Stuff recently got its hands on Sony’s latest venture into the world of virtual reality; the PSVR 2. Thanks to the PS5 accessory’s immediate popularity, we only got to play around with it for the better part of… three hours. It certainly wasn’t enough time for a full review, though it was enough time to get a sense of where Sony’s head has been at for the six years since the first PSVR was released.
We entered our three-hour playtest with somewhat muted expectations. Sure, everything about Sony’s follow-up is better than the previous iteration — on paper. It would be hard to screw up – there was plenty of room for improvement – thanks to better displays, a more comfortable fit and some of the best tracking we’ve yet seen in a VR headset. We still had some concerns, which we’re glad to say have (for the most part) been addressed.
Despite being impressed with the PSVR 2, by the end of our session one caveat stuck out to us – the price. Besides requiring a brand-new PS5, it costs more than the console itself. R13,500 will buy you the headset and accompanying Sense VR controllers without even securing a game to play. It’s not something we’d recommend emptying your bank accounts for unless you’ve got the cheddar lying around. We don’t, so we… won’t.
Sexier than ever
In terms of looks, the PSVR 2 is a stunner. Not that it needs to be. You’ll spend all of five minutes marvelling at the PSVR 2’s beauty before throwing it on and getting playing. Still, the headset does a wonderful job of keeping with the PS5’s two-tone aesthetic, making it worth sticking up on a shelf for everyone to see once you’ve had your fill.
It’s less weighty than that of the first PSVR, though only slightly at 560g. It’s definitely not light enough to forget its presence on your face, but the lesser weight lends itself well to extended game sessions. Throwing it on for the first time, we immediately noticed just how roomy it was in there. We don’t need glasses while gaming (though our brief stint with Resident Evil: Village might say otherwise), but those that do will appreciate the extra room.
And comfort? Whew. We didn’t spend loads of time inside the original PSVR, though we can see the massive improvement that the PSVR 2 has brought to the table. The fit is tight, yet still comfortable – controlled by a dial on the back that tightens fit while also acting as the unlock clasp. We weren’t able to avoid looking like we’d just stepped out of the headset, though, with a redder forehead than we usually carry around. A small price to pay for improved comfort, we guess. The headband was comfortable enough for us to barely notice it.
If you’re the fidgety sort, you may not gel well with having a massive headset on the front of your face, though that can be said for any VR headset. Here, even the slightest adjustments can cause the lenses and display to mess up the headset’s calibrations. We found that the easiest workaround was to remove the headset entirely for the odd nose scratch. The PSVR 2 allows for that, with whatever game you’re playing automatically pausing itself when the headset is off.
Don’t get square eyes
Fortunately, setup is as easy as plugging in a USB-C cable. Seriously. Gone are the days of needing a processor unit and PS4 camera (that barely worked) to get everything working. The cable (attached to the headset) measures close to 5m, which should be plenty for most households. You’re limited to playing where your PS5 is, which, again, shouldn’t be a problem. Sure, a wireless headset would have been nice but you can’t always get what you want.
Once that USB-C cable is in, you’re ready to go. The four onboard cameras do most of the hard work, asking only that you move your head to peek at your surroundings for the headset. It’ll set up a play area that you’re confined to while sitting (or standing) with the headset on. When you’re happy with the area, it’s time to give the PSVR 2 a real go.
You’ll see why it costs R13,500 once you’re actually in a game. The two OLED HDR displays are magnificent. Each brings in a 2,000 x 2,040-per-eye resolution which keeps everything as clear as can be. Pixelation is still a thing, mainly due to the larger 110-degree viewing array that’s in there. It’s something we hardly noticed and was easy to overlook in the midst of killing stuff in Resident Evil.
It’s also the first VR headset to introduce eye-tracking, and it’s as glorious as it sounds. Sony introduced something called foveated rendering here, allowing the headset to render everything that your eyes are looking at. This helps the PS5 keep the computing load to a minimum. But eye-tracking isn’t just to help the PS5 lift heavy loads. It’s used as a gameplay feature too. User’s eyes become selectors, requiring them to just look at the option they want to press, without any need for an analogue stick to do the work.
Another outstanding feature was the inclusion of haptic feedback, in both the headset and Sense VR controllers (more on those later). Having added feedback included in the headset rather than just the controllers was something we welcomed greatly. “Feeling” the cock of a gun or the attacks from whatever creatures you may encounter really gave the immersion a bump in quality.
Read More: PSVR 2 price got you down? Here are the 7 best PSVR games to keep you busy (for now)
Sensing your way around
Something that the first PSVR was desperately missing is dedicated controllers. That’s no longer a problem, with every PSVR 2 coming with a set of Sense VR inputs. Those familiar with the Quest 2 will feel right at home, though if you’re coming straight from the first edition, these will feel like the second coming of the big guy himself.
That’s mainly due to the headset’s ability to track the rings that surround the grips of the Sense controllers. The headset can track your fingers too, able to replicate a fist motion, or even your index finger, to a degree. It wasn’t able to single out each finger, though you shouldn’t ever really need that functionality in your games.
Now for the controllers themselves. Each has a couple of buttons, an analogue stick and some triggers to play around with. The ‘grab’ button is well-placed along the side of the grip, a convenient place for your index finger to press down. It won’t feel like you’re holding whatever it is, whether it be a gun or knife, but it feels like you’re holding something. It’s a small and easy feature to include, but one that has massive ramifications for the headset.
Controls take some getting used to, what with the spread-out layout of the X, triangle, square and circle buttons. But after spending some time in whatever game’s tutorial, finding the button you’re in need of starts to become second nature. At least, that was the case for us.
Not without any gripes
The PSVR 2 isn’t free from any issues. Most, though, are specific to individual gamers. For example, after spending around an hour or so in the headset, the feeling of being nauseated was back. It wasn’t something that bothered us a whole bunch, though. After a quick sip of water and a wipe down of the lenses, we were right back at it. If you’re prone to motion sickness, it’s probably best to stay away until you’re able to test it out for yourself. Preferably somewhere near a bucket and mop.
This brings us to our second issue – the need to wipe down the headset as often as we did. Sweatier folk (yours truly included) will notice a distinct rise in fog levels once that headset is on. There are extra vents in place to try and counteract this – all of which were helpful to a degree. It’s something that won’t bother most, but it’s something to consider for those that may experience the issue. Our advice? Keep a microfibre cloth handy.
PSVR 2 initial verdict
At a first glance, it’d be hard not to recommend Sony’s latest piece of hardware to fans of VR. That’s not to say causal gamers wouldn’t get a kick out of this. Especially with how easy it is to set up right out of the box. The brilliant graphics and controllers aren’t anything to scoff at either. No, we’re more worried about the R13,500 price tag that’ll scare most gamers away (and rightfully so). And that’s not including the R1,000+ price tags attached to any of the half-decent games.
If you do have the cash to spend, and a PlayStation 5 already in your arsenal, we can’t see you going wrong with the PSVR 2. It’s the closest you’ll get to PC-level quality and comfort without actually needing a PC. In our books, that’s a win.