PS VR2: Price, specs, date, pre-order, Sense controllers and games

On 24 February 2021, Sony announced a PS VR2 headset was in the works. It's officially called PlayStation VR2 or PS VR2 for short. However, the internet has decided to refer to it as PSVR 2 in most instances, or even PSVR2.

Many of the features rumoured pre-announcement are included in the PS VR2 headset, which was designed specifically for use alongside the PlayStation 5.

The enhanced power of the PS5 allows for a much more refined and elegant PSVR headset than what we saw in 2016 when the original was released.

When did PS VR2 come out in Australia?

The PS VR2 headset landed in Australia alongside the rest of the world, on 22 February, 2023.

How to buy a PS VR2 headset in Australia?

The PS VR2 headset is readily available at most electronic retailers in Australia. It's also available online, with the cheapest prices we've come across being on Amazon, which also has free delivery. The bundle with Horizon: Call of the Mountain is a solid deal if you want to get started with a AAA experience.

PS VR2 Australian price

In Australia, the PS VR2 unit costs $879.95. This is higher than was first anticipated. It was believed the unit would come in around the same price as the PlayStation 5 console, which is $799.95, following a recent $50 price hike.

The point of difference for PlayStation VR over rivals in the space was that it offered a high-end experience at an affordable price. Plus, it worked with your existing PS4; you didn't need a fancy PC. However, the price of the PS VR2 headset places it above the likes of the Meta Quest 2 and HTC Vive Cosmos.

A charging dock accessory for the controllers can be purchased for $79.95, too.

Pre-order PSVR2 Horizon Call of Mountain bundle

Pre-order Sony's upcoming VR headset alongside this highly-anticipated game for $959.

Buy now

What's included in the PS VR2 bundle?

So, what does your $879.95 get you? The headset, of course. You also get 2 PlayStation VR Sense controllers. And there's some stereo headphones as well, which are basic, but better than you might expect. If you want to step it up, you can look into Sony's INZONE H9 headset.

You can also get a bundle that includes launch title Horizon: Call of the Mountain, which is the killer app. At $959.95, you get the game for $80. This is $29.95 cheaper than the standalone RRP for the game.

PSVR vs PS VR2 vs HTC Vive Pro 2 specs

It's been 6 years since the PlayStation VR headset launched, so much has changed. In the table below, I compare the specs of both so you can see just how significant the upgrade is between them. I've also compared that against the HTC VIVE Pro 2, which is arguably the top of the food chain when it comes to VR headsets at the time of writing. (Although some would say the Varjo Aero deserves that accolade).

PlayStation VR2 features analysed

I was expecting big things from the PlayStation VR2 headset. The original device was handicapped by the fact it came out midway through the PS4 generation. The console gave all it could to the cause, but it simply didn't have the juice to compete with PCs of the era. The PS5, on the other hand, is a beast that plays games as good as anything out there.

A glance at the table above should be enough to tell you that the PSVR 2 is leagues ahead of its predecessor. But it's not as futureproof as we may have hoped. The good far outweighs the bad though, so let's start by focusing on that.

Games look great on PS VR2. The improved resolution, which is effectively 2K for each screen, and increased 110-degree field of view (FOV) make a huge impact. While we also expect a lot more games to actually hit the 120Hz-refresh rate cap now that the power is there to push titles to those heights.

Eye tracking, foveated rendering and haptic feedback

While it would be remiss not to point out that headsets with a better resolution and FOV are already in the market, Sony counters that with 2 huge wins for gamers: eye tracking and foveated rendering. As its name suggests, eye tracking will allow the headset to know exactly what you are looking at. This can become a powerful gameplay tool, making for more immersive experiences if used inventively by developers. But eye tracking also begets foveated rendering.

Foveated rendering is a process whereby the game only renders the part of the world you're looking at in all its glory. The parts of the game you're not looking at aren't shown in full resolution. The idea here is that power is better optimised, allowing for a faster and more glorious visual experience where it matters and for more processing chops to be made available for other system demanding aspects of a game's world.

Then we have haptic feedback in the headset itself. Like the DualSense controllers, the headset vibrates in different ways depending on what's happening on screen. The use cases demonstrated for this technology sound rad, even if it's underwhelming in the launch line-up! For example, if a bullet whizzes past one side of your head, you'll feel it go past. Or when you slam your foot down on the pedal in a racing game, the headset will create a sensation like being pulled back by g-force.

No wireless or audio

Sadly, the PSVR 2 headset remains tethered to the console. It's not a huge surprise, but it remains disappointing. Sony has managed to trim it down to just one USB-C cable, but given the PS5 is Wi-Fi 6 enabled, there was hope that wireless could be possible. This is, after all, the next big frontier in premium virtual reality headsets we're expecting to become the norm by the end of 2023.

It's also a shame that there is no in-built audio. Instead, PS VR2 comes with just an audio jack. Integrated headsets have become commonplace in most VR headsets, especially given how vital audio is to nailing the immersion required to get VR to work. Perhaps we'll see a number of packages at retail emerge that bundle PS VR2 with Sony's good value-for-money Pulse 3D headset.

See-Through, Broadcast and Cinematic Mode

On 26 July 2022, Sony revealed a few more details regarding the user experience that players can expect with PS VR2. Most of these are features we've seen on other headsets in the past. There's a See-Through feature. This allows you to view the outside world in greyscale without taking off your headset. It's activated via the UI menu.

You'll also be able to use the PS VR2 Sense controller to define, customise and map your play space.

There will be two modes you can use with the PS VR2 headset. The VR Mode experience should be self-explanatory, allowing you to roam and exist in a 360-degree space. The Cinematic Mode, however, allows you to enjoy non-VR content in the headset. This can be normal games or movies, for example. Interestingly, this mode sees the resolution drop to a 1920×1080 HDR video format at up to 120fps.

Finally, Sony's PlayStation 5 camera can be used at the same time as the PS VR2 headset for those broadcasting their session over the internet. So, the camera will correctly cut you, the controllers and the headset from the background and overlay it over the game footage.

What does PS VR2 look like?

A full year after it was first revealed, Sony gave us a look at the final headset. You can see it above. It's not a big surprise, really. The sleek white look fits in with the PS5 aesthetic. The plastic is even adorned by thousands of little triangles, circles, squares and Xs, like its console enabler. Much of what worked so well on the original PSVR headset has been retained, too – notably the weight balance and headband adjustment layer.

That said, the new headset is slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor.

New, outside of the aforementioned haptic feedback, is an IPD dial that allows you to adjust the gap between the lens to optimise focus to your individual needs. Plus there's an air vent just above the eyes where the visor hits the headband. This allows airflow in and out of the gasket without introducing light bleed. The vents should reduce fogging, which was definitely an issue with the original headset.

Sony's next-gen PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers revealed

On 18 March 2021, Sony revealed its new PS VR2 Sense controllers (see picture above). They're a huge step forward from the Move controllers used by the original PSVR headset, which were launched way back in 2010. They're not being called Move 2, but Sense – which makes sense, given the DualSense.

Indeed, the next-generation VR controller from Sony clearly takes its inspiration from the excellent DualSense. Sony described the goal of the new controller as developing a "much deeper sense of presence and stronger feeling of immersion in VR".

The new PS VR2 controllers take on an orb shape, which is designed to provide an ergonomic, lightweight extension of a gamer's hands while allowing for full freedom of movement. They have a primary trigger (L1/R1) and a secondary trigger (L2/R2) on the underside as well as an analogue stick and 2 standard buttons on the top side.

So, when you think of the 2 controllers as one, you end up with all the same inputs as the DualSense, minus the d-pad and touchpad.

The L1 and R1 buttons on both the left and right PS VR2 controllers have the same adaptive trigger technology as the DualSense controller. Both controllers also offer the next-generation rumble experience called haptic feedback. In what is a very exciting improvement, the controllers will offer finger-touch detection no matter where your digits are placed. While general movement is followed by a tracking ring at the bottom of the controller.

The Sony PS VR2 Sense controllers will be available with the headset.

What will PlayStation VR2 be like to play games?

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan set expectations high when he described PSVR 2 as "a completely new VR format for PS5". He also reiterated that Sony "believes in VR". Ryan's comments were backed up by Nishino, who revealed, "I would like to expect the PS5 to have a VR experience that is appropriate for the PS5."

The launch games include a lot of ports from previous generations and competitor headsets, but generally back up this statement. Crystal clear worlds and immersive feedback experiences being amongst the praise. A lot of that evolution relies on the way haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are used.

PS VR2 launch games and prices

Sony originally promised 20 "major" games would be ready to launch alongside the PS VR2 headset. In the end, 30 titles were earmarked for the launch window (which runs through to the end of March), but a significant number of these are upgraded versions of previous gen VR titles.

List of PSVR to PS VR2 games with free upgrades

List of Upcoming PS VR2 games

The following games have also been announced for PlayStation VR2 thus far:

Will PlayStation VR2 be backwards compatible with PSVR games?

No, the PS VR2 headset will not be backwards compatible. On 18 September 2022, this was confirmed by SVP of Platform Experience, Hideaki Nishino. This is a huge blow for the next-generation VR headset, which could have launched with a robust library of quality games that many PS4 owners never got the chance to play. For those developers who have already invested in the ecosystem it could be a hard pill to swallow.

This announcement doesn't negate developers from updating their titles to be PlayStation VR2 compatible. However, it sounds like that will require some work, meaning only a select few will likely make the leap. One such game already announced is No Man's Sky. It also suggests that multiplatform games, available on platforms like Steam and Viveport, may not be easily made PS VR2 ready.

Do you need a PS5 to use PS VR2?

Will PS VR2 work on PC?

It will also be interesting to see if the PS VR 2 headset will launch on PC, too. Since 2016, Sony has shown an increased interest in being PC compatible. Many first-party PlayStation exclusives have started appearing on PC, there are more cross-play titles in the market and the DualSense works on PC. It would seem counter to that business strategy to then restrict the PS VR 2 headset to the console. However, as of the time of writing, the headset is being pitched as a PS5 exclusive.

Is PS VR2 good with glasses?

Yes it is. In fact, it's one of the roomier VR headsets in the market when it comes to fitting in your spectacles.

Is it worth buying the original PlayStation VR headset in 2023?

The reality is that tens of millions of gamers around the world still have a PS4. And upgrading to a PS5, as well as a PS VR2 headset, will set you back around $1500 in Australia. That's beyond the reach of many. By comparison, you can readily find the original PSVR headset for less than $300, and we suspect that price will drop further following the launch of PS VR2.

As detailed in my review, the original PSVR headset experience is super solid. It's a brilliant way to play games, even in 2023. Just know that it's dated tech you're investing in, now 7 years old. More cost-effective VR technology has emerged that is likely a better option at full retail prices - namely the Meta Quest 2.

If you're still playing on a PS4 with no plans of upgrading to PS5, then by all means look for a second-hand PSVR headset at a great price. But if you can't find it cheap, then perhaps save for something more modern.

PlayStation VR specs

How to use original PSVR on PS5

If you already have or intend to buy the original PSVR headset, you can play it on a PlayStation 5. However, you will need to get a PlayStation Camera adaptor.

Newly sold PSVR headsets come with this cable, but if you already have the headset or intend to buy one second-hand, you'll need to order one. To Sony's credit, the adaptor is free, although a word of warning: mine took 3 months to arrive. Albeit, I ordered one as part of the first wave, which would have seen the highest demand.

Playing PSVR on PS5 does get some added benefits, thanks to much faster load speeds and 3D audio. However, most games are not specifically optimised to perform better in the headset itself. Some are, but you should not assume a big resolution or frame-rate upgrade just because you're playing on PS5.

Note, you cannot play PSVR on PS5 using a DualSense controller or a PS5 HD camera. You need to use the original PS4 camera, a DualShock 4 and/or Move controllers. Keep this in mind. And not every PS4 game is backwards compatible on PS5 out of the box, so you may want to double-check to make sure the games you're most excited about will work.

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