Playstation VR2 review - a new era of VR for consoles

The PlayStation VR2 may be pricey, but despite its flaws, it's an exceptional device as it heralds a whole new generation of AAA VR console.

PlayStation VR2 was announced last year and with it came some thrills, the original PSVR was relatively weak at release, but despite its misgivings, it opened up VR to a wider audience and also brought an unparalleled VR experience to its software library. which since then only Valve has been able to match.

So now, after using the PlayStation VR2 for about a week, is that really a good thing considering it's more expensive than the incredibly popular Oculus/Meta Quest 2 and also requires a PlayStation 5 to power the device?

Main characteristics

Package Included: Playstation VR2 headset, L&R Sense controllers, USB-C to USB-A cable, stereo headphones

Design

The PlayStation VR2 offers a fairly no-frills unboxing, and most of the packaging is made from cardboard, with minimal use of plastic, except for the bag that uses the included stereo headphones.

The headset itself is neatly packaged, with the same panda color we saw on the PS5 console that has since been replicated on Sony's INZONE headsets, in addition to the DualSense Edge. The same can be seen on the Sense controllers as well.

Headset PSVR2

On the headset itself, around the front, you'll be able to see its camera array with a button under the visor and an additional power button recessed next to it. At the top, you also get a latch to push the visor back and forth, with an extra button and dial around the back of the headset for further customization.

The cushioning on the forehead and back of the headset is surrounded by a lovely faux leather material that is surprisingly plush, while the lenses and the visor itself are wrapped in rubber plastic that blocks out all light as soon as you put the headset on. It's not pleasant to the touch, but manages to get the job done just fine.

Since you also get a set of stereo headphones, you can fit them into the headset thanks to multiple anchor points, and they also get a place to live on the headset just above your ears.

One cable protrudes from the PlayStation VR2, allowing the device to communicate with the console. It is measured that it is about four meters long, which is absolutely normal for most. However, some indoor setups may need to be expanded if you find yourself using the entire 2m x 2m area.

Consolation

Putting on the headset can be finicky. Most of the weight should be lightly pressed against the forehead and the back of the head, which is really easy to do thanks to the front and rear extension of the headset itself. However, I found myself lifting the headset too many times for the lenses to come back into focus while playing.

With that said, I ran a PlayStation VR2 game for hours with ease, with little to no fogging during intense gaming sessions, allowing you to keep playing without having to take it off too often. It feels a lot more comfortable than the Quest 2 - I've always felt the headset makes your face sweat too much - it's amazing that Sony has managed to make the device as comfortable as it is, coming in at 560g.

However, the bulk of the weight is leaning towards the front, which again can cause it to fall out of focus.

Lenses

Problems with a headset rapidly falling out of focus is due to the headset using something called "fresnel lens". They offer more light output than other lenses, but also have a more limited sweet spot. If your headset goes out of focus and you keep playing without making any adjustments, that's a pretty clear recipe for a headache, as I found out. It's entirely possible that Sony is using these Fresnel lenses to not only lower production costs, but also allow the OLED screen to output an HDR signal.

It should also be noted that a 110-degree field of view is also possible with Pancake lenses, as it is on other modern headsets such as HTC Vive XR Elite. Fresnel lenses are also responsible for the bulk of the headset around the front. Where pancake lenses offer a lighter solution, PSVR2's Fresnel results in the headset falling out of focus quite often. This could have been avoided and I hope Sony adapts in the future.

It's hard to say with certainty that Fresnel lenses are the main culprit for a headset falling out of focus, but it creates a list of symptoms that correlate to our biggest issue with a headset in general.

Controllers

The PlayStation VR2 comes with two pretty impressive new controllers. This time, you won't be reaching out for your old PlayStation Move anymore. It now looks very similar to other modern VR headsets and boasts a list of native features.

Equipped with the same haptic triggers found on the DualSense Edge, the Sense controllers also offer full gyroscope, tracking, and capacitive finger sensors on each of the two buttons on controllers with a Type-C port for charging. They all work great and they all add something to almost every piece of software I've tried on the PlayStation VR2.

I was able to get about six hours of battery life in the controllers, but if you run out you will be forced out of the game and won't be able to play any games while they are charging. That's better than expected given the DualSense Edge's comparatively terrible battery life.

The controllers managed to stay comfortable throughout our experience with the device and never felt too heavy or bulky to stay in our hands.

Be aware that the wrist strap may be prone to breakage.

A locking mechanism keeps the wrist straps in place. However, once removed, it can be difficult to reattach them. Based on the guide, one wrist strap actually snapped when trying to put it back in. After a quick fix, it's pretty clear that relying on a 1mm piece of plastic on the locking mechanism creates a simple point of failure, and this could become a slightly more common problem after launch.

Software and setup

Setting up PSVR2 is incredibly easy. All you have to do is plug in the included USB cable and you're off to the races. The PlayStation 5 picks up the headset almost immediately, and it begins the setup process, guiding you through how to put the headset on, adjusting the distance between your eyes, and allowing you to track your play area.

In total, it took less than ten minutes to set it all up. While eye tracking isn't all that new to VR, this is the first time I've seen it in action. It's a bit like magic, especially when the smiling face winks just like me in real time.

With the headset setup, you won't get any special system launcher, instead choosing the regular PS5 menu screens and you can't see your controllers in that, without eye or finger tracking. It was a bit jammed until you downloaded the game, where almost all of it was included.

Games can be played sitting, standing, and using a room scale that allows you to move around the VR environment, although understanding which games use different types of VR can be a challenge through a storefront and needs a smoother solution.

If you want to switch your settings in the game, you will be able to access the quick settings menu and within a few taps you can easily reconfigure the device if you want to switch positions or create a new temporary game zone.

You can also broadcast your gameplay to others, although we didn't get a chance to try this feature during the pre-launch period.

One thing I really liked about the PlayStation VR2 is how its eye tracking can work while playing. In Horizon: Call of the Mountain, you can navigate menus and more by simply looking at an option and then selecting it with your controller. But the PlayStation VR2 has another trick up its sleeve called Foveated Rendering.

Foveated rendering and eye tracking

Having eye tracking allows developers to use a technology called Foveated Rendering. For the uninitiated, this allows the headset to put the brunt of its graphical power into the things you're actually looking at, blurring edges or using other methods to save some graphical horsepower where needed.

Its actual implementation will vary from game to game, but our experience with it has been largely positive. While the Quest Pro can also use Foveated Rendering, the PlayStation VR2 is the first to actually come in an affordable package using this groundbreaking technology.

Software line

PlayStation VR2 launches with a lot of games under its belt, and there will be more in the future. While some will be skeptical about the PSVR2's pricing, the headset's secret weapon is the software that could be coming to the headset both now and in the future.

What others like Meta Quest and Vive XR Elite don't have is a true AAA gaming experience in VR. With PlayStation VR2, you can play games you already own like Gran Turismo 7, Resident Evil Village and more in their respective VR modes, while fully offline games like Horizon: Call of the Mountain shine on the headset itself. With a specific Astro Bot currently missing, I expect more primary content and exclusive content on the Sony side, which will only elevate the headset even more.

It's this promise of better games that I hope will eventually make its way to PSVR 2, as even upgrades to older PSVR games like Rez Infinite could quickly become the definitive versions of those games, with features like gaze-based aiming. and tactile head feel, making it one of the best VR experiences. Sure, there's still Half-Life: Alyx locked into Valve's ecosystem, but the soil is fertile and PlayStation just needs to evolve it to get more killer experiences on the device.

The lineup of launches I tried was just as impressive, with a breadth of games on offer from the wild and wacky puzzle game What the Bat to the more grounded exploratory experiences Kayak: VR and Song in the Smoke rounding out the bombast of AAA Horizon: Call of the Mountain.

Is it worth buying?

If you have a strong interest in VR, the PlayStation VR2 has some impressive features and a current line of software to support it. While backwards compatibility is a difficult issue, old games are being ported to the new platform, which should offer a great VR experience in the future. At $549, it's more expensive than the Quest 2, but it offers a AAA gaming experience worthy of the PlayStation brand.

Our main criticisms have to do with the ergonomics of the headset itself and the tiny sweet spot that the lenses have, which can make you adjust it quite often. I also wish there was more focus on the overall experience with the software once you get it on the PlayStation 5 OS.

But eye tracking, Foveated Rendering and a strong lineup of launches make the PlayStation VR2 a serious contender in the industry.

Verdict - 4/5

While the hardware isn't exactly perfect, the PlayStation VR 2 is capable of a lot. Its pricing might hurt some wallets, but for those looking for an AAA VR experience that's not tied to a gaming PC, there's finally a modern option on the market. Standalone headsets may be all the rage right now, but none are capable of delivering visual fidelity quite like the PlayStation VR2.

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