PlayStation already announced it was working on a next-generation VR headset for PS5 early last year, but at Sony’s CES 2022 presentation the company revealed the official name of the device, PlayStation VR2.
It looks like PlayStation is applying its console naming conventions to the VR headset follow-up, which works as it comes across that PlayStation VR2 is the evolution of VR gaming on PlayStation. Sony also confirmed the name of the already revealed VR controller, which they are calling the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller. The Sense controller will feature haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that will help players interact with the game.
“Innovation for us at PlayStation means we’re going to lead the way with exploring new technology that unlocks new entertainment experiences. Virtual reality is central to that philosophy: nothing elicits emotion quite like the VR medium,” Sony Interactive Entertainment president, Jim Ryan said on stage during Sony’s CES 2022 presentation.
The announcement was followed by a post on the PlayStation blog which revealed the hardware specs of the VR headset and sense controllers. PlayStation VR2 will offer an OLED display with a 2000×2040 resolution per eye, 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view visuals with foveated rendering and frame rates of 90/120hz. Sony promises that the setup will be more simplistic this time around as PSVR2 will be connected to the PS5 through a single cable connection. Sadly, there is no wireless option yet.
The headset will include “inside-out tracking” which will track both PlayStation VR2 users and sense controllers through cameras embedded within it. Sony’s approach to PlayStation VR2 tracking removes the need for an external camera. The headset itself will feature eye-tracking and a haptic feedback-like motor that will help heighten the feelings of players, which includes any object that moves closer to your head or the feeling of accelerating in a vehicle.
“Headset feedback is a new sensory feature that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. It’s created by a single built-in motor with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element, bringing players closer to the gameplay experience,” Sony Interactive Entertainment senior vice president of platform experience, Hideaki Nishino said in the PlayStation Blog post.
“For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward. Additionally, PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech makes sounds in the player’s surroundings come alive, adding to this new level of immersion.”
It wasn’t all talk about the headset but software too, as PlayStation revealed it’s already developing original PlayStation Studios titles for the upcoming VR headset. Sony showed off a first quick look at Horizon Call of the Mountain, being developed by both Guerilla Games and recently purchased VR developer, Firesprite.
There was no mention of when PlayStation VR2 is launching this year, or if PlayStation 4 PSVR titles will be backwards compatible with PlayStation VR2.
