From their first attempt at motion gaming back in 2003 with Playstation 2’s Eyetoy peripheral, Sony Interactive Entertainment has typically released some new relevant gadget with each generation of their consoles. For the PlayStation 3, it was the PlayStation Move – where you interacted with what was on screen with two controllers with a coloured bulbous sphere at the ends of them. Then for the PlayStation 4, it was the PlayStation VR, Sony’s first entry into the virtual reality market which had some amazing games (and from my perspective, solid first impressions), but attention-wise fell to the wayside pretty quickly and had complications given its reliance on PS Move peripherals. While both had their place and their own range of ‘interesting enough’ games, it felt like they were more responding to gaming trends, and especially with the VR, felt like a cheaper option to the big boys of the niche dedicated solely to their peripheral. Now in 2023, we have the PlayStation VR2 for the PlayStation 5. Coming in at a similar cost to the new-gen console, first impressions indicate that this is their first downright serious attempt at delivering virtual reality gaming to PlayStation gamers – with technological improvements in the headset, doing away with the camera/move controller accessories, and in turn presenting their own take on modern-day VR controllers. Have they set themselves up with the foundation to go up against the competition? Read on to find out my thoughts!
The Install / Getting Set Up
My major qualm about the PlayStation VR was its lengthy and tedious install process, which was a pain the first time and confusing for subsequent playthroughs. It always left me second-guessing whether I really needed to play that VR game if I would spend 10-15 minutes of frustration sorting through the cords and remembering how to set it up. Fortunately, the need for a converter to use the PSVR on the PS5 was a sign that the process would not be the same next time around, with the installation process being as simple as setting up the headphones and then plugging the headset into the USB-C port at the front of the PS5. Two minutes on and you can have the console on and ready for your next gaming session.
Once you turn on the console, the setup process has also received a major revamp, improving the system’s ability to track your location, identify hazards, and allow you to create a desired play area. The first time you load up a PSVR2-supported game, you are given a set of prompts to help the system determine whether you are playing sitting or standing, scan the room to identify hazards around you (with some very cool effects) and ultimately present you with a play area which you can easily expand or shrink depending on your desires. While the recommended space is sizable and didn’t suit my moderately sized living room and its furniture, it did a good job at recognising furniture in my room and ensuring that I didn’t fall over a coffee table mid-game. My main qualm is that, from the games I played, the system was much better at setting things up to be played standing up (stationary or minor movements), as when sitting down it appeared to assume I was always much taller than I am – requiring me to still stand up to perform many common movements.
An added boon of the PSVR2 peripheral for installation and actual gameplay is its transition from the PlayStation Camera (which was placed typically in front of the television) to having tracking cameras built-in to the peripheral itself. This means that you can do all on-console setup while having a full monochrome view of the room, and with a simple button press during gameplay, switch to a room review mode to reposition yourself or (in my case) see if anyone is watching you / preparing to scare you. Plus it is quite trippy seeing the world around you in monochrome with just the minutest of delays.
The Design
While not entirely wireless-free, compared to some other virtual reality headsets on the market, the single cord connected to the PlayStation 5 unit with no overreliance on multiple cables makes this not only a peripheral easier to set up, but also much more aesthetically pleasing. The device itself is much more chic and minimalistic, with a decrease in weight reducing the amount of neck strain some may experience while using VR headsets. It makes for very comfortable wear, with a wee bit more control over the positioning of the lenses and, on my part, a notable lack of hair getting stuck when taking the unit on and off my head.
One important aspect of having an immersive experience is ensuring that you have no external light sources flooding from the corners of the headset. As with the PlayStation VR, plenty of black plastic material has been placed around the headset to ensure virtually no light pollution seeps into the headset while gaming. Once you find the right tightness to best suit your eyes and facial structure, I found that the PSVR2 was much better at accomplishing this than the PSVR, which was sometimes patchy at best. Plus with the aforementioned ability to activate a room view mode, you won’t be disrupting the placement of your headset anywhere near as often, so once you have a good position, you’re good to go potentially for a whole play session.
Regarding the aesthetics of the PlayStation VR2 itself, the unit looks nice, with the unique controller design being very comfortable for long-term play – which features some of the haptic feedback features of the DualSense controller.
Visual Quality
Virtual reality gaming is all about thinning that line between reality at the game in front of you, giving a level of immersion that the game is not taking place on a screen, but rather around you. Of course one of the main ways this is done is through the visual capabilities of both the console and peripheral – to ensure you are both immersed and are not flung into bug-induced nausea through screen jittering, unclear gameplay or anything else.
The PlayStation VR2 reflects similar technological specs as other virtual reality platforms on the market, featuring a dual-OLED panel with a 4K display, a high frame rate, and additional technology to reduce ghosting and compression artefacts – to the point that neither tended to be an issue at all. Fortunately, the games I play tested were also well optimised, so while none pushed the boundaries when it came to gameplay, no issues arose from lag spikes, glitching models or anything that might throw you off.
That said, your mileage may vary. Virtual reality experiences can affect everyone differently, so I would recommend starting slow and building up your tolerance from there if you are a newcomer. I started my playtesting with Horizon: Call of the Mountain with none of the support/accessibility features turned on, and proceeded to narrowly avoid losing balance IRL the first time I climbed a mountainside. Starting with seated gameplay options or some less strenuous games may not be the most exciting at first glance, but from my experience, it helps.
PlayStation VR2 Games / Technology
When the PlayStation VR launched back in 2016, Sony Interactive Entertainment bundled the peripheral together with a free copy of The Playroom VR in addition to a free demo disc. This meant that you had some tailored games to welcome you to virtual reality for the first time, and also a showcase of what the peripheral had to offer you. The PlayStation VR2 came with nothing extra, not even an experience to help you find your feet, a proper shame for those who may have received the PSVR2 a little early but since they were relying on PlayStation Store games – had no games that supported it.
While a little tapered on the first-party front with Horizon: Call of the Mountain and a free update to Gran Turismo 7, there is a solid number of launch titles, with many more already planned for the coming weeks and months. These range from a few original games, some games being updated to support the PSVR2, and a sizable selection of VR games for the PC ported across. Pricing can vary, as is always the case, but there is a lot of initial fun to be had – whether drumming along to some heavy Celtic beats in Ragnarok, exploring the stars first-person in No Man’s Sky, testing your firing skills in Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded or solving a mystery in Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate. Reviews of the aforementioned games will be shared on The Otaku’s Study in the coming week. Sadly what is disappointing is that no PlayStation VR games are supported, at least not without an update – which hopefully more developers move towards offering sooner rather than later.
I think part of the video game line-up is thanks to the inclusion of brand-new controllers which are tracked by the headset rather than a separate external camera, which puts the device on par with other platforms. Furthermore, there is a lot of other technology which hopefully more games take advantage of in the future, such as eye tracking, which is surprisingly fluid and precise from my playtesting. Plus, the technology just did a much better job of tracking my position and movements in general – with few if any cases of missing a movement, or me needing to reset my position.
As with the PSVR, there is a cinematic mode that allows you to watch or play non-VR content while wearing the headset. While it seems like a nice option if, for example, someone else wants to use the television but you want to game… I think for that niche scenario you are better off compromising or just changing TVs.
First Impressions on the PlayStation VR2
When it comes to the virtual reality market, Sony Interactive Entertainment still has some ways to go head-to-head with the likes of HTC, Oculus and SteamVR – which have spent a much longer time on the market with an arguably larger install base – especially considering the PSVR2 courting a high price point. But if they can convince gamers that this isn’t just a ‘casual’ gaming opinion, can garner the interest of developers and publishers to offer a broader selection of their back-catalogue, new and original works, and also maintain internal interest to continue supporting it, then the PlayStation VR2 has the technological backing to make it a real mover in the industry – especially given the rising PS5 install base. I have enjoyed my first week with the PSVR2, and look forward to seeing where it goes in the coming months.
