Today, Sony announced the sequel to the PS4’s PlayStation VR headset. Right now, if you have a PS4 camera, you can use your old PSVR headset with the PS5 since the hardware is backward compatible. But the four-year-old headset is showing its age, especially when cable-free alternatives like the Oculus Quest 2 exist.
Here are five things you need to know about the new PSVR headset for PlayStation 5.
1. It’s Not Coming Out In 2021
Sorry kids, the PSVR2 (or whatever they call it) is still in development. There’s not even an image to go with Sony’s announcement post, though I suspect it will look kind of like the last one, given that the original PSVR headset actually looks more like the PS5 and DualSense controller than it does the PS4.
2. It Will Be Less Of A Hassle To Setup
One of my biggest gripes with VR headsets over the years has been about cables. Just having a headset tethered to a console or PC is a pain. The original PSVR was a tangled mess of cables. You had a power cable, the cable running to the box that connected the headset to the console, two different HDMI cables and so forth. Not fun to set up and not fun to look at. Thankfully, Sony revealed that this new VR headset for PS5 will connect with a single cable.
3. A New VR Controller Is Also In The Works
We’re scant on details, but Sony is apparently moving away from the wands and other controllers used for the OG PSVR. The newly announced VR controller “will incorporate some of the key features found in the DualSense wireless controller, along with a focus on great ergonomics.” What that actually looks like remains to be seen. Hopefully Sony also releases new Aim controllers.
4. The PS5 VR Headset Will Feature Numerous Improvements
Sony isn’t saying much, but they’ve committed to learning from the PSVR and improving it across the board. The new headset will feature improvements in everything from resolution to field of view to track and input. Sony says gamers will experience “dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity” and “an even greater sense of presence and become even more immersed in their game worlds once they put on the new headset.”
5. You’ll Need A New Camera
Right now, if you’re playing VR on your PS5 you’ll need to use the PS4’s camera. But when the new VR headset launches for PlayStation 5 you’ll need to upgrade. The PS5’s camera gets decent reviews and is currently in stock for $60 which isn’t terrible. However, you might want to wait since it will likely come bundled with some versions of the PS5 VR headset.
How much the new headset will costs remains to be seen, but I’d guess that a unit with a controller (or two) plus a camera and maybe a couple games will set you back around $350. We’ll know more . . . someday. This thing could still be well over a year away. My prediction for a release date: Holiday 2022. In the meantime, the Oculus Quest really is a great headset. My kids play on it all the time.
Source: PlayStation Blog
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