The PlayStation VR2 headset is now officially in the hands of some big developers, including some big names in VR and news reporters. And with this first hands-on, we got all the details about the VR headset, including some fantastic VR games. Because Sony showed off their upcoming titles, which are:
- Horizon
- Resident Evil 8
- The Walking Dead
- Star Wars
All four games run on the original PlayStation 5 console while the device directly plugs through a USBC cable. That means no crazy features or hands versions but only the real deal.
New OLED Display
PlayStation has worked on the new OLED display for their VR device. With the benefit that it can create a 3D black, while this was not possible with the original LCD screens. And these true deep blacks become even more evident when you play some thriller or horror games. Think about the Walking Dead or Resident Evil, giving you truly that feeling of Darkness while playing the game. However, the OLED screen is not the only thing that will create some impressive visuals because the concept is also rocking a bigger FOV. This could make a real difference for those owning the regular PlayStation VR, but also for Quest 2 users – the wider the FOV is, the greater the part of the player’s vision is covered by the screen. Adding both to the immersion and seeing a bigger picture, the visual clarity becomes even more impressive with the built-in eye-tracking feature with IPD adjustment. For those who own a Quest 2, users can change IPD in three different settings. But in the PlayStation VR2, this eye-tracking function will adapt the lenses precisely to your personal preferences.
Immersive Haptics
First, this feature is available in PS5 controllers – they could create resistant triggers that can adapt depending on the situation, from cracking a hard object to pulling back a bow or sliding over thin ice. All these subtle movements could be enhanced and felt using these new controllers, and it is that exact haptic feedback that they also put in their new PlayStation VR2, where you can almost truly feel the VR with your own hands. But again, Sony took that a step further because they also put haptic feedback inside the headset itself. If you get hit by an enemy or an object slides just past your head, you can feel a rumbling motion on your face, which has never previously existed in any VR headset.
So the answer to the question, “Is It Immersive?” It depends on the game, but our response would be a big yes. The virtual world will load seamlessly, and parallax effects will feel natural. Physics in the games also feels like in real life. The PS VR 2 isn’t revolutionizing VR gaming, but its miles better than Sony’s first stab in 2016. You expect and hope many things will change in nearly six years, and they do, from the simplicity of the hardware to performance.
Tracking & Passthrough
In their previous iteration, the PlayStation VR device used a camera mounted externally in front of your TV. For this purpose that the camera itself can determine where the controllers and VR are right now. But this old system had severe drawbacks because the tracking was lost if you put your hands behind your back. PlayStation is now trying to fix the current problem by putting cameras directly on the device.
Inside Out Tracking
The same option as on Quest 2, cameras on the headset work to track the controllers and position in the headset itself. And this was one of the most needed upgrades for the PlayStation VR. But that is not the only thing the cameras are capable of. Because just like the Quest 2, the onboard cameras can see the real world. Remember that the view is not in color but in a much higher resolution than the Quest 2. Also, ensure that you have enough room to play around when you set up your new play space. Because the system will scan your room and suggest a reasonable boundary, although this isn’t always perfect. You can manually correct it using the controllers like you draw your Quest 2 Guardian. But besides these fantastic good features, there are also some disadvantages that you take into consideration before buying this headset:
- Wired USB-C Cable
No matter what, you will always tether your headset to PlayStation 5. All VR headsets are either standalone or have a wireless version.
- No Build-in Audio
You will need to buy a separate audio headset, which is also very odd, considering that any VR headset on the market now has some built-in audio. Taking Quest 2 as an example, although far from perfect, the user can still choose which they prefer. But Sony decides to leave out this feature altogether, which means that no matter what, you will need to buy an audio headset.
- Original PSVR games are not playable
This news has been confirmed by Sony, with them stating the following: “PSVR games are not compatible with PSVR 2”. And this is a big concern many people have, especially gamers who own the original headset and are a big part of the library. Of course, many of their original big VR titles are most likely awaiting their release for the PlayStation VR 2.
About eye tracking
According to the developers, the level of detail provided in PS VR 2 is only possible by leveraging the eye-tracking technology in the headset to enable dynamic FOV rendering. Now this works only by rendering the image at maximum resolution exactly where your eyes are looking in real-time—and then reducing the image quality outside your peripheral vision. This saves on system performance as it doesn’t have to render a complete image across the display. And the best part is that the eye tracking works so well that you don’t even notice this working. It is some next-level VR wizardry.
In general, PlayStation put a lot of time and effort into making the best VR headset they possibly can and leveraging their strengths in the gaming industry by bringing these high-quality games to Virtual Reality.