PlayStation VR2 will deliver 4K visuals and eye-tracking smarts
A name, a game and some tasty specs to digest
Sony’s second-gen VR headset has been a long time coming: the original PlayStation VR hit shelves way back in 2016. The bad news? We still don’t have release date for its successor. The good news? We do have a name, a game and some tasty specs to digest.
Kicking off 2022 at CES in Las Vegas, Sony confirmed that the new virtual reality device will be called – no drumroll necessary – PlayStation VR2. While the name won’t win awards, its visuals easily could: with a 2000×2040 pixel resolution per eye, the upgraded headset’s OLED displays will support 4K HDR video, with frame rates of 90-120Hz. That’s roughly twice as sharp as the PlayStation VR. The field of view will be wider too, spanning 110 degrees for an even greater sense of immersion.
Compatible with the PS5, PlayStation VR2 will also work with the PS VR2 Sense controller, first seen last year. Cameras integrated into the headset will track the position of the controllers, monitoring your movements without the need for external sensors. That should mean a slicker, simpler setup.
Sony reckons the PlayStation VR2 headset and Sense controller will work in unison to deliver to haptic feedback in the hand and around the head, emphasising the tension of in-game moments. Character breathless after sprinting for cover? Vibrations mean you should feel the intensity in your temples.
Rolling your eyes? The PS VR2 will know about it: IR cameras inside the headset promise to provide eye-tracking functionality, which could unlock a whole new realm of interactivity. One sideways glance in a cut-scene could be all it takes to start a duel.
Rounding out the announcements, Sony also revealed the first title heading to PlayStation VR2: Horizon Call of the Mountain. Already one of the most engaging open-world RPGs, this fresh Horizon experience is reportedly being built from the ground up to deliver new depths in virtual reality.
What Sony didn’t reveal in Vegas was pricing or availability. It’s widely believed that PlayStation VR2 will arrive later in 2022, with full details likely to be confirmed at Sony’s PlayStation Showcase in summer. Watch this space.
• Sony PlayStation VR 2 preview: everything we know so far
Chris Rowlands
Freelance contributor 
