A huge generational leap. PlayStation VR2 delivers a more faithful experience

Oculus Quest 2 or HTC Vive Pro 2. There are a number of interesting headsets for virtual reality on the market. The first mentioned model, which is behind the Meta company, can be purchased in stores for as little as CZK 12,490. The more advanced HTC Vive Pro 2 set offers a significantly higher resolution, can better capture a person in space and offers a number of other improvements. However, the price tag has already jumped to CZK 31,990.

Neither of the mentioned sets will be of interest to PlayStation owners at all, only the original PlayStation set works with it. The first generation was launched back in 2016, i.e. at the time of the PS4 console.

PlayStation VR also works with the appropriate reduction on PlayStation 5, but it probably goes without saying that in more than six years, the first generation of virtual reality has aged considerably. That’s why the PlayStation VR2 is coming to store shelves now, it will go on sale next week on Wednesday.

The price of the set itself was set at CZK 14,990. The package, which will also include the game Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain, will then cost 16,290 CZK.

And that brings us to the most important part – the games. Without a sufficient number of titles, the best virtual reality has no chance of success. Of course, the people at Sony are also aware of this, so they did not underestimate the launch of the new generation of PlayStation VR. You can look forward to VR updates of popular titles such as No Man’s Sky, Resident Evil Village and Gran Turismo 7. There will also be a Czechoslovak track – Beat Saber.

Nearly four dozen titles will be available on launch day, including Before Your Eyes, Kayak VR: Mirage, Pavlov VR, Puzzling Places, Song in the Smoke: Rekindled, Synth Riders: Remastered Edition, Thumper, NFL Pro Era, What the Bat?, Rez Infinite, Tetris Effect, Creed Rise to Glory: Championship Edition or The Last Clockwinder.

The key work is the already mentioned Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain, which fully shows what the new generation of virtual reality from Sony can do. We will cover this title in a separate review on Novinky. But we can already reveal that you can look forward to a majestic world that takes your breath away.

Unlike Horizon Forbidden West, Call of the Mountain brings a new story, in which, of course, there will also be a meeting with the main character Alloy. You can now literally go into the wilderness on your own, but comfortably from the comfort of your living room.

The novelty offers a significantly more faithful gaming experience, which is mainly due to the extremely fine display. In practice, you have the same number of pixels in your glasses as on a large TV. The used OLED screen is proud of the 4K standard, so an area of ​​2000 × 2040 pixels is designated for each eye.

PlayStation VR only offered Full HD resolution, so compared to the original set, the new product offers more than four times the resolution. A high refresh rate of 120 frames per second is also a big advantage, thanks to which the image is very smooth.

The PlayStation VR2 set monitors players and controllers with four cameras built right into the set. Thanks to this, all movements and where you look are immediately reflected in the game, without the need to connect an external camera.

Eye tracking also tracks your gaze as you aim or look around, and advanced resolution-adjusting foveal rendering techniques further enhance the impression of what you see. In practice, what you are looking at will always be sharp and distinct.

The integration of cameras makes it much easier to use at home, because you are not tied to any camera on the TV, as with the predecessor. A game space of at least 2 x 2 meters is required. If it is smaller, some features will be limited in certain titles. You can achieve the best experiences in the Whole Room mode, simply map it through the headset directly to the console.

The advantage is also the connection with a single USB-C cable, which is after all a more convenient solution than in the case of the predecessor, which basically needed two cables. By the way, the sound is also carried through this cable. The headphones, which are included in the package, are simply clipped directly onto the helmet structure.

In connection with the sound, it is appropriate to highlight the Tempest 3D Audiotech technology. Thanks to it, you are able to determine exactly where the sound is coming from. That way, you will find your way around the virtual world better. Both gunfire and footsteps – you know exactly where enemies and other creeping threats are coming from.

The engineers from Sony deserve great praise for the overall ergonomics. First of all, the novelty is lighter (560 g vs. 600 g). It may not seem like it at first glance, but after a few hours of playing, the difference of a few tens of grams can really be felt.

The dimensions of the PlayStation VR are 187 x 185 x 277 mm, while the PlayStation VR2 measures 212 x 158 x 278 mm. According to the table specifications, it may not seem that the new product is more compact, but when you put the two helmets next to each other, you can already tell the difference.

The new controls are also a sign of excellent ergonomics. The first generation of the PlayStation VR system used Move motion controllers, which in their appearance could resemble magic wands with a light pom pom on top. The novelty, on the other hand, has a dome-like shape that hugs the entire hand like a wrestling glove. However, unlike them, the entire structure is much more airy.

In addition to the design change, a bunch of other improvements have also been added. Following the pattern of gamepads called DualSense, which are intended exclusively for the PlayStation 5 television console, the novelty received adaptive triggers and haptic response. Users thus literally perceive the game with their fingers.

The new generation of virtual reality PlayStation VR2 brings above all a more faithful experience of individual titles, you can enjoy it with your sight, hearing and touch. When you put the new generation on your head for the first time, you will realize how the entire world of virtual reality has moved forward in six years.