Sony Interactive Entertainment
Ahead of Sony’s arrival at this weekend’s Tokyo Games Show, the company’s PlayStation division has been bringing fans a ton of news online in the past 24 hours. The biggest news probably came from hands-on and eye-on impressions of the PlayStation VR2 add-on for the PS5 console.
The new virtual reality system, slated for an “early 2023” retail launch, is now being discussed outside of Sony’s careful public relations hands, and early testers have provided impressions of both the hardware and some of the apparent launch software.
PSVR2: What we already knew
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Say so long to the glowing blue lights of the original PSVR.
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While prototype PSVR2 controllers were all black, they now match the white of the PS5 itself.
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A side view highlights the headband design and hanging range.
Thanks to Sony’s announcements earlier this year, we know that PSVR2’s OLED screen has a pixel resolution of 4000×2040, which can run VR software in either 90Hz or 120Hz mode. That performance is boosted by a new foveated display system, which aims to emphasize the full pixel resolution where your eyes are focused and blur the parts where your eyes are not – and this is, unsurprisingly, coupled with new internal eye tracking. sensors.
We also know that PSVR 2 comes with two all-new gamepads, one for each hand, that follow the Meta Quest archetype of VR controllers (complete with buttons, triggers, and joysticks), but with the additional technical upgrades to be found. in Sony’s recent DualSense gamepads — namely, more refined rumbles and voltage-filled “impulse” triggers.
A new “inside-out” tracking system similar to the kind found in Meta Quest and several Windows Mixed Reality headsets uses built-in cameras to scan players’ real-world environments and track VR positioning, not external ones. cameras or tracking boxes required . However, unlike the standard wireless Meta Quest 2, PSVR2 requires a cable connection for power and data transfer to a PlayStation 5 console.
PSVR2 hardware: what we learned this week
Speaking of that cable connection, we’ve now seen it in action. The new single cable connection, through the PS5’s only USB Type-C slot, is a revelation compared to the external “processor unit” with cables everywhere needed for Sony’s first VR system. This 4.5 meter cable is said to be designed to weigh as little as possible, but a cable that can wrap around your legs may remain a deal breaker for some.
Sony also confirmed that PSVR would lack built-in audio. Like the last model, PSVR2 owners will need to plug in headphones with a 3.5mm jack. The original PSVR came with low-budget earbuds, which could happen again for PSVR2 – and to Sony’s credit, the new headset includes handy, built-in “earbuds” that you can squeeze your existing earbuds into to store them neatly. But this is unfortunate compared to the built-in audio in Valve Index and all Meta Quest models. This week’s demonstration videos show that Sony’s larger PS-branded headphones restrict users in VR, reduce airflow and make people sweaty, so interested users should look into high-quality, lightweight wired earbuds ahead of the PSVR2 launch in 2023. (My 3.5mm recommendation is the affordable, high-performing Koss KSC32-i.)
Better news: Sony’s lens mechanism includes a precision interpupillary distance (IPD) slider, which is accessed with a convenient dial while the system is attached to the face. (This is a huge difference from Quest 2, which skipped such a slider as a cost-cutting measure.) New users can access a handy calibration menu at any time to ensure the IPD setting is aligned with their unique face, and this additionally prompts users to look at a series of moving dots to calibrate PSVR2’s eye-tracking sensors. So far, PSVR2’s “floating” fit, complete with a foam back strap and handy dial to tighten the fit, seems to be the same we loved in the original PSVR. The fit around the eyes is reportedly roomy enough for glasses wearers, although we’re still waiting to hear about the weight and distribution of the new system compared to the original – at least, barring suggestions that the current headset is quite light.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
PSVR2’s new room tracking system, which is based on four built-in cameras, seems to automatically take into account objects in your game room. When users point the system’s cameras at a new room, the black and white display covers objects (furniture, entertainment centers) in a trippy pattern of 3D triangles as the PSVR2 cameras scan across them, instead of users focusing their hands to scan and “paint” a play area. If PSVR2 is wrong, users can still use the system’s controllers to fine-tune their VR “frontier” before starting to play. The headset has a button on the bottom that can enable PSVR2’s pass-through camera mode at any time, allowing users to see what’s around them without removing the headset.
We’ve previously learned that PSVR2 includes a range of built-in junk engines – a first in consumer-grade VR – and now we know how they work in action. The severity of the rumble can vary between a subtle sensation, such as when flies buzz over your face during a series of in Resident Evil: Village VRor a more intense full-head explosion, such as when a monster flies overhead and sends a gust of wind toward you Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain. So far, reports suggest that this sensation is more compelling than unpleasant.
Sony hasn’t yet confirmed the maximum brightness of its OLED display, simply by suggesting it’s “HDR capable,” but Sony clearly takes screen quality and light bleeding seriously. OLED panels are generally better at managing an “infinite” contrast ratio, juxtaposing the deepest blacks and the brightest lights, and PSVR2 apparently includes a superior light-blocking arrangement of foam and nose liners.
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