Sony Interactive Entertainment
Ahead of Sony’s arrival at the Tokyo Game Show 2022 this weekend, the company’s PlayStation division has been streaming a bunch of fan news online for the past 24 hours. Perhaps the biggest news came from Practical and visual impressions From the PlayStation VR2 add-on for the PS5 console.
The new virtual reality system, scheduled for a commercial release “early 2023”, is now being talked about outside of Sony’s vigilant PR, and its early testers have provided impressions of both the hardware and some of the apparent launch software.
PSVR2: What we already knew
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Say goodbye to the glowing blue lights of the original PSVR.
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While typical PSVR2 consoles were all black, they now match the white color of the PS5 itself.
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Side profile highlights headband design and hanging frame.
Thanks to Sony ads from the beginning of the yearWe know that PSVR2’s OLED display has a resolution of 4000 x 2040 pixels, which can run VR software in either 90Hz or 120Hz modes. This performance is boosted by a new click-display system, which aims to focus on full pixel accuracy as your eyes focus on and blur the parts where your eyes aren’t, which isn’t surprising paired with new internal eye-tracking sensors.
We also know that the PSVR 2 will come with two completely new gamepads, one for each hand, that follow the Meta Quest prototype for VR controllers (with buttons, triggers, and joysticks), but with technology upgrades and additional features found in recent Sony DualSense gamepads. — that is, more subtle gurgling and stress-filled “impulse” stimuli.
Similar to the new “inside-out” tracking system found in the Meta Quest and many Windows Mixed Reality headsets, this uses built-in cameras to analyze players’ real environment and track VR mode, and no external cameras or tracking box is required. However, unlike Wireless default MetaQuest 2PSVR2 requires a cable connection for power and data transfer to the PlayStation 5 console.
PSVR2: What we learned this week
Speaking of this cable connection: We’ve now seen it in action. The new single-cable connection, via the PS5’s single USB Type-C slot, is a find compared to the ubiquitous external “processor unit” required for Sony’s first virtual reality system. This 4.5-meter cable is reportedly designed to weigh as little as possible, but a cable that can wrap around your legs may still be a deal breaker for some.
Sony has also confirmed that the PSVR will lack built-in audio. Just like the latter model, PSVR2 owners will need to connect headphones using the 3.5mm jack. The original PSVR comes with low-cost headphones, which could happen again with the PSVR2 — and to Sony’s credit, the new headphone has neat built-in “headphone jacks” that you can smash into your existing headphones to properly store. But it is disappointing compared to the built-in audio in LED indicator And all Meta Quest models. This week’s demo videos show Sony’s biggest PS-branded headphones that limit VR users, reduce airflow and cause them to sweat. So interested users should look forward to a lightweight, high-quality wired headset before the PSVR2 launches in 2023. (My 3.5mm recommendation is Koss KSC32-i is affordable and powerful.)
Better news, Sony’s lens mechanism includes a precise interpupillary distance (IPD) slider, accessible via an easy-to-use dial when the system is attached to the face. (This is a big difference from Quest 2, which Skip such a slider as a cost-saving measure.) New users can access a manual calibration menu at any time to make sure the IPD setting is aligned to their unique face, and this also requires users to look at the moving point chart to calibrate the PSVR2’s eye tracking sensors. So far, the PSVR2’s “hover-around” fit, complete with a foam back strap and sleek dial for a snug fit, looks the same we loved on the original PSVR. The around-the-eye fit will be roomy enough for eyeglass wearers, although we’re still waiting to hear the weight and distribution of the new system compared to the original, at least beyond suggestions that the current helmet is too light.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
PSVR2’s new room tracking system, which relies on four built-in cameras, appears to automatically count the items in your playing space. Covers objects (furniture, entertainment centers) in a three-dimensional pattern of 3D triangles when the PSVR2 cameras scan them, rather than having them users aim to scan and “paint” the playing space. If the PSVR2 gets it wrong, users can still use the system controllers to set their VR “limit” before they start playing. The headset includes a button on the bottom that can activate the PSVR2’s Cross Camera Mode at any time so users can see their surroundings without removing the headset.
We’ve previously learned that PSVR2 includes a set of built-in rumble motors – the first of its kind in consumer virtual reality – and now we know how they actually work. The intensity of the rumble can vary between mild sensations, such as when flies fly over your face during a sequence in Resident Evil: Village VROr a full head blast, like when a monster flies overhead and sends a wind towards you in Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain. So far, reports suggest this sensation is more overwhelming than obnoxious.
Sony has yet to confirm the maximum brightness of its OLED display, merely indicating its “HDR” rating, but it’s clear that Sony takes screen quality and light leakage very seriously. OLED panels generally handle the “infinity” contrast ratio better, putting the deepest blacks and bright lights side by side, and the PSVR2 appears to have a superior arrangement of light-blocking foam and nose liners.