Very often standalone or designed for powerful PCs, virtual reality headsets have multiplied in recent years without the market taking off. Meta Quest 2 takes the lion’s share with its standalone offer and a great catalog of experiences of all kinds. But there are no really big and greedy games unless you lose autonomy to gain power by connecting it to a computer via a cable and then compete with HTC Vive Pro, Valve Index and others.
Until then, home consoles were poor relatives of virtual reality. Only the first PlayStation VR of the name had somewhat democratized the theme on PS4, but at the cost of a strange helmet whose installation was tedious and the catalog was no more exciting than that. Sony is back with a much more ambitious second generation. The PlayStation VR2 is for PS5 owners only, but it has increased their capabilities and, a fortiori, their gaming ambitions.
Its advantages
Redesigned ergonomics
With a shell that goes to the essentials (one product, a single cable to connect it to the PS5 and two Sense controllers), we installed everything with an open box. Forgot the camera to install to play, the PS Move to have in addition, but also the external box to which it was necessary to connect several cables that go to the PS VR and the console. A cheerful mess that is now a thing of the past and helps limit clutter.
Sony has revamped the design to make the PS VR3 a little more ergonomic and lighter to carry. In this sense, the new opening system by pressing the button on the back is perfect for widening the oval before placing the helmet on the head and tightening the fastening thanks to the button knob. The distance between the lenses and the eyes is then adjusted to correctly position the light shield to prevent light leakage, using a button on the shade part. Then the sharpness of the image is adjusted using the small wheel located at the top to define the interpupillary distance.
Oddly enough, you have to sit the helmet very low on the back to properly fit the vision. Once you get the hang of it, it fits perfectly and can be held more easily than its predecessor for longer gaming sessions.
Headphones are built in and it is very convenient to enjoy the sound. It is also possible to connect your own audio system (headphones or headphones) by undoing the bracket to fix everything on the Jack connector on the bow.
Once connected to the console, the PS VR2 is ready for installation. You will also see on the TV screen everything that happens inside the helmet thanks to an automatic mirror system. Setup is extremely simple and detailed once the PS5 recognizes the headset and Sense controllers. The menu guides you to adjust the PS VR2 perfectly to your head, calibrate your gaze to better follow it thanks to the two infrared cameras inside. Everything is done with precision and will have effects in many games.
Next comes the delimitation of the playing area by scanning the room. To do this, the PS VR2 relies on its function pass through which does “return to the real world” in black and white without removing the helmet (it is possible to press a button for this as well). Sensors integrated into the front become your gaze. It will also be useful to notify you when someone enters the area. Finally, you have to choose between playing standing up and moving or in a stationary position (most often sitting down). In less than five minutes, everything is ready.
The Oled screen of the PS VR2 is of much better definition (2000 x 2080 per eye) to offer games in 4K HDR, at 120 frames per second, worthy of the PS5. It is detailed, clear and well colored. The Sony headset is clearly at the top of the picture quality basket, helped in this by the power of the console. This allows games to look beautiful, with graphics that favor the retina. Field of view increased to 110°, combined with advanced eye tracking (see below), offers the most pleasant fluidity in the game.
You turn your head to see everything around you, to detect your enemies or simply to walk around. Don’t panic if you’re not too comfortable in VR when sequences are speeded up, Sony has thought of everything: a gray area at the edge of the field of view can be activated to reduce the field of view and avoid the “dizzy” effect that this can cause. Cause the first few times when the movement is too big (in the race, in action, etc.).
And to complete the immersion, the PS VR2 has a vibration motor that will react according to your game (a scare in a shot, an element that touches you…).
This is one of the headphones’ strengths: eye tracking. Your eyes thus become the control tool in many menus and then you only have to validate with a click on the joystick. He is extremely responsive and efficient. We are still waiting for experiments that will make full use of it, but the beginnings are promising. And it is possible to disable eye tracking.
The PS VR2 also makes up for the lack of an external camera with four cameras built directly into the front. They’re the ones that will track the environment, but they’ll also work with the PS VR2 Sense controllers and their multiple built-in sensors (gyroscope, motion sensor, infrared, accelerometer, etc.) by tracking them.
The helmet offers much more precision in the reproduction of movements, whether for archery in Mountain Horizon Call or to manage the shots in Star Warsactive paddling in VR Kayaking: Mirage. In addition, the Senses Controllers benefit from the others of the DualSense initiale or encore of the DualSense Edge for the more advanced joueurs: the haptic return that will vibrate the handle according to the moment of the game, but also the gâchettes with different levels of pressure, according to the needs.
our reservations
The price higher than the console.
If the PS VR had bet on a lower price than the PS4 to make a name for itself, this is not the case with its successor. The PS VR2 is shown at 599 euros, 50 euros more than the new price of the PlayStation 5 and 100 euros more than at launch. In addition, it is sold without the slightest game, so the bill will have to be increased to easily exceed 1,100 euros to play.
The autonomy of the controllers
The PS VR2 Sense are excellent controllers that hold well in the hand. They have been perfectly studied so that the buttons fall perfectly under the fingers, including triggers. The arc does not interfere in any way and the tracking system is impeccable. But sadly, they have the same problem as their PS5 counterparts: battery life is not their strong suit, and they often need to be recharged after a gaming session via the USB-C x2 charging box.
Limited to PS5 only
The PS VR2 is made for the PS5 and that’s about it. You won’t be able to link it to the PS4 or a PC. This is a shame and limits its use.
No compatibility with PS VR1 games
It continues to be the great desolation for those who had invested in games for the first helmet. You can save them with the PS VR1. None of them are compatible with PS VR2. Backwards compatibility has never been Sony’s forte and in VR too, the manufacturer is initially holding off. Hoping this bug can be fixed one day. Initially it could possibly be by the developers themselves, with a free update to the existing title…
Conclusion
Once again, Sony is positioned as the standard bearer for the democratization of virtual reality on the console. The PS VR2 is a true qualitative update of its first headset, having erased some flaws from the previous one and reinforcing the immersion. It comes with around thirty games at launch (less than PS VR in its day) that will reach very different audiences. Too bad you can’t rely on the pre-existing library. However, its display quality combined with the power of the PS5 suggests great possibilities down the road. With the PS VR2, Sony also offers a huge advantage in terms of a new experience for its console over the competition. But still not enough to compete with better-equipped PC headsets in gaming and versatility.
Source: BFM TV
