Sony’s PlayStation VR2 may not be out until next year, but after months of trickle-down news, the company finally let the press get their eyes and hands on the VR headset. Even after some hands-on time with the device, it looks like the new headset will be a major upgrade over the original PSVR in almost every way.
Let’s start with the hardware, which we already know a lot about. For one, it has a much more modern look that closely matches the design language of the PS5, and you’ll only need to connect it to your PS5 with a USB-C cable. The headset has an OLED display, offers a 110-degree field of view and 4K HDR, and supports 90Hz and 120Hz frame rates for smoother gaming. Unlike its predecessor, you won’t need to set up external cameras to track your movements; instead, the headset has four cameras built into the front of the display. The new orb-shaped PSVR2 Sense controllers feature adaptive triggers and haptic feedback (like DualSense) and can also detect finger touches.
Here are the headphones. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
But how does it actually feel to play games on the PSVR2, with all its new bells and whistles? The actual PSVR2 hardware was a joy to use. Like most modern VR headsets, it lets you adjust the headband to make sure everything rests comfortably on your noggin, and you can adjust the interpupillary distance (IPD) so that the actual lenses inside the headset are the suitable distance for you. The screens looked great, although sometimes things felt a bit blurry around the edges, which could also happen with the first PSVR.
Sony’s new Sense controllers were a noticeable improvement. The original PSVR was based on Sony’s Move controllers, which, you may remember, looked like funky wands with shiny balls on the end, and they had some issues. The original PSVR setup sometimes had trouble tracking glowing balls, which could ruin the immersive VR experience, and the first version of the Move controller used a Mini USB port to charge. Fortunately, Sony fixed that last complaint by switching to Micro USB (so maybe it wasn’t a huge upgrade).
The Sense controllers, on the other hand, look like they’ll be much better. Haptics were excellent, which might not be too surprising if you’ve heard Sony’s excellent haptics on the DualSense. Touch sensing was a very useful way to interact with virtual reality worlds. Sure, you can pick up weapons, but it also lets you flex your fingers and interact with objects in a more natural way. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t available in every game we tested, but when it did work, it added an extra layer of immersion.
The Sense controller. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
And that’s what the Sense controllers actually seem to have. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
The single cable setup of the PSVR2 was much appreciated. The original PSVR required an extra box and a series of cables to work, so just plugging a cable directly into a PS5 is a much less complicated solution. (Though it’s not as nice as a fully standalone wireless headset like the Meta Quest series.) And usually, VR games require you to take a break from time to time so you don’t develop a severe migraine. But that wasn’t so much of a problem with the PSVR 2. You can spend a good amount of time without feeling the strain.
As for the games themselves, we got a few titles to try: Horizon Call of the Mountain, a PSVR2-optimized version of Resident Evil Village, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2, and the recently announced Star Wars: Tales from l Galaxy’s Edge Enhanced Edition.
Horizon Call of the Mountain was the most technically advanced, probably because it was built from the ground up for the PSVR2. The game’s sense of scale is incredible, and seeing a giant mechanical dinosaur walking directly overhead felt like visiting a post-apocalyptic Jurassic Park. The rock climbing was also incredibly fun, as long as you resisted the urge to look down into the chasms below. The new Sense controllers vibrate when you touch objects, so that added an extra layer of physicality when you draw your bow and shoot an arrow. We were also very impressed with how much thought went into building an interactive world. Can you… smash plates and throw boxes off a cliff? Yes! Can you pick up a hammer and hit a gong, even if there’s no plot reason to do so? Yes too!
A bow and arrow in Horizon Call of the Mountain. Image: Sony
The other games were fun too. Resident Evil Village had a creepy vibe, and it’s legitimately terrifying when the undead get in your face. (Poor Ethan Winters, he really does.) Meanwhile, you can get creative with exactly how to beat up walkers in The Walking Dead: Saint & Sinners Chapter 2. Sure, chopping them up with chainsaws is fun, but we highly recommend it. shish-kebabing zombies with a katana.
Something we don’t know yet? The cost; Sony didn’t share it as part of the hands-on event. But with Meta’s new high-end Quest headphones on the horizon (a prototype of which leaked this weekend) and Apple’s rumored “Reality” headphones seemingly close to release, hopefully Sony has a competitive price for the PSVR2 headset (maybe around $400?) encourages PlayStation gamers to pick one up.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
We can’t wait to experience Sony’s new take on virtual reality once again. The “early 2023” release window makes it look like we won’t have to wait too long until next year to finally play more, and we’re crossing our fingers that buying the hardware won’t break the bank.