PlayStation VR2 - A Senseable Upgrade - February 22, 2023

[6souls]

Happy New Year everyone.

It is my great pleasure to start off 2022 with news on our next generation virtual reality system for the PS5 console, starting with the official name: PlayStation VR2, and our new VR controller, PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.

PlayStation VR2 takes VR gaming to a whole new level, enabling a greater sense of presence and allowing players to escape into game worlds like never before. With the headset on and controllers in hand, players will feel a heightened range of sensations unlike any other – thanks to the creativity of the game worlds being built by our world class developers, and the latest technology incorporated into the hardware.

Building upon our innovations from PS5, PlayStation VR2 adds a true next-gen experience with high-fidelity visuals, new sensory features, and enhanced tracking – along with a simplified single-cord setup.

• Visual Fidelity: For a high-fidelity visual experience, PS VR2 offers 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering. With an OLED display, players can expect a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz.
• Headset-based Controller Tracking: With inside-out tracking, PS VR2 tracks you and your controller through integrated cameras embedded in the VR headset. Your movements and the direction you look at are reflected in-game without the need for an external camera.
• New Sensory Features: PS VR2 Sense Technology combines eye tracking, headset feedback, 3D Audio, and the innovative PS VR2 Sense controller to create an incredibly deep feeling of immersion. Headset feedback is a new sensory feature that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. It’s created by a single built-in motor with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element, bringing players closer to the gameplay experience. For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward. Additionally, PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech makes sounds in the player’s surroundings come alive, adding to this new level of immersion.
• Eye Tracking: With eye tracking, PS VR2 detects the motion of your eyes, so a simple look in a specific direction can create an additional input for the game character. This allows players to interact more intuitively in new and lifelike ways, allowing for a heightened emotional response and enhanced expression that provide a new level of realism in gaming.

All of these advancements in PlayStation VR2, combined with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers from the PS VR2 Sense controllers, enable players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way. PS VR2 will also have a simple setup process — with a single cable connected directly to PS5, you can immediately jump into the VR experience.

Today we are also pleased to reveal that one of the biggest exclusive franchises on PlayStation will be coming to PS VR2 – Horizon Call of the Mountain from Guerrilla and Firesprite. This original game is being built specifically for PS VR2 and will open the doors for players to go deeper into the world of Horizon.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s exciting updates. Just remember, this is only a taste of things to come, and I can’t wait to share more details with you about PS VR2

https://blog.playstation.com/2022/01...gaming-on-ps5/

System Specs:



Controller Specs:

[Byrd]

I enjoyed the original PSVR well enough, although it felt like there was about a generation to go before it was going to actually get really good, so hopefully this brings it in line with what I was ideally hoping for from the last system.

A Horizon game is likely a system seller for me. Maybe not if it's just two hours long.

I'm would assume the VR2 will still play games developed for the original PSVR, although I don't see where it explicitly states that.

[Malithar]

The haptics in PS5 controllers are pretty unreal in Astro's Playroom. Wonder what they could do with that sort of control on your head.

[Karbuncle]

As an avid lover of VR thanks to the cheap entry price of Quest 2 and the whole PC Link for Steam VR games, I'm happy to see more companies taking it seriously in hopes we see more high quality games. I know i'll be staring down more "Console Exclusives" and im definitely not buying multiple headsets, like ever, but if the market shows fruitful maybe we'll see some real growth and games to look forward too.

My current library of games, while super fun, is running out of content.

[6souls]

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1570826219196944385

[Karbuncle]

What an astoundingly stupid decision.

[Krandor]

Sony doing something super anti-consumer is so off brand for them too

[Karbuncle]

The VR Headset market in the next year is going to have so much competition its unreal, and Sony pretty much comes out and says theirs is going to be objectively worse than other options. They're not going to be the cheapest option, they're not going to have the best library of games, they won't have the best hardware so its not even a power thing, can it even link to PC and play PCVR/Steam games like Quest/Pico? What market are they aiming for other than "People who don't know better/Console Fanboys"?

Its not even like Backwards compatibility would save them, honestly, but at least you could say you have a large library of games day 1 for people who are jumping into Gen 2.

Sony what is you doing baby

[Kaisha]

The PS5 is already BC with PSVR1 hardware, so you'd just keep that around for the games of devs that can't be arsed to patch their shit. Even with DualShock-only VR games (notable one being RE7, which is getting a PS5 upgrade anyways), they'd have required you to keep a camera around on your TV for the old method of controller tracking for it and the PS Move & Aim controller, and those wouldn't map to the button layout the new VR controllers have.

Simply easier for Sony to leave it to the developers to patch in support vs. having a list of pre-req hardware on their store pages to play X game.

[Celeras]

Agreed, in this instance backwards compatibility could not be less insignificant. In fact I'd consider it almost entirely irrelevant.

And I'm really not sure why people would think PSVR2 needs to be anything other than "VR for PlayStation 5". I'm sure they're not sweating the business of all 7 people worried about their VR game libraries on PC.

[Karbuncle]

I get the technical hurdles of the PSVR1 basically being a glorified Xbox Kinect with a headset, it was baaad.

I know its not something they can go back on and change, this decision is clearly a foregone conclusion because their PSVR1 is too different, but I think it'd be a smart move to assure people moving forward (PSVR3+) that Backwards compatibility will be a priority, cause it should be in the VR market, cause the VR market is small, and dumping your library each generation is really not good for business when each generation probably has like 3-5 good "exclusive" VR games anyway. Not exactly selling the Headset on first-party titles.

PCVR exists, and most headsets connect to PC, making first party titles nice but not Headset sellers like it would be on a Console. If you're going to compete in the VR market nobody wants to buy a mid tier headset that has a game library you can't even take with you and/or have to rebuy entirely with the next generation and thats only if the Devs put in the work to port it. Which again, status quo for consoles these days... For like, single player crap you'll never touch again theres an argument for "who cares", but for many of the Multiplayer shooters/games on the market, its kinda important to know you can take it with you or that it'll even be playable on the new headset.

Do I think it'll kill the PSVR2? Nah, I'm sure it'll do within their expectations(but won't exactly have a shocked face if we see stories in the future about it underselling expectations). I'm just saying, we're getting a lot of very exciting, powerful, and inexpensive headsets dropping within the next year... this is just bad timing on bad publicity, don't know why anyone would even look at PSVR2 right now.

[Karbuncle]

https://twitter.com/PaulTassi/status...64545388879874

Well, anywho, you can let them tell you why at least.

[Kaisha]

https://twitter.com/PaulTassi/status...64545388879874

Well, anywho, you can let them tell you why at least.

Good ol' useless buzzword response from Sony.

but I think it'd be a smart move to assure people moving forward (PSVR3+) that Backwards compatibility will be a priority

It's still too early in VR's life cycle to make any commitments like that. Right now everyone's comfortable copying the Oculus Touch layout the past few years which resembles most of a traditional controller layout w/ 6dof. Who knows if that'll change dramatically.

but for many of the Multiplayer shooters/games on the market, its kinda important to know you can take it with you or that it'll even be playable on the new headset.

Given VR is niche, active communities for anything multiplayer are also niche and tend to not last. The only reason some games on PCVR even have an active community these days still, is because they got a crossplay-compatible Quest port (hi Contractors/Onward), or simply haven't had a hard replacement yet (sup Pavlov mappin'/moddin' community).

[Karbuncle]

Good ol' useless buzzword response from Sony.

Yah it wasn't too convincing. Said a lot of nothing, but at least there was the truth in there somewhere. Technical compatibility issues.

]It's still too early in VR's life cycle to make any commitments like that. Right now everyone's comfortable copying the Oculus Touch layout the past few years which resembles most of a traditional controller layout w/ 6dof. Who knows if that'll change dramatically.

We're getting a taste of hand tracking now adays, but I think Oculus kinda struck gold with that controller design. Its super intuitive and aside from maybe needing a button or two more, works very well. I don't see it evolving too much beyond that aside from again, maybe adding more buttons, ala the progression of console gaming since the 80's. Never say never and all that but I don't see VR hardware changing too much from what we have now aside from getting more powerful. I think if anything, it'll be the extra stuff becoming "Built in". Haptic gear, Omni-Tredmills, that stuff might really change up the game if it becomes far more consumer friendly price wise, but I think thats a couple years off.

Given VR is niche, active communities for anything multiplayer are also niche and tend to not last. The only reason some games on PCVR even have an active community these days still, is because they got a crossplay-compatible Quest port (hi Contractors/Onward), or simply haven't had a hard replacement yet (sup Pavlov mappin'/moddin' community).

Yup, Niche market, which is my entire argument anyway so I can't disagree lol. Pretty sure every VR Shooter out there with any life-span to it is entirely because of a good modding community. The stand-alone ones just don't compare when you can make and play a very close simulation of Halo Multiplayer in VR. Its why I don't get too hyped about future VR Shooters that aren't talking about mod support, cause I don't see them lasting too long because its just the curse of VR right now that it is not nearly as popular as other forms of gaming.

As someone who owns a VR headset, I'm dying for it to really take off, cause while I do love PC gaming still, there is something really special about VR that is just so damned fun. Maybe its the new-ness of it, but I love being in VR, either in a Shooter or something like modded Skyrim, it adds so much to it.

[NynJa]

https://twitter.com/PaulTassi/status...64545388879874

Well, anywho, you can let them tell you why at least.

Sounds like “but PS2 limitations”.

[Kaisha]

but I think Oculus kinda struck gold with that controller design.

CV1 Touch are fucking perfect for feel and weight distribution. One of the comfiest controllers I've used aside from lack of a d-pad. That general controller layout could fit a third button comfortably, but PSVR2's wouldn't unless they added more surface area to it.

My guess in a few years is the controller input will turn over to being a combination of wrist signal driven (which Meta's been pumping R&D into their prototypes for), and some barebones joystick+trigger that doesn't need tracking (PS Move's Navigation Controller comes to mind, great little thing), but gives you a physical 'thing' to press for non-grab interactions/game-related business. That wrist tech they're working on is bonkers, and my bet is you could do full arm tracking estimation with it, alleviating the need for what they're doing with the Quest Pro controllers.

when you can make and play a very close simulation of Halo Multiplayer in VR.

We were going to have an actual VR Halo:MCC mod until the guy involved (who did the Alien Isolation mod) got hired by 343.

there is something really special about VR that is just so damned fun.

I consider VR a gaming peripheral after five years of having had access to it, and one I use at least once weekly. If I'm playing a sim racer or flight game, it better damn well have VR support.

Pretty sure every VR Shooter out there with any life-span to it is entirely because of a good modding community.

Which unfortunately won't be a thing for PS5 VR games, so even cross-play games might end up dead on that platform as a result unless they happen to be F2P (eg. Rec Room).


I'm on my second VR headset (a Quest 2), which I got solely so I can do PCVR wireless for cheap. I am absolutely not going back to wired at this point after experiencing tether-free gameplay.


The question for me is could PSVR2 get a wireless add-on unit one day? Main roadblock I'd expect is simply encoding a foveated rendering workload, and catering the vast majority of the bitrate to the sections of the image where the player is currently looking. It may require a stand-alone box just to deal with the encoding task (PS5 can only record @ 4k/60 at best iirc, and PSVR2 is more demanding than that) in addition to wirelessly streaming the signal.

The only complaint I would have with PSVR2, is it being a halo strap on a single hinge again. If it's like any other halo strap design, active movement causes the headset to wobble ever so slightly. Strap that shit snug to my face please, I don't like being reminded I'm wearing a thing, which is part of the reason I went wireless as well.



Really, the main hope of PSVR2 is it making AAAs pay attention to the VR space again, even if it's updating older games with VR support (like modders have been doing on PC for years). Benefits everyone, more-so if they port it out to other platforms as a result.....which I guess would be PC for 90% of them, since Quest 2 is weak hardware.

[Karbuncle]

I just want good AAA games TBH. I know the list is short but the only AAA game I've found worth a shit is Half-Life: Alyx. The other ones feel like very lazy cash grabs or just half-assed Tech demos with no real effort put into it.

Not to mention these AAA games gotta compete with some very well built community/Indie games who offer Mod support (Like Contractors and Pavlov), meaning they need to be very well made, polished, and have content updates or risk being abandoned to Mod communities and Indie dev supporting their game long-term.

Theres a market for some real good Alyx-tier VR games, hell even Skyrim/F04 Tier (Post-Modding), in the VR industry and I hope AAA games takes a look at the growing number of VR users and starts putting in some real time and effort, and not just giving us like... rowboat simulator with a gun. (though I've heard good things about Rowboat Simulator with a gun)

[Takiwaki]

VR needs one well marketed competitive shooter/BR for it to take off. Or a souls like that needs to player to actually dodge roll.. jk lol

[Gryffes]

I just want good AAA games TBH. I know the list is short but the only AAA game I've found worth a shit is Half-Life: Alyx. The other ones feel like very lazy cash grabs or just half-assed Tech demos with no real effort put into it.

Not to mention these AAA games gotta compete with some very well built community/Indie games who offer Mod support (Like Contractors and Pavlov), meaning they need to be very well made, polished, and have content updates or risk being abandoned to Mod communities and Indie dev supporting their game long-term.

Theres a market for some real good Alyx-tier VR games, hell even Skyrim/F04 Tier (Post-Modding), in the VR industry and I hope AAA games takes a look at the growing number of VR users and starts putting in some real time and effort, and not just giving us like... rowboat simulator with a gun. (though I've heard good things about Rowboat Simulator with a gun)

I think a lot of games benefit from conversion, but right now the cost of a vr port isn't worth it.

There are tons of AAA mod ports, that are amazing, but developers don't want to bother doing VR editions.

GTA V and/or skyrim are both great examples where the mods make them a completely new experience, official ports would go a long way for ps2vr imo.

[Kaisha]

Skyrim VR was the only Bethesda game where I actually used mods on my first playthrough, because it vastly improved the VR aspect of it. We're talking modding in physical interactions, QoL like Alyx's gravity gloves, actual 3d audio (that one's mandatory imo), and improving legibility of signage and other textures that uses text so you don't need to hover over it for the subtitle to pop up to see what it says easily.

but right now the cost of a vr port isn't worth it

Part of it is a lot of games use static props for scene performance reasons which you need to adjust for a VR experience. I'm curious to see if the new Resident Evil VR adaptations allow you to interact with the environment at all, or if it still remains relatively static. It's shit like that which can drive up dev costs since you'll then now want to make those props also not look like ass when held a few inches from your eyes, vs. desktop ingame where your camera would never really get that close enough to scrutinize the finer details.

Hell, even in something like Alyx where the props are high detail, the interactions with them are still limited. I would bet every single player that played the game tried to at least open a book in it to realize they couldn't.