Sony may not have officially confirmed it, but many assumed that it was working on a PS5 VR headset. After all, despite being one of the technically weaker head-mounted display setups available, its PS4-based PlayStation VR (PSVR) hardware is still a major slice of the high-end VR market. Now the company dropped some details on its planned PS5 VR headset that will act as a PSVR 2 successor via the PlayStation Blog.
Written by Hideaki Nishino, a Senior Vice President for Platform Planning & Management, the post talked up PSVR releases and exclusives. He mentioned titles like Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, Tetris Effect, Blood & Truth, Moss, and Resident Evil 7. As for the PS5 VR, it’ll be a “next-generation VR system,” but details are light beyond the explicit confirmation that it’s for the PS5 and will be a headset.
Nishino also stated that the tentative PSVR 2 would include lessons learned from PSVR. Enhanced resolution, field of view tracking, and input are all going to be upgraded from the existing hardware. This headset will also be wired, but use only a single cord, compared with the two cords used by the PSVR. Newer VR headsets, like Facebook’s Oculus Quest, are able to operate wirelessly, but still require a cable hookup and a capable PC to play more demanding VR programs.
The PS5 VR hardware will also include a brand-new VR controller, which will incorporate key features also found in the DualSense controller. The original PSVR hardware used the PS3-era PS Move controllers and sensors to track input.
Finally, Nishino also confirmed that the hardware wouldn’t be launching in 2021. The blog post was intended as an “early update” for fans and a reassurance that developers were already at work on new experiences. He also thanked players for their support, as well as teasing new titles on the way for the PSVR, including After The Fall, Sniper Elite VR, and Humanity.
The PS5 VR hardware is in development. The original PSVR is available from retailers and can come bundled with some of the titles mentioned by Nishino.
Published: Feb 23, 2021 10:05 am