After a year of silence awaiting news of the next VR headset for the PlayStation, gamers had finally gotten the first look A day before the start of CES 2022. As was expected of the peripheral, the official name for the device is the PlayStation VR2 and is meant to take full advantage of the upgraded hardware in the PlayStation 5 system. Alongside the headset, a new controller entitled the PlayStation VR2 Sense was announced alongside it.
For those that have been following the headset, not much that was revealed about it should come as a shock. While official information has remained scarce since the device was confirmed to exist, much of what we were told was rumored or suggested through 2021. An official PlayStation Blog post about the PlayStation VR2 lists its key features as such:
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Visual Fidelity: For a high-fidelity visual experience, PS VR2 offers 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering. With an OLED display, players can expect a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz.
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Headset-based Controller Tracking: With inside-out tracking, PS VR2 tracks you and your controller through integrated cameras embedded in the VR headset. Your movements and the direction you look at are reflected in-game without the need for an external camera.
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New Sensory Features: PS VR2 Sense Technology combines eye tracking, headset feedback, 3D Audio, and the innovative PS VR2 Sense controller to create an incredibly deep feeling of immersion. Headset feedback is a new sensory feature that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. It’s created by a single built-in motor with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element, bringing players closer to the gameplay experience. For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward. Additionally, PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech makes sounds in the player’s surroundings come alive, adding to this new level of immersion.
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Eye Tracking: With eye tracking, PS VR2 detects the motion of your eyes, so a simple look in a specific direction can create an additional input for the game character. This allows players to interact more intuitively in new and lifelike ways, allowing for a heightened emotional response and enhanced expression that provide a new level of realism in gaming.
Unfortunately, while some components follow suit with the popular 2021 Christmas gift, the Occulus Quest 2, the PSVR2 will not feature one of the biggest selling points of the Quest. That of course is the removal of all wires. That being said, the PSVR2 has removed most of the wires that the original device required and will now only feature a single one to connect it to your PlayStation 5.
The VR2 sense controllers will also follow suit with most of the modern controllers, ditching the move controllers of the original PSVR which were arguably outdated even when they were brought back for VR. They will feature small handgrips with buttons as well as tracking bars that stretch around the hands. They will also feature haptic feedback in triggers, as well as adaptive triggers, both major selling points in PlayStations’ most recent base controllers.
Fans excited for the new headset got more good news in the form of Horizon VR: Call of The Mountain, the first major game announced to be in development for the PSVR2. It is set in the Horizon universe and is the first game announced by Firesprite Games since they were acquired by Sony back in September.
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