It’s been roughly 8-years since Virtual Reality headsets began landing on store shelves and, in doing so, changing our culture. It becan with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. With the metaverse grinding it’s way into mainstream and virtual reality becoming more and more associated with superior gaming experiences, VR headset quality and costs are now at the forefront of conversation.
Enter Sony PlayStation second installation VR headset. By the way, let’s not gloss over the fact that its been 6 years since Sony upgraded their VR headset experience for us.
That said, Sony’s headsets and displays have been leveling up the virtual reality experience for a while now. Their PlayStation system remains a leader in VR ecosystem.
But now that the long-awaited VR 2 headset is here, hopes are high (and in fact, so are price tags, but we’ll get to that shortly).
Let’s review PlayStation VR 2 headset.
The original PlayStation VR headset wasn’t much to write home about. All in all, it offered the least amount of upgraded experiences. People didn’t love using them for a variety of reasons.
But today, things are different.
The latest PSVR2 headset is a light as a feather, aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, and gives off that “Matrix vibe” we oh so love.
It sets up in a flash after you hook it into your PS5. There’s 3D audio, increasingly essential eye-tracking capability that allows you to navigate screen interfaces (yes, this means you select items with your eyes).
One of the biggest knocks on VR as an industry is that many feel it hasn’t evolved as much as it should have in almost a decade’s time.
Let’s break down some brass tacks:
- Manufactured by Sony (you knew this)
- USB-C
- $549.99 – includes two Sense controllers
- Display – OLED
- 110 degree viewpoints
- 4 cameras help institute eye-tracking
- Adjustable lens
- Motion sensors
- After unboxing, you end up with the headset (obviously), a USB cable that attaches to the controllers, a USB-C cable that’s for the headset (we mentioned that above), two PSVR Sense remotes, heaphones (earbud style).
The difference between the original PSVR headset and the second version is obvious right from the set up process. With the original headset, you needed a variety of unsightly cables. With PSVR2, you only need that USB-C cable. It takes less than a minute after plugging the headset into the Station for it to get rolling. Not having to plug it into back of the Station is a huge, huge benefit.
The headset is light and ergonomically superior right when you open the box. It just feels better.
Like many VR headsets, you’ll create your space by following instructions and looking around. That takes way less time that with the original version and comparatively against competition. And to boot, the instructions are well-written and simple.
The ear buds latch to the headset and the buds stick into your ears. They feel a little clumsy out of the box, but you’ll likely enjoy wearing them.
Right out of the box, expect to need to charge up the Sense controllers and headsets. So maybe allot an hour for that. In other words, don’t get overly invested in the idea you’ll play right out of the box. And that’s fair, although these days many tech-manufacturers find ways to send their devices charged.
Overall, the PSVR2 feels like a higher quality experience, it’s sturdy, but also aesthetically modern on the eyes. It fits nicely to the head and should be comfortable to wear for hours on end, which is important in virtual reality.
Here’s some footage you can expect if you do happen to take the dive into the latest and greatest Sony VR headset.