Sony announced the PlayStation VR 2 VR headset around the time it launched the PlayStation 5, but since then we've seen little information besides its new motion controllers. The company has just released new details regarding the PS VR 2, which make it look more promising than ever as the long-awaited replacement of the aging PlayStation VR system (and its even older PlayStation Move motion controllers).
VR and Non-VR Gaming, With Graphical Specs
The PS VR 2 will have two different graphical modes for VR and non-VR games, like the PS VR before it. VR Mode will provide a full virtual reality experience with 360 degrees to look around, while Cinematic Mode will display conventional PlayStation games and content as a projected screen in front of your eyes.
The headset will display a 2,000-by-2,040 picture to each eye in VR Mode, with 90Hz and 120Hz refresh rates. Cinematic Mode will show a 1080p (1,920-by-1,080) picture in cinematic 24Hz, 60Hz, or 120Hz, with HDR support.
Custom Play Areas
Taking a cue from Oculus and SteamVR, the PS VR 2 will let players define specific play areas for VR games. Using outward-facing cameras on the PS VR 2 headset, players can aim the controller and draw an outline on the floor to set virtual walls around them. Approaching those walls will make them appear, with red warning circles growing if they're about to reach through it and possibly knock something over.
See-Through View
Besides enabling virtual walls, the PS VR 2's cameras will let players simply look out of the headset without taking it off. The view will be accessible through a button on the headset, or a pop-up menu in the PS VR 2 interface.
Live Game Streaming
The PS VR 2 will support live streaming of any games you play, and not just what you're looking at through the headset. Connecting a PS5 HD Camera enables a facecam view while you play. The sample graphic provided by Sony indicates that it will automatically remove backgrounds from the picture to just show you against the game itself, but we'll have to see how it's actually implemented.
Explicitly stating that the camera will enable facecam is interesting, because it implies that the PS VR 2 headset itself won't need an external camera like the PS VR does. Since VR headsets like the Oculus Quest 2 have proven that external sensors or cameras aren't always necessary for a good VR experience, this could be the case.
Still no Release Date
These new features give us a better idea of how the PS VR 2 will work, but no clue about when it will be available. Sony promises to provide a launch date and upcoming games "soon."