We’ve heard a lot about PSVR2’s unique sensory features, like its on-board rumble motor and new PSVR2 Sense controllers, but it’s also worth remembering that Sony will be pushing the visual fidelity here. Working in tandem with the PlayStation 5, the platform holder has a lot more horsepower to play with, and boss Jim Ryan promised that we can expect a “best in class” visual experience from the headset.
The Japanese giant’s biggest competitor is the Meta Quest 2, which is a completely wireless device, but does all of its processing within the headset itself. While PSVR2’s corded approach could be considered a disadvantage, it’ll allow the Japanese giant to achieve much better graphics. It’s also worth noting that Sony’s PlayStation Studios infrastructure, with world renowned powerhouses like Guerrilla Games, will give it a distinct advantage as well.
And the core specifications of the headset itself should provide a leg-up, too. It’s got a 4K HDR OLED panel inside it, which is effectively double the resolution of the original PSVR headset. Technologies like foveated rendering – which use eye tracking to reduce computational overheads – and a wider viewing angle will all contribute as well.
It’s clear that Sony wants this to be a true next-gen virtual reality experience, and with games like Horizon Call of the Mountain, it’ll presumably have the software to back up that ambition. Rumour has it that the platform holder is eager to release more full-length games with this headset, after PSVR was criticised by some for its shorter “demo” experiences.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 35
Really worried about the cost of this. The 1st PSVR was great value but hard to see how this new one could be that affordable. Hard to see VR ever going mainstream unless they get that price down.
To use a term from across the pond, I hope this isn't Jimmy Boy talking bollocks again.
@Ooccoo_Jr Maybe they want to position themselves as the "premium" option for now.
I genuinely don't think Meta and PSVR are "competition" in the traditional sense. Yes, they both want to dominate the market, but ultimately VR is still such a fledgling technology they kinda need each other to both be doing well.
@Ooccoo_Jr can't see it being more than a ps5 disc edition of 449 personally. Happy to pay that.
@get2sammyb Yeah seems that way. Probably been emboldened by the PS5 breaking records left, right and centre despite costing almost 500 quid. Could work for them but it just feels like a hard sell, especially when considering how difficult it is to market VR - unlike a standard PS5 game.
I hope it isn't too expensive. The tech involved in the headset and controllers sounds insane!
We have seen what Oculus Quest 2 offers for £300 and that includes the processor, battery, etc. AND 2 controllers. PSVR2 is just the screen effectively as it is powered by PS5. Will be interesting, and crucial, to see what this retails at, including the controllers, but surely it can't be more than the PS5 itself right? If so it will remain VERY niche! I'd expect £350-£450 with them hoping to make money back through software and locking people to the ecosystem.
@get2sammyb I don‘t think so. To establish a tech like VR, one company can do it by its own, if the price and the games are good. Nintendo did this with the NES. Regarding VR2, I am a bit concerned about the games and really concerned about the price.
@Max_the_German Sure, but I think PSVR and Meta Quest can complement each other in many ways, especially with technology that needs to be "experienced" to truly be understood.
The more people doing VR to a high standard, the better chance it has at establishing itself.
When your main rival is owned by underfire, privacy law-breaking, child-endangering Facebook i known which device I'd rather own.
Sony is expecting this version of PSVR to leave behind proof-of-concept experiences and for developers to deliver more AAA-level quality games. I for one can well believe that the combination of PS5 and PSVR2 and its bespoke controllers will be well placed to deliver on that and I'm expecting Sony to put its money where its mouth is and continue to release 1st party titles for it, only this time there'll be VR versions of their mainline games aswell as PSVR-specific IP.
Can't wait. I think I've made that clear before 😁
The biggest issue i see with psvr2 getting off the ground initially is how many sets can they realistically make. Yes, not everyone who owns a ps5 will want one, but i assume this will face similar production challenges given the ongoing chip shortages.
As for cost, i see this ranging anywhere between £400-500, but i'm happy with that on the basis that it will be a premium product. For VR its definitely advantageous to pay a little more, for more quality parts
I've used/have several current VR headsets and the PSVR2 has almost the exact same specs as the Oculus 2. It's worth noting that the experience is HD, not 4K, because you have to split the resolution between two views. So I hope they temper expectations and not market this as a 4K device. But it sure beats the SD of the last PSVR. My Oculus 2 looks amazing and I expect the PSVR2 will as well. The high refresh rate also fixes a lot of motion sickness that past VR headsets struggled with.
While the specs are about the same, the Oculus 2 runs on the equivalent of a mid-range Android phone. So the view is nice but the horsepower is not there. The games are more Apple Arcade than console-level. Sony's biggest advantage is the PS5 processor and being able to turn on antialiasing and other effects to make things look better and run smoother. Not to mention huge storage and fast loading on the SSD, correcting so many Oculus 2 bottlenecks.
I am not crazy about "the cord" but that cord will allow PSVR2 to go places Oculus 2 could never achieve.
I'm waiting to hear how much this will be. Many were saying the PS5 was going to be £600, which would have been a death knell for the system. I'm guessing this will be somewhere between £300-400, and hoping without any reasonable expectation that it'll actually be about £250
I would pay £350 max at release. If it’s more than that then I will only get it when/if there are a lot of great releases games specifically made for psvr2. It looks great, but I’m not going to pay 100’s of £ just to play Horizons.
I call this BS. Best in class budget experience is what he should have said. By the time this will go out, PC will be so much more ahead. AMD just teased Zen 4 chips, which will also be mass consumer chips and I can guarantee they will push twice as much horsepower than PS5 does. High end PC will always stay on top if you have money. PS5 is a budget version just what PS4 VR was. That's a fact. It's a good thing, because it means more people can access VR and it sounds like a huge improvement over last gen VR for your good sake. It was horrible experience to get PS VR running. Too many cables and too many limitations.
I've got a quest 2 and an original psvr. The quest is great for games like beat saber, but being an all in one device is always going to leave it a bit more limited than a headset drawing from something else. So a psvr2 could potentially have much bigger, better games.
Though yes quest can be plugged into a pc, but not everyone has a pc powerful enough to do that.
I said it a while ago but VR is where cross platform play is really (actually) needed. The more companies getting into it the better. It isn’t about competition indeed.
PS4 has sold about 120 million and PSVR has sold about 5 million, or only 4% of the install base. With the high cost of the 1 year old but still hard to get PS5, and the likely high cost of PSVR2, I don't understand how people think there is going to be this great influx of AAA games on VR. The return on investment simply isn't going to be there b/c the install base is always going to be too small to recoup the cost.
Sure there will be 1 or 2, see Uncharted on Vita, but not a lot.
Plus, do people really want to game for 40 hours with a headset on, no matter how nice it is? Even a 12 hour game you're probably not going to want to binge over a weekend. The tech is there for shorter experiences, this what it's best for. Maybe in another 20 years.
I really wish I could have PS VR but I can't because of motion sickness. I remember when the first one came out and I tried my brothers because he had one, it gives me motion sickness. Until they figure out how to stop motion sickness, I can't ever have VR.
As long as I don't have to use the move controllers ever again, I'm happy.
Don’t care what it costs I’m getting it. Day one too. Although to be fair if you don’t get it day one you’ll probably not be able to get one for ages cos of the scalpers lol. Ah well, I know I’ll be doing this 😃 and not this 😢 day one 😉
@frankmcma
Quest 2 is a PCVR headset as well. One cord.
What Sony VR has going for it are exclusives.
@Bamila I agree, although I would call this mid-range and not budget. The Quest 3 (with uOLED screens) and the Quest Pro (with MiniLED screens) are rumored to be launching in Q2. Also the Apple VR headset will come out in "2022" according to sources (probably Fall) and will be more advanced (and expensive to be sure)...so I think in 2022 the PSVR2 will settle in to mid-range so it will be an upgrade but won't be so advanced and expensive that it would be more targeted for a small part of the marketplace. The PSVR2 device, like every Sony console, has to balance cost vs. advancements so it can settle into being affordable for the masses to hit more mainstream acceptance.
@SirRealDeal True! I can use a cord with a PC, although I always use mine portable. I think that aspect of it is the real game changer. Bringing it on trips, to parties, to work, in schools, using it anywhere so people can try it, that is the real Oculus selling point.
I bought the first one day one and regretted it because I just didn't play it that much. I would have to find this one at a serious discount years down then road to ever consider buying it.
@Snake_V5
I get super motion sick from random segments in normal games, the division 2 being the absolute worst so far in the sense that I can't even play it.
I'd probably puke all over the headset, the controls and the console if I tried the VR.
Wired connection isn’t the future for Vr.
I had a PSVR and I have a Quest 2 which I stream games to from my gaming PC.
Wireless streamed gaming is the way to go, its just such a better experience with no wires in the way, you can turn all direction, crouch, lie down etc, all without worrying about a wire.
I will still be interested in the PSVR 2, as PSVR still has arguably the strongest VR lineup. But I can’t believe they couldn’t get a wireless method working with the PS5, with modern connection / home network speeds.
@VivatGrendel That's how I felt when I tried RE7 with VR.
@soimun Fingers crossed PSVR3 will be truly wireless!
Though I'm still ultimately waiting for real world VR to reach fictional levels of immersion, like in Sword Art Online or Dot Hack's "The World".
If it’s <$400 and works on Pc and PS5 it’s a win.
Yes, the $300 Occulus:Meta Quest headset can play some games but it needs a $80 cord to attach to PC. I think Sony can closely match that.
@KidBoruto I think ultimately they have to move to a model which is the lightest and most comfortable to wear for the longest periods. Ultimately some pair of external light cancelling glasses or some form of comfortable goggles. The computer power has to come external and streamed to the glasses, it just makes sense to do it this way.
Ultimately controllers wouldn’t be required if a direct to brain interface is successfully created. See the mind chip Mr Musk has been working on. Your mind would just directly control the character in game.
So in effect you are correct, we would tend to a SAO sort of setup. Although hopefully not as sinister in premise.
@soimun Hopefully not as sinister indeed...I'll probably wait a few years after the hypothetical launch just to make sure it's mostly patched/fixed.
I'd hate to finally get into VR, only to get killed IRL somehow lol.
I just hope they will release a PSVR2 version of Skyrim!
@koffing
Who told you only official $80 cable would work? Plenty of $20-$30 cables out there working just fine.
Sony has an uphill battle to get another foothold in VR. Wireless is indeed the future. Cloud gaming for VR is already happening & happening well. Sony will be behind the times at launch.
Here's one reason Sony will never lead in home VR... refund policy. Pretty much non-existent from Sony.
Meanwhile, Quest 2 users (PCVR as well) can play any game for two hours/two weeks & then refund.
@SirRealDeal no one, and that’s good to hear. Also it seems the Wireless Desktop app works for some games.
You write as if the future is decided. It’s not. 🤷♂️
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