NOT Backwards Compatible.
Sony Has Announced Its PlayStation VR 2. Get your eyeballs and motion sickness medication ready.
With Sony officially announcing a potential release date of “early 2023” it’s time to talk about next-gen VR, and what this could mean for the future of gaming. While I sincerely doubt Ready Player One will become a reality anytime soon, we can expect a step forward in the VR world.
At A Glance
The headset appropriately features the same creamy white nylon texture as its cousin, the PS5, and will require the use of the PSVR2. Accents of black give that sleek futuristic undertone we all love from this (for the time being) novel tech.
It’s quite apparent Sony is making an effort to make wearing the headset less clunky. An upgrade in the comfort department is going to be a huge positive for anyone who was turned off by the awkwardness of wearing one.
Specs
Now it’s time for the nitty gritty, the shiny new tech and features that make it worth upgrading or buying.
Display Technology
They went the whole nine yards here. It’ll have a 4k resolution, double its predecessor. Which is always welcome. Boasting a 120-frame rate, getting launched in the air by a giant in Skyrim could take on a whole new dimension!
Making an appearance is the cutting-edge OLED display. At a staggering 2k resolution in each eye. This represents a significant upgrade from the previous PSVR, which received heavy criticism for its blocky displays, making it difficult to achieve full immersion in virtual reality.
Eye Tracking
Here’s where Sony’s breakthroughs are shining through. They’re using eye-tracking technology to focus on rendering wherever you’re looking, adjusting the resolution in real time!
That isn’t all though, the PSVR 2 has 4 built-in cameras, so it can reflect your movements and where your eyes are looking in-game. Next-gen multiplayer could have players looking each other in the eyes! That’s intense!
Headset Feedback
The intensity doesn’t stop with eye contact, the PSVR 2 headset features subtle vibrations that correspond with what’s happening in-game. Feel bullets whizzing past your head, or the thrust of a vehicle rocketing forward.
3d Audio
This one’s going to be my personal favorite. You’ll be able to tell what direction a sound is coming from in a new, visceral way. With the new cameras tracking the direction you are facing, soundscapes in your favorite games will come alive as you hear birds whisking by overhead or a car zoom past you on the street.
I’d also like to briefly mention that only ONE CABLE will be necessary, a simple USB into the PS5 front port is all that’s required. Thank god, no more fiddling around with cords when you bring your console to a friend’s.
Sense Controller
With a new globe design, interacting with virtual realities will be as intuitive as ever. Sony was serious about focusing on prioritizing immersion.
Controller Layout
They went out of their way to make the controllers as intuitive as possible, laden with features, including dedicated “grip” buttons for holding things in-game. Adaptive triggers create tension for pulling motions, like moving boxes to climb platforms or clash mechanics in fighting games.
Finger Detection
The PSVR 2 aims to reconstruct your hands in virtual reality, according to a recent patent by Sony, This will create a refined and nuanced experience. Fine motor skills could become a new dimension in VR gaming. Imagine a crafting system where you’re using your hands to create something!
Price
Most websites are estimating a 300-400$ price range, which is fair. You need a PlayStation 5 to use the PSVR 2, so a high price will draw a sour response from consumers. At the same time, the PSVR 2 is jam-packed with features and tech. Current estimates are grounded in solid reasoning. Sony most likely wants to go toe-to-toe with the Oculus.
Games
Sony announced that the PSVR 2 is launching with over 20 titles, including my current obsession, No Man’s Sky, and Horizon Zero Dawn.
What a time to be alive
Watching Sony and Oculus duke it out in the VR arena will be exciting. Sony stepped up to the plate this time, they’re serious about making this the new wave of gaming. It’s inevitable at this point. The kind of games we could only dream of playing as kids could be real in the decades to come. No one said Dystopia was going to be boring.
Check the Oculus/Meta Quest 2 Unbox and Review on our youtube channel.
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