Sony has returned to the virtual reality (VR) headset arena with its PlayStation VR2 headset. As many of you will know, this is a space that is brimming with anticipation and lots of options: be it Meta or Apple. But Sony’s latest PlayStation headset has the gaming community excited like never before. Here’s what you need to know about this new headset.
What is the PlayStation VR2?
The PlayStation VR2 is a virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 5 home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was launched on 22 February, 2023. The PlayStation VR2 features an OLED display with a field of view of approximately 110 degrees. It has a six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer) and an IR proximity sensor, with 4 embedded cameras for headset and a controller tracking IR camera for eye tracking per eye. The headset also features vibration feedback.
According to an AFP report, the PS VR2 certainly improves on its predecessor – the PlayStation VR launched in October 2016 – it is lighter and displays finer and more fluid images. The headset was also showcased at CES 2023, held earlier this year.
How much will it cost?
The PlayStation VR2 will retail for around $550 (approx ₹45,500). Two of the flagship models currently on the market, the Quest 2 by Meta and the PICO 4, are priced at around $400, the AFP report adds.
With Apple expected to unveil its mixed reality headset later this year, the prices of these VR headsets could fluctuate. The AFP report adds: “VR headset makers do not yet shift enough units to sustain the hype. Fewer than 10 million shipped worldwide in 2022, all brands combined, according to CSC Insights. By comparison, Sony claims to have sold 30 million PlayStation 5 consoles last year. And for now, VR headsets are expensive and the fast-developing technology gets dated quickly.”
The games
This is the one area where Sony could come in with an advantage, thanks to PlayStation. Roughly 30 games will be compatible with the new PS VR2 headset, including the racing simulator Gran Turismo 7.
Writing in a blog post around this new launch, Jim Ryan, president & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment, said the PlayStation VR2 was launching with dozens of games and 100 more titles in development. “Our teams across the company have been working closely alongside some of the industry’s most talented game developers to take this next step in VR gaming — and the quality of work put into these games has been so amazing to see,” Ryan explains.
Expanding on the tech specs of the new headset, Ryan said how in games like Horizon Call of the Mountain, users will be able to use the eye tracking feature on PS VR2 to exchange glances with the highly detailed characters they’ll encounter, or feel the haptic feedback from the PS VR2 Sense controller as they plunge their character’s hand into the water of a flowing river. “It’s just the beginning for PS VR2, and there will be plenty more experiences to come this year and beyond. Just around the corner, you can look forward to more games yet to launch, including Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners: Chapter 2 Retribution, No Man’s Sky and more,” Ryan adds further in the blog.
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