Those lucky to have tried the headset note its haptic feedback, visual fidelity, and ability to create an immersive experience.
We have talked about PlayStation VR2's design, eye tracking, foveated rendering, and other features, but how does it all prove itself in reality? Representatives from several media sources had a chance to play some demos with the headset and share their experiences.
Pretty much everybody talks about great visuals and PS VR2's ability to create immersive gameplay. IGN's Bo Moore notes that the controllers feature the same haptic feedback and adaptive triggers as the PS5's DualSense controller. However, neither of these really stood out to him as the features were not present in the demos he played, aside from Horizon Call of the Mountain.
The headset also has built-in haptic feedback, which is "a nice addition to the haptic landscape" mostly noticed when taking damage or being tossed around.
Moore mentioned that, unlike Valve Index's Knuckles controllers, PS VR2 requires you to grip the controllers at all times, which can become tiresome after some time. What else could be improved is the sound: PS VR2 doesn't have integrated audio, so you'll have to rely on your TV sound or headphones, although the headset and headphones combination can be "a bit bulky and cumbersome."
"PlayStation VR2, thankfully, feels like a modern entry into the VR landscape, with top-notch visual fidelity and comfortable ergonomics. Its haptics and adaptive triggers, if implemented well, will be a welcome addition to the immersive experience. As with all new pieces of hardware, the question now falls to whether there will be enough games to make the investment worth it."
Of course, another question is the price. The original PS VR launched at $399, and Bo Moore assumes PS VR2 will launch at $499, "considering the inflation-related price increases that recently hit both the Meta Quest 2 and the PS5 itself in many territories."
Victoria Song from The Verge had a similar experience with the headset. She said the improvements in PS VR2 "make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable and far less tiring." She didn't feel like she needed a break "before jumping back into the frame, massacring hordes of walkers with a chainsaw." She did notice, however, that the immersive experience could get obstructed in some demos:
"And while a lot of the games look great, it did feel like there was a bit of a textured layer between you and the game. The best way I can describe it is if your contacts get dry. You can still see clearly, but everything is just a tad hazy around the edges. ... That said, I didn't think it distracted from the gameplay."
Song hopes the price for PS VR2 will stay around $400 to encourage players to buy it instead of (or together with) Meta's new Quest and Apple’s rumored "Reality" headset.
Boone Ashworth from Wired had more issues with the headset. He said foveated rendering left him feeling like a lot of the virtual worlds around were out of focus and somewhat removed. Wearing the headset for a long time was not very comfortable, and he felt slightly dizzy after taking it off.
Despite seemingly not being awed by the experience, Ashworth admitted that Sony's promise to "escape into worlds that feel truly real" rang true in the Horizon demo.
"I was grabbing the rungs of a ladder, hand over hand, and climbing. It was a simple, quiet moment, the beauty of the virtual world almost disorientingly immediate. For the only time that day, the headset digging into my nose melted off and gave way to the lush, vibrant scenery around me. I gawked at the bright green, photorealistic moss inches from my face. I heard the sounds of the jungle. Watched the water run down my face and arms."
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Overall, it seems like PS VR2 has a lot of potential and many great games to enjoy. Hopefully, all the problems it might have will be fixed before its launch in 2023.
You can read what the PlayStation team itself thought about the headset here. Also, don't forget to join our Reddit page and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.