Virtual reality has had a fair few false starts over the last decade. It seems that each year was going to be the one where the technology would break through to the public domain, but largely to no avail. There has been nothing wrong with the devices, but it’s just not really captured the attention of the wider market. So far.

Sony’s original PlayStation VR probably made the most impact, with more than five million headsets sold worldwide thanks to a more accessible source of entertainment (the PS4) and an affordable price. But, it was flawed. It offered a decent enough, immersive experience but the control method left a lot to be desired. By tracking coloured lights through a reasonably low-res camera, the system often ended up confused by reflections or ambient lighting.

The hardware driving it was fairly low powered too, in comparison with the PCs supplying headsets from Meta (Oculus) and HTC. It was fun for a while, but we can’t help feel most of the millions of PSVRs sold are now sitting in cupboards next to a Wii Fit.

That hasn’t deterred Sony from having a second crack, however. In fact, it may have provided the fuel as it’s back with a new headset – the PlayStation VR2 for the PS5. And, it certainly seems to have learned many a lesson. This is a much more accomplished device for sure.

PlayStation VR 2 headset and controllers on a blue background
Sony PlayStation VR2
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Sony's second stab at virtual reality is a resounding success. Not only has it got the technical nous to offer premium VR experiences, the PSVR2 has a healthy lineup of games at launch with many more to come. Yes, it is pricey and the lack of backward compatibility with original PSVR games disappoints, but not enough to deter us from enjoying every minute in this great headset.

Pros
  • Great build quality and design
  • High-resolution experience
  • Eye tracking is excellently implemented
  • Good game support at launch
  • Sense controllers are very responsive
  • Easy to set up
Cons
  • Can't escape that price point
  • Can be sore across the bridge of the nose after long periods of play
  • No backward compatibility with 1st gen PSVR games

Design and build

  • Adjustable lenses
  • Haptic feedback on headset
  • Built-in microphone, 3.5mm jack for stereo headset
  • 4.5 metre cable
  • Weight: 560g

The PSVR2 borrows some design elements from its older counterpart, but also matches the same aesthetic language as the PlayStation 5. It is primarily white with black accents and therefore quite unlike most other headsets on the market.

The material used is mainly a solid, sturdy plastic with a couple of exceptions – the softer, padded section around the inside of the head/neck band and the light guard around the eyepiece. This latter, concertinaed area is made from flexible silicone rubber and does a great job in blocking out light bleed without feeling claustrophobic or tight on the face.

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As VR headsets go, the PSVR2 is light and mostly comfortable, although you have to ensure it is fitted correctly or the hard plastic can rub against the bridge of your nose. That will become painful after a while, so do follow the instructions on how to wear it properly.

This involves setting the rear band to a position between the bottom of your head and top of your neck, while the front band settles on your forehead. Fitting it is a similar process to the original PlayStation VR, so if you are upgrading, you’ll find it an intuitive experience.

There is a dial on the top of the eyepiece that adjusts the lens spacing, which is essential for both focus and the included, innovative eye tracking technology. There is also a power button underneath and another button that switches the headset into see-through view mode. This enables you to see your surroundings in black and white, and real-time. That way you can take a break from a game without removing the device or to find your controllers.

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There is an audio output on the underside of the rear head/neck band which works with any wired headphones, although it is specifically designed for the included in-ears to clip into the headband itself and dangle as if they are built in. There are two rubber-guarded holes either side to also store them when not in use. You’ll get a better 3D Audio experience with a proper pair of over-ears, but the earbuds are extremely convenient and still offer good spacing.

The outside front of the eyepiece houses four cameras, which serve to detect the included Sense controllers and perform a couple of other uses during play.

Set-up and use

  • Full experience requires 2 x 2 metre space
  • Four cameras for headset and controller tracking
  • Internal IR camera for eye tracking per eye
  • 3D Audio support

Setting the PSVR2 up is a doddle and much easier than its predecessor. For starters, it doesn’t require a separate AV box and just plugs straight into the front of the PlayStation 5 through the USB-C port.

The first time you use it, you are guided through the set-up process, including activation of eye-tracking and the setting of your play area. The headset can be used in three distinct ways – either when standing and moving around, standing still, or while sitting down. You have to set the play area for your preferred method of play (depending on the game too, of course), but you do need to note that if you want the full experience whereby you move around in the space, you’ll need a minimum area of 2-metres x 2-metres. This is actually larger than you might think and could be a barrier for many (especially those who live in an apartment or flat).

Both standing still and sitting require a smaller play area of 1m x 1m. You can reset your play area at any time through the PS5 menu system, which is handy as some games might not support one of the other.

Cleverly, the cameras on the outside of the headset help this process greatly. They scan your room as you move around your head, setting barriers, floor height, and even detecting any objects or furniture that may be in your way. You see the obstacles and walls detected through the use of polygons, so you can also adjust it if you think something is wrong. Although, we found it to be very accurate.

During a game, if you move the Sense controllers too close to the edges you set during the process, you will be alerted through a red circle around whatever tools it provides – such as a pair of hands in Horizon: Call of the Mountain. That way you won’t hurt your hand while moving it quickly.

When in sitting mode, the restrictive area is circular, with you in the centre.

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Eye tracking also needs to be set up but is again a simple affair. Once the headset is worn correctly, you are asked to turn the dial to make sure both eyes are within the centre of their respective lens and you then get to calibrate it by looking at moving dots. It doesn’t take long and is remarkably precise.

The final things to set up are the Sense controllers. You get two in the box and once paired with your PS5 through an included USB cable (and charged), you turn them on by hitting the PlayStation button on each.

Sense controllers

  • Six-axis motion sensing system
  • USB-C for charging
  • Haptic feedback
  • Bluetooth 5.1

The Sense controllers themselves are about as far removed from the Move controllers used with PSVR as possible. For starters, they don’t use light for tracking purposes – well, not coloured light balls anyway. Plus, they have multiple motion sensors inside that result in smooth in-game action that apes your real-life movements - with no noticeable lag whatsoever.

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In fact, the controllers remind us of the Oculus Touch equivalents more than anything else. They have a loop that both protects the hand and sends the headset an imperceptible IR signal for precise positioning information. There is also DualSense style technology inside each controller, with similar adaptive triggers that can get tougher to pull depending on in-game actions, and haptic feedback that feels natural.

The buttons and thumbsticks you get on a DualSense are effectively split between the left and right Sense controller, but they have another trick too - each trigger, the top of the sticks, and a button on each grip are touch sensitive, so you only have to rest a digit on them for the game to know that its there. That way you can move your fingers inside the experience, say, without having to actually click a button.

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We found we had to charge the controllers when we first got them out of the box – thanks to a screen prompt – but it didn’t take long and we’ve played a fair few hours without having to recharge them yet. As with a conventional controller, they power down when you switch off the PS5 (rather than the headset) or can be switched off through the console’s menu system too.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect to the Sense controllers is how sensitive they are. We always felt we were battling with the Move controllers on PSVR, but the latest ones soon felt like a natural extension of our hands. They are far more intuitive, although there were times when they would be too low down for the headset to see – especially when sitting. You just have to be aware of that and keep them higher up.

OLED display

  • 2000 x 2040 panel resolution per eye
  • HDR support
  • Up to 120Hz refresh rate
  • 110-degree field of vision

The PlayStation VR2 is an impressive bit of technology all told. It is 3D Audio-enabled, has its own haptic feedback built in so you sometimes feel like you are in a game world, and while it is a wired experience, the cable is long enough to avoid getting caught up in it too often.

However, the most impressive part of the tech, for us, is the OLED display. It offers a resolution of 2000 x 2040 per eye, which is impressive on paper but even more so when strapped on your noggin’. You can only just see the individual pixels when you look closely and only in certain circumstances (when there is a lot of grey on the screen, for example). The colour representation is superb too, with deep saturation.

This is also one of the only headsets to support HDR. We’re yet to notice its use in a game, but its presence means that more natural colours are technically possible. It’ll be interesting to see how developers employ it in future.

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For those who might have experienced discomfort or motion sickness with former VR devices, the display is also capable of refresh rates of up to 120Hz, which will definitely help. It means the game world can look buttery smooth as you move around your head – preventing any juddering or jarring. We were especially impressed by the natural feel of motion, no matter how quickly we jiggled around. Of course, it again depends on the game and developer as to how it’s implemented, but the potential is there.

The same is true with eye tracking. It could literally be a game changer, for both gameplay implementation and to improve the graphical presentation. Not only can a game use your eye movements to, say, give you a hint based on what you are looking at, the development team can utilise foveated rendering technology to make sure the part of the world you stare at is the most crisp and detailed, while reducing the graphics rendering budget elsewhere. This allows for better quality graphics where they are needed, while reducing the overall processing power required.

The best bit is, you won’t even notice. The games that use it will just look great wherever you focus on.

Last but certainly not least, the 110-degree viewing angle for the display is superb. It really fills your vision.

Experience and games

  • Not backward compatible
  • Some PSVR titles are being upgraded for free or nominal fee

Of course, the tech is all well and good but a VR headset without software is just a lump of expensive plastic and glass. Thankfully, thanks to the success of the PSVR and the vast catalogues of titles available on other devices, there are plenty of games available at launch or coming soon.

Sadly – and this will not be well-received by many who upgrade – original PlayStation VR games are not compatible with PSVR2. We suspect this is a conscious decision rather than a technical one, based on the experience offered, but you’ll have to start your library afresh with the new headset.

Many games that appeared on PSVR are being upgraded, however, with some offering the PS5 version for free. Others are asking a nominal fee, while plenty are brand new games anyway (or maybe ports from Meta or HTC devices).

Based on our experiences with several of them, we can actually see why Sony took this approach. The difference in quality is night and day, with the higher resolutions and frame rates making for much more enjoyable play. Rez Infinite was one of our favourite games for the previous headset, but its PSVR2 version is a revelation. The fast-paced Tron-like vector graphics could make us a little woozy before, but the smoothness and detail this time means we could stay inside the headset much longer.

Then you get games like Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Sony’s own flagship launch title. It is simply stunning inside the PSVR2. The colours and details give the word "pop" new meaning. There was more than one occasion where we literally jumped back as one of the many machines jumped at us.

That’s not to say we didn’t have moments where we had to remove the headset and have a breather. That’s a shoo-in for all VR really, with some games being bigger culprits over others. It depends on the user, the movement options in the game (which can often be set to reduce motion sickness), and whether you are sitting or standing, but the experience was so immersive that it didn’t take long for us to want to head right back in.

Performance

The key difference between this generation of PlayStation VR and the last is how well it performs. It is, quite simply, an excellent device with a sharp, involving display and the right technical nous to make you forget you’re wearing an accessory.

Picture quality is brilliant, while the eye tracking has a massive - if initially imperceptible - effect on gameplay and comfort. You no longer need to move your entire head just to look at something. Other headsets offer this too, but none that connect to a humble games consoles.

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That’s also key. The PlayStation 5’s part in all this shouldn’t be overlooked. It is such a capable machine that it allows developers more leeway than they have probably been afforded with other consumer-friendly devices. It can deliver the right resolution at the right frame rate to provide the best experience possible today (outside of spending close to a grand).

The Sense controllers are superbly sensitive and comfortable to use, too. We also watched some TV and a movie inside the PSVR2 and while there will rarely be an occasion where we’ll need to again, it’s a decent experience thanks to the dedicated cinematic mode that’s provided. Certainly, it adds to the headset’s many talents and we await to see if Sony adds further modes and abilities in future.

Verdict

As it stands, the PlayStation VR2 is such a significant upgrade on its predecessor that those who tried the original and weren’t sure about it need to reset their expectations. It is a hugely capable device that has the tech to back up its ambitions.

All that remains is to see how well it is supported with games over the coming years. It’s off to a great start, not least thanks to the excellent Horizon: Call of the Mountain, but we suspect we’ve only just seen the start of a wave of increasingly more impressive titles.

There’s still a question mark over its price, being considerably more expensive than a PS5 itself. And, we still wonder if VR gaming can elevate itself beyond the niche, but Sony has given us a slab of tech that does everything it should and then some. Could this be the new dawn for consumer virtual reality? We hope so.