For the time, Sony's PSVR headset was competent and functional. It didn't push the boat out compared to other devices, but by making itself at least somewhat affordable, Sony struck gold with the best-selling VR headset to date. The firm is now looking to beat the sales of the device with PSVR2, except it's going about it in a different way.
The follow-up is high-end, expensive, and state-of-the-art — just ignore the single cable connecting it to a PS5. It feels like a grab for the enthusiast market first and foremost before widening its reach in later years. The tech, games, and experiences need to back that proposal up, though. A recent hands on session with PSVR2 has proven to us, at least, that Sony knows what it's doing.
From its lightweight feel to the next-gen Sense controllers, everything about the device feels premium. Gone are the dated PS Move wands of the PS3 era, replaced with futuristic pads that track movement much more accurately. But in the context of a Horizon Call of the Mountain demo, the big differentiator is eye tracking.
Once the headset is strapped on and calibrated — easy-to-use settings, buttons on the device itself, and system-based tutorials make this a doddle — it's all about rewiring your brain to control cursors with your eyes rather than your head. Admittedly, this took some getting used to (we were still moving our noggin about to some degree by the end of the demo) but once you've got the feature memorised, it makes navigation much easier. Just look at a menu option to select it instead of holding a PS Move wand out, or divert your eyes to an object to skip a button press. There's a lot of potential to take interactivity to a new level using the feature; it's at least what very much sets PSVR2 apart from its predecessor at launch.
Working alongside eye tracking are the new Sense controllers, which adopt the circular nature of other VR headsets on the market. All the buttons you'd expect on a PS5 DualSense controller are present except for the touch pad, which is implemented into the trackable motions of the input readers.
When playing Horizon Call of the Mountain, they allow you to scale cliff sides with pinpoint accuracy, either slotting your hands into crevices or using vines to pull yourself along. It all feels natural, with the thumbstick letting you turn the camera and properly get your bearings before clambering along. The Sense controllers much more accurately track your motions, with little in the way of movement problems or the need to troubleshoot.
This all happens with a good degree of comfort. Sony's first PSVR headset for PS4 was famed for being easy to put on, adjust, and then provide little issue as you played Astro Bot Rescue Mission or Blood & Truth for hours on end. After roughly an hour with Horizon Call of the Mountain, the same can be said of PSVR2. Many of the comfort options on the headset itself are the same: a button on the back of the main plastic strap lets you stretch it to first place around your head. The visor covering your eyes can be pushed back and forth to find the right spot, and then the lens is adjusted using a scroll wheel to remove any blurriness. It's all then locked in place with a wheel to tighten the headset on your head. We can't speak to how it feels after multi-hour sessions, but first impressions are positive. We'd happily slip back into the collaborative effort from Guerrilla Games and Firesprite Games.
Of course, PSVR2 comes with the obvious tech upgrades to help it look and run better than what was possible on PS4, but we came away from our demo excited by its potential to improve immersion first and foremost. With eye tracking switching some interactions from button presses to retina scans, you can do so much more with less action. With upgraded hand tracking in the Sense controllers, developers can create more complex functions to widen what's possible in virtual reality.
It all comes across as the next big step for VR. Using Horizon Call of the Mountain as its showpiece product, PSVR2 represents what some PS5 fans feel they still haven't gotten from their main console just yet: a genuinely big leap into the future of gaming technology. It remains to be seen how the headset will hold up over longer periods of play or what the game lineup will look like beyond the launch window, but Sony has packed PSVR2 full of reasons for it to be an even bigger success than the generation past.
PSVR2 launches on 22nd February 2023, and you can check out All PSVR2 Launch Games through the link. Have you got your pre-order in yet? Share your responses in the comments below.
Comments 86
I'm quite limited in what I can say or discuss, but if you have some questions, feel free to copy me in. Another preview is hitting the site within the next few hours also.
Are there any members of the team that suffer from motion sickness who can gauge how comfortable it is on that front?
@nessisonett I'm afraid I'm the only one on staff who attended the event, and outside of a few early sessions, I never had any motion sickness problems with PSVR. I didn't have any issues with PSVR2 either.
How is the combat in the Horizon game? I mean they are charging full price, I am expecting a big 15-20 experience with good combat mechanics.
I am excited for the headset, despite not having an Astrobot port or sequel on the launch day
@LiamCroft
Apart from the Horizon demo, did you try any other games out?
Or is it still a big secret?
@Futureshark I only played Horizon Call of the Mountain.
@LiamCroft Do you know if PSVR2 comes with a camera and controllers? I’m really interested in pre-ordering one, but put off if I have to buy everything separately.
@Bentleyma Yeah, you get all that stuff in the base package.
@Bentleyma I don't think it uses a camera to track like the original PSVR, which is good, the camera was a pain.
@LiamCroft: did the cable get in the way at some point?
@Pete_Stooge Nope, not once. The PSVR cable would always get in my way so this was a pleasant surprise.
Was the ps5 interface (usual cross bar) in full 4k? And is the image of the game as sharp as they say compared to the psvr? I really want to know what the cinema mode will look like. I know they said 1080p but still very interested in that too
@LiamCroft Great preview, Liam, this is getting exciting! Did you have any issues with fogging of the lenses (and did you with PSVR1?) Also related, did you have any issues with eyelashes smearing oils onto the lenses (and did you with PSVR1?)
Dammit, now I have between getting a Quest 3 and a PSVR2 this year.
@NEStalgia Interesting you bring that up, actually. I completely forgot about that problem, but yes, I had a lot of issues with the PSVR fogging up when I was playing it. It was a real irritation of mine.
This didn't happen once during my time with PSVR2. No fogging, no smears. Nothing at all!
@LiamCroft Oh happy day! Thanks! That's one thing I will never, ever, (ever) forget about PSVR1 lol. It got to the point I'd have to keep taking it off every few minutes to wipe down the lenses with the microfiber cloth!
I'm really excited to get my hands on this. I didn't have a PSVR, but, once I decided I wanted one, I figured a refresh was on the way.
@LiamCroft
Hi Liam. Was this at the CES event, or another venue?
Anyway, I’m going to ask a few question if that’s OK, because the likelihood is you won’t be able to answer some or all of them. So feel free to just give a blanket response of “i don’t know”
1) Do the controllers have to be logged in to an account individually whenever you turn the thing on for the first time, and a related question of whether the eye calibration interface is mandatory whenever the headset is swapped between people. Just trying to figure how quick and easy it is to share…
2) Do you wear glasses or contacts and, if so, do you feel this impacted the eye tracking?
A long shot perhaps, but I’m having an eye test to get some prescription contacts especially to avoid scratching the lenses with my glasses (as I did on the PSVR day 1) and it would be annoying if they impacted the eye tracking.
3) Did you notice reprojection /time warping in your demo at all.
@LiamCroft I guess the big question is - are you going to buy one at full price based on your time with the demo unit?
Do you need a lot of space? Can you play it sitting on the sofa?
@LiamCroft Was Horizon’s combat anything beyond circling a enemy and shooting a bow? I’ve gotten some big tech demo vibes from the combat sadly, but would love to be wrong as I was getting excited before footage looked like that.
@LiamCroft About how long is the cable? Long enough that there’s plenty of slack? Got dogs.
I do want to get one eventually but it's a bit too high a price for me to get it at launch.
Sounds like a pretty great piece of tech though!
@LiamCroft what did you think of the haptic feedback in the headset if you experienced any
Was this demo at CES or another event?
Im most excited about GT7
Is it not software that needs to advance in order for the next big thing for VR to occur?
So far it is the simplistic and gimmicky nature of most titles that is holding back advancement and in turn a wider audience.
@thefourfoldroot1 The demo took place at PlayStation's HQ in London, but it was the demo as the CES one.
1. I don't know on that one. It was all set up for me ready to go, logged into one PS5 profile.
2. I don't wear any glasses or contacts. The eye tracking took some getting used to, but it's pretty straightforward once you wrap your head around it.
3. I didn't notice any of that.
@LN78 I already had one pre-ordered prior to this, but the demo has made me more excited for it to arrive! One of the best things I've played in VR.
@Jaz007 I found it a bit more engaging than that, but my full Horizon Call of the Mountain impressions will go live tomorrow.
@Bunchesopuppies I believe the cable is four to five metres long. It never got in my way.
@Muse2007 The haptic feedback and vibrations in the headset were really good! I could really feel them, especially when a machine was nearby.
@LiamCroft
Great, thanks. Wondered whether you avoided talking about tracking issues because it was at CES where the interference was bad, or whether you just didn’t have any. Glad it appears to be the latter.
Thanks for the answers. Did you get invited personally, or was it a event for lots of different press guys?
I feel it's important to compare the cost of PSVR2 vs PSVR when stating that it is expensive. PSVR2 basically cost 10% more when compared to PSVR at launch.
They way the article is written, it seems as if this thing is priced significantly higher than the OG and that the upgrades don't warrant the price point.
@LiamCroft Could you tell me whether motion sickness is less with PSVR2 than the first one? That's the only reason why I don't bother with VR otherwise I would. I remember trying the first one and I had major motion sickness when playing RE7 VR. Until they figure out a way to stop motion sickness I can't have VR.
@LiamCroft
How long was the wire to the PS5 would you say?
Can the lenses be adjusted for glasses wearers to their prescription so you don't need to wear them whilst playing?
Love the idea of the eye tracking!!
@NEStalgia That was one of the main problems for me too! My experience with that headset was a smeary sicky headache 😂
@NeonPizza The visor does look bulky, but there's also a comfort factor in play. PS's visor design is designed to spread the pressure points around the head, more like a hat. Quest 3 has smaller aesthetics, but the pressure points go straight over the top of the head (that's a VERY uncomfortable place to put pressure for many people, myself included), and requires more strap pressure to squeeze the goggles against the front of the face like construction safety goggles. I feel like Quest 3 is geared toward a more short-duration amusement use, while PSVR2 is designed for comfort for long hours-long engagement sessions.
If you take a look at the $1500 Quest Pro, it sports the large visor format the PSVR2 does, bulkier even, which makes sense, as that's designed for all-day business use. Long session comfort vs short session compact convenience. Just looking at the two, and going by my experience with PSVR1 and Galaxy Gear (Occulus) with a similar design to Quest 3, I think the PSVR2 design is the correct design for the intended long session use, regardless of how it looks visually. The quest 3 goggle design isn't all that different, and the head strap/visor looks much less comfortable for long periods wearing it. Quest Pro looks quite comfy, but that's a whole other market.
I agree with the rings on the controllers though. That looks awkwardly outlandish.
@Bentleyma no camera but you don't need it!
Im super excited for this! Stupid question though, i've never used VR and I wear glasses (blind as a bat). Is that possible without glasses to see just fine? Or do I have to wear contacts?
Unfortunately it's going to be another VR gen of indies and AA's because the adoption rate of PSVR2 is going to be quite low at this price.
I hardly touched my PSVR since Hitman 3 a couple of years ago
@Snake_V5 If this helps, motion sickness caused by VR (also dubbed VR sickness) actually improves over time. I originally felt sick using locomotive controls and no vignette settings on the OG psvr, I've spent well over a thousand hours in OG VR and have no issues anymore to speak of. The best thing to do is play for as long as you can but not force yourself. Come back to it now and then and you should see an improvement. it could differ from person to person though.
@neonpizza Horizon runs at 60fps, like most PSVR1 games, with head movement interpolated to 120fps.
@LiamCroft There's no word yet on the kind of app support it will have is there?
I always wanted, but never got, an app on PSVR that lets me watch a TV screen on the top of Minas Tirith or in the Mos Eisley Cantina or something like that.
I plan on buying one around the game drought that’s always around July-August.
@LiamCroft That's good to know. Who do we email to petition for 3D blu-ray support?
@Greger22 For the most part you are still going to need glasses or contacts in VR if you need them in the real world. The good news is that you can wear glasses just fine in most headsets. They are designed to accommodate that use case.
Some VR headsets have diopter adjustment, to alleviate the need for glasses; but those headsets all tend to be in the $1500+ price range.
I cannot find anyone talking about how it is for someone wearing glasses. The original PSVR I had to sell because my glasses fogged up and it put pressure on the side of my face when wearing glasses
@neonpizza it's a graphically intensive game
Did anyone here ever get the free adapter from Sony to plug the PSVR 1 into the PS5? I think I requested that over a year ago.
@Stevemalkpus Yeah, got mine the moment they first offered it. Arrived in two weeks
@Stevemalkpus I got it in the mail after a few weeks, been using it ever since.
@Digit2021 Don't know whether you would be willing to pay extra and prices may vary depending on the specific manufacturer but there are prescription lenses specifically made for VR headsets. There will be ones for PSVR2 as well. I have them for PSVR and it's a flawless experience. Cost me around 70 euros.
@Stevemalkpus I got it like within a week of requesting it. You should try and order it again, or send customer support an email!
I just hope they use the eye tracking to make a genuinely good doctor who game (I refunded the first one on oculus quest) with the weeping angels. Don’t blink.
Any idea of whether features like foveated rendering and haptic feedback in the headset prevent/reduce motion sickness???
Where does the PSVR2 cable hook up to on the PS5?
@Psnfanboy79
From what I have read, it goes into the USB-C port in the front. Which makes sense since USB-C is also capable of twice the theoretical throughput of USB 3.0 and can provide far more power
@Digit2021 I'm not sure. But companies do awesome affordable prescription lenses now. I have some honsvr lenses for my quest 2 and they're great.
@Bunchesopuppies According to Liam at EuroGamer, 4.5 meters or 15 feet. If you haven't watched the YouTube of Liam's hands on time, just search EuroGamer PSVR2. I've watched it countless times!
@Sequel
I guess the logical thing is I will try it first with glasses, and if it doesn't work well with the glasses then look at Prescription Lenses. Or eye transplants into Cybernetic eyes, like Cyberpunk
@TheCollector316 your brain is going to burst! Even the OG was convincing enough to confuse my stomach while barrel rolling although I knew I was sitting in a chair in my living room! If PSVR2 is your first, this could need your most memorable launch of all time! I'm excited for new players in the community.
28 DAYS TO GO!!!!
@Stevemalkpus I requested it the day it became available as I had my PS5 preordered and wanted it ready to use with my PSVR. That was around the 20th October 2020. After 100 (exaggeration) emails and them telling me to phone multiple numbers. I finally got one. By ordering one of the million listed on eBay. Haha. Paid £50 for it. :rollseyesandshakeshead:
No idea what their problem is. I have two PSVR units. 1 serial number worked, the other said it had been used.
@Digit2021 You’ll be able to buy prescription lenses for PSVR2, probably for under $100. Look up Reloptix.
The full PSVR bundle with camera and move controllers was more expensive at launch than the PSVR2 is after adjusting for inflation.
I'm really hyped for psvr 1 back then, bought it on launch day but after 1-2 weeks I sold it again since using vr is exhausting. In the end, I prefer playing games on big oled tv and comfy sofa
How was the setup process to calibrate IPD and Eye Tracking, was it straightforward and easy or did it take a few tries to get your eyes to dot around the screen to calibrate it?
Did you have to keep your head still as you were doing the eye tracking calibration?
@Toypop
What are you talking about? PSVR2 has pretty much PS5 level graphics by all accounts. The foveated rendering does wonders. Perhaps you just don’t like GT7 graphics generally, although I can’t see how you could ever call them cartoonish.
Your article contains a fallacy. PSVR2 is actually going to be CHEAPER than PSVR1 was at launch.
PSVR1 was $400, + camera $60 & 2 Moves $99. Adjusted for inflation that's $660.
PSVR2 is at least $100 cheaper, & includes tech even high-end expensive PCVR headsets don't have.
I’ve seen so many VR headsets released in the past 10 years and I have to ask, is this ever going to catch on? I’ve heard people say this is the next evolution of gaming yet it’s never really become mainstream. Will it ever, or is it forever doomed to be a niche interest for dedicated hobbyists?
@Jireland92
As someone who loves VR, I can honestly say I don’t really give a damn about whether it becomes “mainstream”. As long as there are more games than I can possibly play, bearing in mind I can only play 1-2 hours a day max, then it bothers me not at all. Genuinely do not give a fanboy what others are playing or not playing.
Sure, it would be nice to have more money coming in for slightly better production values, but it’s no big deal for me. VR is such a quantum leap in gaming that I couldn’t imagine being put off by much.
@Digit2021 so technically USB-C isn't bound to a particular revision of the USB standard and can be used all the way back to USB 1.1. Furthermore the USB Consortium have made a right mess of naming on USB3.x.
Technically x1 means it's single lane while x2 means it's split over two lanes, with x1 being implied if missing, and the Gen # referring to the speed of each lane, and USB 4 Gen 4 is split into symmetric (effectively x2) and asymmetric (effectively x1 or X3).
The whole thing is a confusing mess, but suffice to say that the presence of a USb Type C connector doesn't imply anything about the speed of the connection, with the actual speed being the lowest supported by any of the host device, the cable and the connected peripheral.
@neonpizza neither of the headsets are gonna look great on though as its a brick on your face so saying one brick looks better than the other is a bit moot.One headset plays games at ps4-5 level though which imo is the most important fact
As good as the first vr was, i paid £320 i think and got vr worlds free plus cashback, i hardly ever used it.
I would like the vr2 but feel the cost of investing (already reluctant for the ps5 let alone the vr) is not equal to the amount of use it'd ever get (especially with a new baby on the way). But it certainly looks like it is trying to take itself seriously as a bit of kit.
@TeapotBuddha You might be fine as when you run the start up, it collaborates to your specific eyes.
@Psnfanboy79 From what i've heard it goes into the usb-c slot(left) at the front of the PS5.
@LiamCroft How is the headset if you use glasses, the PSVR1 used to scratch the lenses unless you bought the spacers of ebay? Thanks
@Jireland92 That's the big question. Fact is that it slowly but surely wins terrain in terms of popularity, and to some degree the Quest 2 opened up the market to people who otherwise never would have tried it. This doesn't answer your question, i know, but nobody really knows where it will be years from now. It's basically technology that is still in it's infancy.
@TeapotBuddha Haha, same. We can only hope it won't mess up the gameplay and there's room for slight imperfections😆🤪
@neonpizza Yeah, i can relate to everything you say. Long time gamer here, and my interest in traditional flatscreen gaming is seriously in decline for quite a while. PS5 hasn't impressed me much either graphically. The SSD is nice and higher frames do add something, but real innovation in the medium itself is(VR aside) stagnant. Says much that i mostly use my PS5 for PSVR(PS4) games and own just three!! native PS5 ones after almost two years of ownage.(Horizon FW, BF2042 and Stray) I find it hard to get excited for anything flat nowadays, looking forward to play Zelda TotK for the Switch but that's mainly it. The days that flat games impressed with gfx and innovative gameplay are behind us, i remember that back in the day i was blown away by Pilotwings for the SNES, and later on Goldeneye for the N64 and maybe Half-life 2 for the original Xbox with it's daunting variety in gameplay made possible by the innovative physics engine. On the other hand, I do love VR and am excited to see what PSVR 2 will bring to the table. I was impressed when i played stuff like Farpoint with the Aim Controller and Wipeout Omega Collection for the first time on PSVR, obviously caused by the tech itself and nothing else. I have the PSVR 2 preordered, VR feels like the only way forward to me as stuff like raytracing and hitting unnescessary high framerates do little for me.
@TeapotBuddha
Tobii systems track eyes individually and allow for one eye only to be tracked, I imagine it’ll be the same on PSVR2.
@Trousersnake I suppose time will tell. The real test isn’t the technology though it’s how consumers react to it. The NES could also be considered gaming in its infancy and that was a huge success back in the 80’s.
VR is impressive tech but I think a lot of consumers still view it as a gimmick and most headset’s are so out of most peoples price range that they can’t give it a shot.
@neonpizza I didn’t say it was a gimmick, I said that’s how some consumers view it.
To be honest i've been gaming since the ZX81 all through the majority of every iteration of computer and console, to where i am now. The PS5. i had the PSVR but it was such a pain to set up i just couldn't be arsed with it. I'm now becoming seriously disillusioned with video games (on a 2D plane) and want that spark back...I'm putting what little faith i have left into the PSVR2...I guess i'll know come Feb 22nd. Bring it on!
Does anyone know if the PSVR2 will allow me to watch 3D Blurays if I have the disc version of the PS5?
@Palleon Very unlikely as not even the PS5 currently supports them.
24 DAYS TO GO!!!!
@Palleon
Eventually. It took a while for 3D Blueray support to be implemented on PS4.
@thefourfoldroot1 Fingers crossed.
@thefourfoldroot1 Hi thank you - do you know if Plex on ps4 or ps5 supports 3D? Then I could rip from my owned discs and play - this is what I have to do to play on Quest 2 using another video player.
I’m of course presuming Plex and the other video apps will work via Psvr2 big screen
@Palleon
No idea, sorry.
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