PSVR 2 specs we already know just below:
Resolution2,000 x 2,040 per-eyeDisplayOLED HDRRefresh rate90Hz, 120HzField of view110°TrackingSix-axis motion sensor, 4 cameras for headset and controllers, IR camera for eye-trackingHapticsHeadset and controllerAudio3.5mmConnectionUSB-C
PSVR 2 release dateThere’s is currently no official PSVR 2 release date, though rumors currently slot the headset into a Holiday 2022 release window. A Bloomberg report from June 2021 was our first indication of such a window. Recent rumors have sprung up from Apple and VR analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Chinese site Nweon ) that seem to suggest a PSVR 2 release date of Q2 2022. However, this is looking a little unlikely considering supply constraints and Sony’s tight-lipped approach.
PSVR 2 priceWe are still waiting on official confirmation of the PSVR 2 price point. However, it’s reasonable to assume that we’re going to be paying more than the $299.99 / £299.99 price of the original PlayStation VR system. Sony doesn’t seem to be holding much back in its next-generation, so this is going to be a premium headset. However, we don’t expect it to reach the lofty heights of HTC Vive’s enthusiast kit.
Considering component shortages (and the resulting surge in pricing), many are settling on an expected $399 / £349 – £399 PSVR 2 price.
PSVR 2 vs PSVR: what’s the difference?
(Image credit: Sony)What is foveated rendering?
Foveated rendering is a system for improving visual experience and helping the system run with better efficiency. Essentially, PSVR 2 will track the placement of the user’s eyes so that the headset knows exactly where they are looking. Then, foveated rendering will adjust the resolution of the picture in real-time, increasing clarity for items the user is actually looking at, and reducing clarity for items they aren’t.
Sony promised that PlayStation VR 2 would provide “dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity” when it first announced the system in February 2021. Now that we have a clean spec sheet in front of us, we can start to pick apart Sony’s dream of a next-generation virtual reality system and, so far, things are looking good.
The PSVR 2 offers a substantial upgrade in terms of per-eye resolution, bumping the previous 960 x 1080 panels up to 2,000 x 2,040 4K. Throw in new HDR support and a slight bump to the field of view (110° over the previous 100°) and the difference between PSVR 2 and PSVR is going to be immediately apparent.
Not only is PSVR 2 going to look better than its predecessor, though, but it will also track better. The original PlayStation VR system relied on LED tracking by the console and a PlayStation Camera. However, PSVR 2 has cameras integrated into the headset itself for a far more reliable experience. Plus, the new generation will also bring eye tracking to Sony’s VR systems for the first time, enabling foveated rendering.
One of the biggest features to separate PS5 from PS4 is also making its way to PSVR 2. Sony is building a lot of its work with the DualSense controller into the new system, enabling new haptic feedback in both the headset itself and the Sense controllers.
You’ll find a full spec breakdown for both systems just below.
PSVR 2 vs PSVR
PSVR 2PSVRResolution2,000 x 2,040 per-eye960 x 1080 per eyeDisplayOLED HDROLEDRefresh rate90Hz, 120Hz90Hz, 120HzField of view110°100°TrackingSix-axis motion sensor, 4 cameras for headset and controllers, IR camera for eye-trackingSix-axis motion sensor, LED tracking via PlayStation MoveHapticsHeadset and controllerController onlyAudio3.5mm3.5mmConnectionUSB-CUSB and HDMI
Back to topPSVR 2 vs the competition
(Image credit: Oculus)If the PSVR 2 release date of Holiday 2022 does come to fruition, there are going to be several key players on the field already warmed up. The Oculus Quest 2 will be entering its third year on the market, and the premium HTC Vive Pro 2 will have more than a year under its belt. That means Sony is having to future-proof its specs as much as possible in order to be able to compete with the releases of the last couple of years this far down the line.
The Oculus Quest 2 is the headset most likely to infringe on the PSVR 2 price. At a base cost of $299.99 / £299.99 for a 128GB headset, the Quest 2 will likely come in around $100 cheaper than Sony’s offering (if current expectations are proven correct). By the time the Holiday period rolls around, we will have hopefully also seen more Oculus Quest 2 deals bringing that MSRP down even further as well. Add the fact that you don’t need a console or PC to run the standalone Quest, and more casual players are going to be drawn to Oculus Meta’s device.
However, that extra cost does potentially land you some key benefits in the PSVR 2. The Oculus Quest 2 features a lower-resolution LCD screen with a smaller 90° field of view. Plus, it remains to be seen if the Snapdragon XR2 processor can keep up with the power output of a PS5, but it’s looking unlikely. On paper, then, the PSVR 2 is the better headset – though certainly not for everyone. The Oculus Quest 2 is fully contained, wireless, and doesn’t require any additional hardware.
Plus, both the Oculus Quest 2 and HTC Vive Pro 2 are already winning in the game department. While we know Horizon: Call of the Mountain is heading to PSVR 2, the fact of the matter remains that Sony has a much smaller development pool for new content than Meta and HTC. Oculus Quest 2 already has a massive catalogue of titles small and large, and the Vive Pro 2 has all of Steam behind it.
Sticking with the HTC Vive Pro 2, the PSVR 2 is certainly taking a good stab at competing in HTC’s premium space. There are some impressive specs on offer here, and it’s looking likely that the PSVR 2 price will come in significantly lower than the base $749 / £659 cost of the Vive Pro 2 (and that’s not taking the high-end gaming PC to run it into account).
High-end VR users will likely stick with the boosted 2448 x 2448 per eye resolution, 120° field of view, and tried and tested tracking prowess of the Vive Pro 2, along with the plethora of games already aimed at the system. However, PSVR 2 will likely win out among Sony fans for sheer value, even with the PS5 price folded in.
You’ll find all the key specs of the current market just below:
PSVR 2Oculus Quest 2HTC Vive Pro 2Resolution2,000 x 2,040 per-eye1832 x 1920 per eye2448 x 2448 per eyeDisplayOLED HDRLCDRGB low persistence LCDRefresh rate90Hz, 120Hz90Hz, 120Hz90Hz, 120HzField of view110°90°120°TrackingSix-axis motion sensor, 4 cameras for headset and controllers, IR camera for eye-trackingSix-axis motion sensor, 4 camerasG-sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, IPD, SteamVR V2.0 trackingHapticsHeadset and controller–Audio3.5mmIntegrated positionalHi-Res certified headphonesConnectionUSB-CSelf-contained, tethered via proprietary cableProprietary, DisplayPort, USB 3.0
Back to topThe biggest PSVR 2 news: a timeline
(Image credit: CES)Sony unveils PSVR 2 design – February 22, 2022
Sony shared a first look at the design of the new PlayStation VR 2 on the PlayStation Blog on February 22, 2022. The orb-shaped headset is a familiar sight to anyone who owned the previous model, but features a distinct PS5 vibe – all the way down to the tiny symbols imprinted across the headset. We’ve also learned of a new vent system and a lens adjustment dial placed on the device.
Sony launches PSVR 2 product page, with details around new Fresnel lenses – February 4, 2022
Sony published its full product page for the PSVR 2 system at the start of February, 2022. While we already knew much of the information in the new site, the page does detail the PSVR 2’s use of Fresnel lenses. The original headset didn’t use these ridged lenses, but the market has since adopted them as standard thanks to their thinner form factor. However, a recent patent from the brand also reveals that Sony may have fixed a key problem with this lens type – the “god rays” produced by light bouncing off the ridges in unexpected ways.
Sony has ‘nothing to announce’ regarding backwards compatibility – January 6, 2022
Journalist Stephen Totilo put the question of backwards compatibility to Sony shortly after the headset’s specs and name were officially revealed. However, the company skirted the question, neither confirming nor denying the feature. The jury’s still out on whether you’ll be able to run previous generation games on the new PSVR 2, but we’re not getting our hopes up.
Rumors have PSVR 2 shipping in Q2 2022 – January 6, 2022
When Chinese site Nweon predicted PlayStation VR 2 to begin shipping from Q2 2022, the world pricked its ears. The site used analysis from prominent Apple and VR analyst Ming-Chi Kuo to inform its speculation, which was heightened further in early January thanks to further support from Kuo.
PSVR 2 name and specs revealed at CES – January 4, 2022
Sony officially announced PSVR 2’s name and key specs at its conference at CES 2022 and in a PlayStation Blog post. While we didn’t get a look at the headset or a timeline for release, the brand revealed that the next generation will feature a 4K OLED HDR display system with 2000 x 2040 resolution per eye, headset-based controller tracking, feedback built into the headset, and haptic feedback in the controllers, and eye-tracking.
The first major title for the system was also announced; Horizon: Call of the Mountain is in development at Guerilla Games.
Sony files patent for PSVR 2 controllers – December 2021
Sony filed a patent at the end of 2021 for an input device using LEDs to communicate with a camera system that looks a lot like the controller renders released earlier in the year. We’ve already set our eyes on the new globe gamepads, but the new patent gives us more information on LED placement and how those lights will interact with the headset itself.
Headset design patent discovered – October 2021
DistritoXR unearthed a patent filing from Sony for a head-mounted display that looks a lot like the original PSVR. There’s very little information divulged in the patent itself, however, and the actual filing was made back in 2019.
Rumors of holiday 2022 release date begin – June 2021
A Bloomberg report was published in June 2021, explaining Japan Display Inc.’s pivot to producing OLED displays for virtual reality. While it also suggested PSVR 2 will utilise OLED panels in its design, the highlight of the report suggests that Sony is ‘aiming to release the successor [to PSVR] in the holiday period next year’.
Sony introduces new PSVR 2 controller – March 2021
Sony shared renders of a wraparound controller design on its official PlayStation Blog in the spring of 2021. The new globe-shaped controller will feature “adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, finger-touch detection and more”, building on some of the foundational features of the DualSense controller. March’s blog post also revealed that controllers will be tracked by the headset itself rather than a separate camera like the original system.
Sony announces its next generation of VR – February 2021
Promising “dramatic leaps forward in performance and interactivity”, Sony announced that it was working on a successor to the PlayStation VR system in February 2021. We learned that the new system will connect via a single cable and “will incorporate some of the key features found in the DualSsense wireless controller.” Sony also confirmed that the PSVR 2 release date would not be in 2021.
Back to topInterested in what virtual reality can do these days? Check out the best VR games currently available. Or, for a taste of Sony’s offerings, take a look at the best PSVR games for the previous system.
I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I’ve written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i’m focused on Nintendo Switch, keyboards, mice, and the quest for an RTX gaming laptop.
