We already knew the PlayStation VR2 was coming, and Sony used its CES 2022 to introduce the next-gen virtual reality (VR) headset. The company unveiled the name of the new device and the controllers that will come with it and revealed some of the features VR gamers can expect from Sony’s next VR gaming rig. The PSVR2 and PSVR2 Sense controllers will work with the PS5, although Sony is yet to disclose availability information. We have no idea when the PSVR2 will hit stores or Sony’s price for it. Similarly, we have no idea what design changes the PSVR2 will bring. Sony only teased the design of the new Sense-branded controller during the short presentation and revealed the PSVR2 specs.
Sony’s new PSVR2 experience for PS5
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan stepped on stage at CES 2022 to unveil the PSVR2 for PS5. Sony also released a blog post that offers additional details about the PlayStation VR2 device and the VR2 Sense controller.
Unsurprisingly, Sony is going for a more immersive VR experience for the PSVR2. That’s very much in line with what Sony did with the PS5 two years ago. Specifically, the PS5’s DualSense delivers better haptics than the previous PlayStation controllers.
Sony wants to further improve the VR experience with new sensory features, and that’s probably where the VR2 Sense controllers will come in.
The company teases that players will feel “a heightened range of sensations unlike any other” once they put on the headset and the new PSVR2 Sense controllers.
The new VR headset will connect directly to the PS5 via a single USB-C cable. That’s the only setup process the PSVR2 needs. The PSVR2 Sense controllers come with built-in batteries that you’ll recharge over USB-C.
The PSVR2 specs
Sony revealed some of the PSVR2’s specs in the announcement. The new VR headset will support 4K HDR, a 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering. The OLED display delivers 2000 x 2040 resolution per eye, with refresh rates ranging from 90Hz to 120Hz.
The PSVR2 will deliver headset-based controller tracking with the help of integrated cameras in the VR headset. That includes eye-tracking for in-game activity. “Your movements and the direction you look at are reflected in-game without the need for an external camera,” Sony writes.
Eye-tracking is just one of the new “sensory features” that Sony built into the PSVR2 for PS5. A look in a specific direction will be enough to create additional input for the game character.
The device will also deliver headset feedback and 3D Audio support. The headset feedback will let the player get closer to the game content. The system features a built-in motor “with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element.” The feedback system will let you feel the character’s elevated pulse, the rush of objects passing close to your head, or the thrust of a vehicle accelerating.
Finally, the PSVR2 Sense controller will complete the “deep feeling of immersion” with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
