Overnight, Sony revealed new information about its upcoming PSVR system for PS5 consoles. So far we’ve seen solid glimpses of the controller and teases for a potential release date — but the updated headset, new features and games are still a major mystery. There’s plenty of reasons to get excited about the PSVR 2.0 but there’s still a lot we don’t know.
Here’s everything Sony’s revealed about the system so far, and what to expect when it finally launches.
PSVR for PS5: Release Date
When Sony initially announced PSVR 2.0 in February, it said the system would not launch in 2021.
According to the PlayStation Blog, the system is currently being developed with the announcement designed to get fans excited about the future of VR. In the past, VR has been a relatively low priority for Sony, leading to only a handful of standout titles. (Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Moss, Beat Sabre and Blood & Truth spring to mind.)
While an exact release date is hard to nail down, it’s fair to assume the console will release in 2022.
With global manufacturing shortages still playing havoc on the electronics industry, it could even come down to 2023 — but with the design and features for the controller now solidified it does appear PSVR 2.0 is closer than we think.
The controllers are an extreme upgrade to the PS Move
The next era of VR is all about engaging the senses. To that end, Sony has decided to ditch the PS Move wands (which first debuted on the PS3) in favour of more tactile controllers.
They’re designed to reduce constraint on hand movement with better ergonomics, balance and comfort — and they’ll enable users to feel and interact with objects on screen.
The core features being highlighted for the controllers include:
- Haptic feedback
- Adaptive triggers (much like the PS5 DualSense)
- Finger touch detection
If you’ve ever wanted to really ‘live’ in a VR world, this new controller is designed to do just that.
It’ll have a single cord set-up
The original PSVR is an absolute pain in the arse to incorporate into your gaming set-up, particularly if you’re playing on the PS5. It requires a multi-cord set-up and a looped-in box to organise the whole thing. There’s also a bunch of in/out ports that make for horrible stumbling blocks for newbies.
Thankfully, Sony has said the new iteration of the system will have a single cord to simplify the set-up process and “improve ease-of-use”.
No more fumbling for the right cable or the right slot — it’ll be plug-and-play, as it’s meant to be.
Sony is focussing on resolution, tracking and other key features
In the initial blog post announcement, Sony identified a few core features it was looking to improve for the next generation of VR. These include:
- Resolution
- Field of view
- Tracking
- Input
As VR technology advances, these features will enable a new sense of realism and build on what began with the PSVR. As anyone who’s used the original console can attest, resolution in the goggles isn’t particularly crisp and the limited field of view can cause major issues with dizziness and nausea.
Sony is focussing on working through these kinks to make the next gen of VR “a high-fidelity visual experience”. It’s likely people who are susceptible to motion sickness will still have trouble with VR generally, but there should be improvements on the way.
The original PSVR will remain compatible with PS5
If you’ve already got a PSVR system, you don’t have to worry about upgrading right away. With the PSVR PS5 adapter you can still use your original VR headset and play the games you already own.
Given the current approach to PS4/PS5 games it’s likely newer VR games designed for PSVR 2.0 will also be designed with the original system in mind, minus some key features. You will have to stay tuned for more news on this front, however.
There may come a time when ‘exclusive’ VR 2.0 games are developed, but for now the original system will remain compatible with the PS5 and upcoming games.
This article will be updated as we learn more about the PSVR 2.0 system for PS5 consoles.
Stay tuned to Kotaku Australia for all the latest news from the worlds of gaming and pop culture.
Leave a Reply