After a couple of years of relative silence regarding its virtual reality projects, Sony finally announced the Playstation VR 2 at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show with an intended release slated for early 2023. This means that Playstation 5 owners will finally have access to a cutting edge virtual reality experience that was built to specifically utilize the capabilities of that powerful gaming console. This release is expected to further propell virtual reality experiences into the mainstream where they can be enjoyed by a wide array of people rather than first adopters and those who are very tech savvy.
Sony's Past Success in the VR Space
Way back in 2016, Sony released the first Playstation VR headset. To the surprise of many industry insiders, the technology was widely seen as a massive success. While the original Playstation VR headset lacked the pure performance power of some of the other high end models available at the time, like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, it was praised for its accessibility. Using the pre-existing Playstation 4 hardware that was already in millions of households worldwide along with the long forgotten Playstation 3 Move periphreal, Sony was able to develop a perfectly satisfying VR experience at a price point that blew away its competitors at under $300.
In the years after its release, Sony continued to support the Playstation VR with updates and major game titles. Due to the care and ingenuity that the company showed in the development and somewhat surprising success of that original project, many video game and tech industry watchers are highly anticipating the release of the VR 2 early next year.
Brand New Hardware for the VR 2
The first thing that immediately stood out when Sony announced the new VR headset was the completely new hardware. The headset itself has a similar look to the original, but is slimmer and jam-packed with new capabilities (more on that later). It also maintains the unique head strap design that can be specifically shaped to each individual's head.
The old, repurposed Playstation Move controllers are gone, replaced by the all new VR 2 Sense controller, which was developed from the ground up for the VR 2. They have been built to more comfortably and naturally conform to the hand, making motions feel more realistic in-game. The controllers also include advance haptic feedback, which utilizes vibrations and pulses to mimic things like the clashing of swords or a firearm's kickback.
Adaptive triggers allow the user to apply differing levels of pressure, creating a more authentic feel when pulling a trigger or a bowstring. Finally, the controllers have finger touch detection technology. This allows the user to reach out and touch objects or make hand gestures without pressing any button at all, giving the environment a much more natural feel. These new controllers are certain to take the Playstation VR rig to the next technological level.
Next-Gen Software Capability for the VR 2
While the shiny new hardware is eye-catching, the real appeal of the VR 2 is that it will be much more powerful than its predecessor. Arguably the most attractive new feature is the VR 2's eye tracking technology, which will respond to movements of the user's eye by adjusting the camera, providing a truly life-like environment.
Additionally, this eye-tracking includes foveated rendering, which is able to maximize graphic resolution at the point where the user's eye is focusing. The result is that the rig can render higher quality graphics by saving computing power on parts of the environment that the user is not currently looking at. The VR 2's 4k Dynamic Range visuals provide a 110-degree field of view with two 2000 x 2040 pizel displays that run at up to 120 fps. That's about four times more powerful than the original Playstation VR.
Another features boasted by the new VR 2 headset is its Tempest 3D Audiotech, which brings a directional feel to the already incredible sound quality that Sony is known for. There is also a vibration feature, which is used to further immerse the user in the virtual environment.
There is a lot that we still do not know about the upcoming Playstation VR 2. No specific release date or pricing information has been released yet. We also don't know what the game library will look like, outside of a few big name titles that have been announced, such as Horizon: Call of the Mountain. That being said, all signs indicate that the VR 2 will make the same splashy entrance into the virtual reality space that the original Playstation VR did seven years earlier.