Credit where credit is due: Sony is fully committing to virtual reality. While it could easily have dropped the burgeoning technology after a very slow start, it seems the platform holder is busy building on what it achieved with the first iteration of PlayStation VR. It was announced last week that a second PSVR device is in the works for PS5. In Sony's statement, it promised some great upgrades over the original, but obviously the proof will be in the pudding.
PSVR is a great first crack at the technology. It's obviously not as advanced as some of the devices you'll find on PC, but Sony offers a relatively affordable entry point that still delivers a good experience. Virtual reality is a very expensive niche of gaming, but PSVR is ideal for newcomers and those on a more limited budget. There's a reason it quickly became the market leader.
Of course, it's far from perfect. For your money, you'll get a VR experience that's good enough, but it can definitely be better. One of PSVR's biggest issues is that it's a bit of a pain to set up, with lots of cables and extra hardware needed to get it working. The screen can be a little blurry thanks to a low resolution, and the PS Move wands — which have been kicking about since 2010 — don't offer the best control experience.
The good news is that Sony will be addressing all of these shortcomings with the upcoming device. PSVR 2, or whatever it'll be called, will feature a one-cable solution, meaning it'll be far easier to plug in and play. No breakout boxes or camera adaptors required. The Japanese giant also says it will offer enhancements to resolution, field of view, tracking, and input. Perhaps most exciting of all, the company is developing a brand new controller to accompany the new headset, which will incorporate some of DualSense's features.
It sounds like a big leap forward for PSVR, but there are still plenty of questions. With all this improved tech, what will be the cost of the new hardware? Will it be a smaller, lighter design? What will software support be like going forward? Will the experience match up to that offered by PC VR units? What other features might this new headset have?
And so, we throw open the floor to you lot. Clearly there's loads of potential for virtual reality on PS5, and it's great that Sony is doubling down on the tech. What are your expectations for PSVR 2? What would be the ideal scenario? Tell us what you want to see in the comments section below.
Comments 83
I expect the new VR to be great, but damn expensive.
I wont get it at launch because i got bad motion sickness with the first VR. I will wait and see and see if they have fixed that at all.
I expect it to be in the 300-400pound range.
I expect everything to be in one bundle lol honestly trying to get move controllers without paying a kings ransom is whats delayed me getting vr
I want an option to display your surrounding when pausing, so I don't have to take the headset to look about or have drink 😁
After playing RIGS it took me about a week to recover from light headedness and nausea, I think il have to pass this time
I would like for virtual reality to become the next big thing. I think the tech has to develop much further before that happens, though.
I want to wear something not much bigger and heavier than a normal pair of sunglasses when I play. The user interface needs to be seamless, easy to use and set up, and accurate.
I think to ever get game makers to invest in triple A titles on a regular basis for VR, they are going to have to get it into many more households (potential game buyers) than they have so far.
The only way I can see this become a reality is if VR is included as an integral part of, say, the PlayStation 6.
I know a lot of people here on the PushSquare forums have VR, but in the gaming ecology as a whole, the percentage is very low. Until it can become something in most gamer's living rooms, there's not enough money for developers to invest heavily in making these types of games for such a limited audience. Just my opinion.
My expectations are Kinect 2 for Xbox 1. I hope I am wrong because I really enjoyed PSVR on PS4, but it's recent trajectory doesn't seem great.
Higher quality graphics and wider field of view are most important to me - pretty sure I’ll be satisfied with the new one
I never tried the PSVR, but I expect the new one to seem a little les experimental and to have better support. I won't consider buying one unless it feel worth it. I won't pay the price of a console for an accessory only compatible with a few games
A device that is not obsolete and useless after 3-4 years like the current VR headset. I feel like it died quicker than the vita
@PhantomMenace84
The PSVR is the only one ive tried. If only it didnt make me sick, apart from that it was excellent and has huge potential. I got rid of the PSVR so cant try again in bursts. Even the 'slow' games like Skyrim made me ill.
The faster games....well, the less said the better.
Allow people to watch vr videos using the www(web)
Allow people to watch 360 vr videos from a hard drive or pen stick without having to pay for it. Basically offer what other vr devices do and not try to charge us for it using a third party company and taking a cut. If I don't see this basic feature I will not be buying and buy from a competitor
If I knew ps5 didn't support www and didn't have a media player I would not have bought it at launch, how can a newer console have less features then its predecessor??? Sony greed trying to make money forcing us to use paid for apps
Much better motion tracking is the highest priority, those move controllers are woefully out of date. I'm hoping for full 360 degrees tracking so that I can turn around and some form of room space support would be nice and yes a much higher resolution screen
I just hope the controllers are bundled with the headset so companies don't have to include motion support as an afterthought. And having one set of controllers is a lot easier. Some PSVR games only allow DS4 support, some require Move controllers, other are better played with the Aim Controller, and in the end all those optional controllers are expensive, difficult to find, and you end up with a box of unused stuff that rivals the Wii peripherals.
Id like to have a lighter headset. The oldest one isn't too bad if you are jitsu playing for less they n am hour, but I'd like to be able to do a full game session (3-4 hours) without feeling my temples hurt.
@Playstation 3
I hope for inside out tracking all round as the tracking on PSVR, especially for the move controllers, is the worst thing about the experience. Controllers with analogue sticks and finger tracking would be great.
Ideally we’ll see eye tracking, which allows for advanced foveated rendering tech to get the most out of the hardware. Bit of a mad hope however, depending on when it releases.
Passsthrough would also be nice, so that I can “see” outside, if needed, with the press of a button.
A larger field of view and better resolution is expected.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission 2 day one is essential. I don’t know how much longer I can wait for the sequel to the best game of last gen (by a mile).
I am very, very glad to hear that it is still tethered, nothing I would hate more than paying 3 times as much fir the privilege of on board processing weaker than the PS5! Other than nausea inducing streaming tech of course.
I would take exception with your analysis of a slow start with PSVR though, it has sold well over 5 million at last count (a long while ago) and is the best selling VR system by a long way. The games catalogue is really flying too.
Also, they need to let us watch 3D videos on PS5 like we can on PS4, this is the main reason I haven’t connected the current PSVR to my PS5.
The ability to order prescription slot in lenses would be good too; like someone else here, I scratched my glasses and a VR lense (day one)
I want Astrobot rescue mission 2 to look close to the graphics of Astro’s Playroom
@DragonSlayer1759 anything like VR makes me very very sick...even some first person games do. and this goes back to 90s stuff when 3d gaming first took off, right up to current games.
If you get it as bad as me, then it's a no brainer to avoid it. I don't even miss it, because who wants to give themselves a headache like a hangover just to play a game?! Not me.
Just one of those things.
One cable connection and new controller seems good for me 😃
Better resolution
Better tracking
Better hand controllers
Haptic feedback headset and controllers
Wireless but one cable is not too bad.
Half life alyx as a launch title.
I think too much is being made of this one cable thing. After setting up the breakout box, it's only one cable as is. And granted that initial setup is a pain but like, it's one time for the most part.
What won't change, in this new "one cable" iteration, is the fact that I'll still be tripping over a cord during Beat Saber 2.
Plus this doesn't address the dangly headphone cord either, if using Sony's companion over-the-ear headphones.
I can’t wait for it. Whatever they have planned, I’m all in. Love the PSVR. Day one for me.
Will we have to pay £500 for this too? because Scalpers 🤷🏽♂️
NO cable connections.
One cable is too many.
@Tharsman The thing is, a cable removes any latency you get from wireless connection. It also allows for a higher data transfer, meaning a higher FPS, resolution, or graphical fidelity. All three are very important for VR at the moment. Additionally, it means that it won't require a heavy battery, keeping the unit a lot lighter and easier to wear. Comfort is also a big factor.
Cable is the way to go IMO. And as long as it's just one plug and play cable, it's perfectly fine.
@zupertramp Yeah, but it's the setup that's quite cumbersome. I had to do it twice, once for the PS4, and recently for the PS5. And it completely forgot how messy it all was. I think it's not just the cable, making it as easy as just plug am play is also a big improvement over the current headset.
I expect to not afford to buy it. That's pretty much it
Nobody has mentioned the most important thing from what I can see, and that is better games, sure there were a handful of excellent hits but nowhere near enough to justify an extra £250.
If Sony want a killer app then they need to make it capable of running half life alyx, I think that would not only get people to buy a VR but it would show just what VR can be, and will open it up to more devs giving it a try.
None because I will never buy VR crap
@Octane I've set it up twice when going from PS4 to Pro and despite telling myself I'd totally remember how it all hooked up, I was still quite lost. Actually there must have been a third time when I got a new TV and tv stand where it was even worse because I unplugged basically everything.
In any case, I certainly won't complain about them doing away with the need for that, but it won't change the day to day usage unfortunately so it's pretty far down on my list of priorities is all.
It just being lighter and less bulky would be a more welcome improvement which, like you say, wouldn't be able to happen if it were wireless. So there's that.
@GhostInAJar that's a good point.
A more robust media player would be nice too. There's obviously a whole other aspect to VR that seems silly to ignore.
Offer tethered as an option. Basically mimic the Oculus Quest 2, which plays current games standalone and if you tether to a PC you can play higher end Oculus Rift games.
So the PSVR can play all current games right on the device, but for next-gen games, you can cable to a PS5. Kind of like the Vita with remote play concept.
Resolution is key but also important is refresh rate. I’ve had the Oculus Go, Quest and Quest 2, and refresh makes things more visually comfy. My current Quest 2 runs at 90Hz with a 120Hz upgrade coming soon.
So yes maybe a tether option would work. If they can get the device around 300(US) like the Q2, they could build a game eco system that buyers could get into without even owning a PS5. And if they have a PS5, they can play better games.
The resolution wasn't the major issue, it was the fact that the hardware wasn't powerful enough to deliver visuals at the required frame rates (90-120fps) - especially as each image - one to each eye - has to be different too. Lets be honest here, even without VR, 1080/120 was not achievable. Therefore, devs either had to compromise on Frame Rates which could lead to even more motion sickness, or compromise on Visual Quality. Look at the difference between DriveClub on PS4 and VR. PSVR had less than 1080p (960x1080p per eye) and overlap a LOT.
Its like non-VR games that drop the resolution to offer 'performance'. If you need to deliver at least 120fps, generate a new frame every 8.3 thousandths of a second, then the GPU has much less time to work on the Visuals. I still think VR games on PS5 to look 'worse' than non-VR games - maybe even PS4 standards which would be a big improvement.
From my perspective, I would prefer a completely wireless headset with built in cameras for better tracking and mixed media. With built in cameras, the headset can better detect where it is and movement - rather than rely on a single camera tracking 'lights'. A Single camera has limitations as you need to be far enough away for that camera to see the headset and controller(s).
Personally, as a Disabled person and someone who really struggles with Motion Sickness in vehicles, I can't see myself buying into VR. I won't say never, because maybe one day, enough Games will release that I can 'comfortably' play and justify the cost.
In any case, I am unlikely to purchase PSVR2 but I am not immediately dismissing it. I will keep my options open and look to see what PSVR2 offers, see what games release, price etc and reassess periodically.
No light bulb dildos
I'm looking forward to it, but maybe don't give up producing the best controllers for it half way through it's life this time?
I don't really have expectations because my personal experience with VR is limited to a few hours in one of those big heavy headsets in the 90s lol
But I'm interested in this new one and I'll probably get it
I'm hoping for better tracking, that will lead to some of the better games being ported from PC too. but I mainly want Half Life alyx as a launch title.
There should be an ‘All of the above’ option because PSVR needs to improve in all areas tbh.
I’ve got the original V2 PSVR but I’ve only played a handful of games on it despite having quite a lot of VR games in my library.
I just find it a chore honestly.
The original move controllers are severely limiting and the fuzzy visuals are too immersion-breaking, especially in the more ‘realistic’ games. I think the ‘cartoony’ VR games fair much better.
The one VR game I played that I absolutely loved was Dino Frontier but there aren’t enough games like it. I thought Moss was great too.
I also think the devs need to seriously reconsider the way they implement trophies in VR games. Super-grindy trophies are an absolute no-no and even collectible trophies should be scrapped. Seriously, how are you supposed to follow a guide with a headset on???
I know most people don’t care about trophies but I and many others do. I personally would have been more incentivised to play more VR games if the trophy lists weren’t so frustrating/taxing.
What I like most in VR is a 3D world and sense of scale. What I Want in PSVR2 is more games. I would love to see more AAA titles in VR. They could even be done in 180 view in third person! Seeing behind me is not that important for every game. Up Down,Left and right view is fine for some titles. With a character as a focal point should help VR sickness also.
I believe the one cable is the way to go. Only way your going to get high visuals, a bigger field of view and take advantage of the ps5's power. I have a PC vr set up and playing project cars 2 in vr just makes flat screen racing seem so boring. Elite Dangerous is just amazing and Arizona Sunshine was so good I couldn't get my wife off it. I believe if Sony get this right, and the controllers have the dual sense(my favourite controller ever) features, maybe even the headset has some too, with the right launch games they could take VR to the next level.
All I want is a headset I slap on my face to play the latest games in 3d. Getting to look around with my head is a bonus, but with my disability I'm not interested in stuff that makes me move my body around, that just hurts, and it's not like I'd have the space for it anyway.
Getting a compatibility mode for the previous gen psvr would be a great bonus, because I've not taken the dive yet. I'm convinced though, ever since a mate brought the original Vive into the office for everyone to give a go. The immersion was breathtaking.
I absolutely ****ing ADORE my PSVR. It was the first time in years that I've been truly blown away by a technology. Images to convince my other half that buying one was a good idea after we went on the Derren Brown attraction at Thorpe Park and she fell in love with the VR. My only negative was the fact that Sony didn't take the opportunity to create decent VR controllers. Even analogue sticks added to the Move would have been a massive improvement. I know that resolution etc. could be better but as a first start, it's massively impressive. Sony were brave to pioneer VR in the console market and I'm so happy they're continuing forward.
@Wavey84
I hope so, it sounds good. I just think a chicken or egg effect is holding it back. Devs need to make money off their games, so won't spend big on vr games as a rule until more people have it. Many people won't buy it until there are more great games on it and it becomes easier/less cumbersome to use, not to mention more affordable. The quickest solution I can see is having it included with a base console purchase, even if it makes the whole console a bit more expensive. Maybe next gen, maybe the gen after that, Sony or Microsoft will have to step up and maybe even eat a little of the cost per unit so more people will have it by default. Then some studios will open the cash floodgates and many more good games will follow. Valve was in a unique position among developers, since they also have steam and instant name recognition from Half Life, but right now, most won't spend to make a game like Alex.
Hope we don't have to wait too long until they do!
Full backwards compatibility with current psvr games would be a must,
analogue stocks on both controllers would be a must too, for me games like Skyrim suffer by having to tilt to move so I end up just using dualshock,
3d bluray support would be a must too, the current psvr just isn’t good enough resolution to make it worthwhile watching to me and as my 3D tv kicked the bucket I now have no way of watching them,
I’d like to think those would be happening anyways tho
My expectations are me, vomiting from motion sickness.
Apparently ninjas are allergic to VR or something!
@Wavey84 I haven't tried Vacation Simulator but I have all of the others. I have around 50 VR games in total and another 30 or so on my Amazon wishlist. I just love it!
@Wavey84 NOTHING at all has been confirmed, other that they are working on it. I was answering the question of what I would want...
Glad we agree on that...
Not sure why the one cable thing is such a big deal. I have mine hooked up all the time and it is just one tiny cable. Actually now that I think about it the new setup will be worse then what I am rolling with right now.
Backwards compatibility with existing Ps4 VR
1-2 killer apps
Wants:
Half Life Alyx port (see no motivation for Valve ro do this)
DLSS 2 equivalent. To hit high framerates you need to run lower res and upscale.
I love my PSVR. In a new version, I would like to have better visuals, a bigger field of view inside the goggles and killer games! I would have enjoyed it being wireless but I understand why they are doing it differently.
My biggest expectation that most don't usually talk about is that it becomes a PC-compatible headset as well. If it's going to have a one-USB-C cord hookup, it can literally go with any VR compatible PC/laptop. This would heavily increase the amount of sales it could have. With PlayStation doing more PC stuff these days, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
As far as cool upgrades to the headset versus PSVR:
1) incredibly intuitive controllers
2) inside-out tracking
3) better resolution
4) smaller frame
1st off I love the psvr BUT it's a ballache to set up everytime u wanna use it. I needs to be more plug and play not plug plug plug and play
Same as the first one. Will buy it, play it for a week or so and then it'll become an ornament.
@LordSteev The tech is there and so are the games. All it takes are people to buy.
The tech is there so why don't they just make it wireless, also a combination of sensored wrist straps and the dulesense would be a great combo for most games
@Wavey84 virtual holidays would be so freaking amazing for my mental health. I almost bought the psvr to play hitman 3 just so I could wander around Sapienza!
I love gaming in VR, however I swapped out the PSVR for the Occulus Quest due to how cumbersome the PSVR was to set up and play with masses of cables, so having one cable is an immediate draw and more important than it perhaps should be. The games are definitely there already and it’s nice to see VR has outgrown the ‘fad’ phase of gaming like 3D (who?) Honestly I love the PS5 and if they can convey some of that power into a new headset, technology to be impressed by and games to blow me away...I’m coming back for more✌🏻
@feral1975 That's a smart suggestion
@UltimateOtaku91 Same happened to me when I tried to play Driveclub VR. Strange, cause I can I can play any other genre for hours on VR without any problem. Driving sims are impossible to play.
Better adaptability for people wearing glasses. I scratched my PSVR lenses as well as my glass lenses with the PSVR.
I want the one from Ready Player one. 😉
I don't have VR for PS4, but I'm willing to buy one when they will be wireless, there will be no separate games (each game can be played with or without VR).
I had VR1 for PC somewhere around 1998 and it was quite fun to play DOOM and Duke Nukem 3D.
@DEDE1973
I had no problem playing Driveclub on PSVR, in fact if you stick on the replay and stand up, you go through the roof of the car and can sail around, arms wide, like you're in Titanic the movie 🤣
@djlard they will always make certain games VR only, one because the experience wouldn't be the same on a screen(reason the half life Alex developers stuck to their guns when people wanted to play it without vr), and two so they sell the hardware. If every game was playable without it then most people would not bother. VR needs killer titles to succeed. And from what we've read, they want very high visuals, bigger FOV then any competitor and maybe haptic feedback in the headset itself, that means a cable. As someone who has a PC setup with one cable I'm fine with that, doesn't effect my playtime and I don't have to keep charging it. And it can be lighter with other tech inside. I'm really excited to see what Sony can do with the power of the ps5.
I think improved graphics and motion tracking are very important. But I don’t understand why they’re not going wireless. I don’t really see a big difference in the wiring system now versus one cable. It’s the same thing to me.
Hard to pick what I want as PSVR1 is lacking in every area. Proper controls and image quality are right up there for me. Would really like to see a removable jack connection for the headset too meaning that the wire could simply be replaced if it was damaged/severed rather than having to replace/repair the entire headset. I thought partnering with Oculus and allowing Quest 2 compatibility wouldve been a good idea rather than creating a new headset.
Right out of the gate I'm disappointed that its still corded at all. Having played Oculus Quest 2 which is cordless I can see just how important that is.
With that being said, I would want PSVR2 to have MUCH higher resolution, and free enhanced ports of PSVR classics like No Mans Sky, Moss, and Astrobot.
@invictus4000
If you want it without a cable would you like it to be less powerful and more expensive due to on board processing and battery, or, would you rather risk nausea inducing streaming?
Personally, I’d rather the one cable, but that’s just me. Failing that I’d prefer it to be more expensive and have on board processing, even though it couldn’t be as powerful as the PS5.
Wouldn’t risk streaming for VR. Ever.
Will except some kind of smellovision technology to be incorporated.
@Serialsid I understand that. On the other hand I wonder why (by customer references) VR titles feel "cheap"? Almost everyone complain VR games are short. Another thing, VR1 I had almost 25 years ago had one cable and one controller and was not so heavy. Yes, it runs under DOS only (didn't have win 3.11 drivers) and picture was like two "first color mobile displays", but I expected to make huge leap forward and what I read about PSVR it feels like just a little step... I really don't know what to think about it.
edit: And one more thing, I dont understand why there is camera needed? That old thing had gyroscopes in helmet and in controller, so there was no need for other gadgets...
I’ve had a PSVR for a long time now and do love it though admittedly I can go through long phases of not playing but then when I do go back I’m blown away.
I agree with someone from earlier who said the resolution isn’t the issue its the hardware being good enough to process the games at the higher resolution already available.
Something like driveclub would have been amazing but it just couldn’t be processed so ended a blurry mess.
Think there are a lot of PS4 and ps3 games that surely could be very easily adapted for the psvr2 without having to create expensive new IP. Even I dare say GTA 5 or San Andreas.
There is not ONE aswer. Tracking and controllers are a MUST. Field of view etc. is very nice, too.
There were some great VR experiences in the last gen so I hope they can build off of those and continue to improve upon it. I am a firm believer that VR has a huge role to play in the future of business communication, education, adult entertainment and video games so I would expect Sony to continue its efforts.
I don't want it to make me sick like the first iteration did. And cameras need to be built into the headset and controllers. I couldn't even play the current psvr in my media room since all of the equipment is in the back.
I expect the PSVR2 to fix the major flaws of PSVR1. It better have excellent controllers, tracking, resolution, refresh rate, simplicity. And it better offer bigger/deeper games than what you see on the Oculus Quest 2. The Oculus Quest 2 has a huge inherent advantage of being standalone and portable and being generally a great system, but I'm very eager to see and get PSVR2.
I hope the new PSVR is available from scalpers for £1000 as I really enjoyed the news articles every day regarding the PS5.
The only criteria that could have made me want it wasn't met. Wireless. If I have to keep plugging long cables in etc then, no, it's not for me.
Field of view, no question. I hate feeling like I'm looking through binoculars all the time with PSVR.
I expect it to be on par with the Quest 2 and to throw in DualSense-quality controllers as a plus. I’m not expecting it to compete with some of the enthusiast headsets already on the market, but I still expect it to cost as much as a new console.
Definitely image quality for me. It hurts my eyes after a while as it feels like you’re eyes are constantly trying to work out why they cant focus lol
@zupertramp absolutely this. I’ve got a Quest and it’s just so so so much better than having wires, even one of them. People that have just used PSVR just don’t understand.
By the way, I LOVED PSVR when I had one
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