PlayStation's next-gen VR headset has just been announced and it's on the way - but should you bother waiting for the PS VR2 when the PSVR is sat right there? Is it worth saving up for an upgrade?
We're pitting the PSVR against the PS VR2 and discussing the two across four key areas: Specifications, Price, Games, and Console. This should help clear a few things up...
PS VR2 vs PSVR - Hardware Specifications
Let's start off with the numbers... Here's what the PSVR has to offer...
- Display Method - OLED
- Panel Resolution - 960 x 1080 per eye
- Panel Refresh Rate - 90Hz / 120Hz
- Lens Separation - N/A
- Field of View - Approx. 100 degrees
- Sensors -
- Motion Sensors: gyroscope / accelerometer
- Attachment Sensor: Position tracking
- Cameras - 4 headset cameras, 2 eye trackingIR cameras
- Feedback - Vibration on headset
- Communication with PS5 - via HDMI
- Audio - Built-in microphone / stereo headphone jack
To compare, here's what the PS VR2 is expected to deliver when it launches...
- Display Method - OLED
- Panel Resolution - 2000 x 2040 per eye
- Panel Refresh Rate - 90Hz / 120Hz
- Lens Separation - Adjustable
- Field of View - Approx. 110 degrees
- Sensors -
- Motion Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system, three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer
- Attachment Sensor: IR Proximity sensor
- Cameras - 4 headset cameras, 2 eye trackingIR cameras
- Feedback - Vibration on headset
- Communication with PS5 - USB Type-C
- Audio - Built-in microphone / stereo headphone jack
We know the information doesn't exactly line up, but it's safe to say that the PS VR2 is going to look a lot nicer and those extra 10 degrees of visibility are going to be more important than you might think. The PS VR2 is clearly the superior bit of tech, but this isn't exactly a surprise and not the only thing you should consider.
PS VR2 vs PSVR - How much do they cost?
When it was released, the PSVR headset was $399 / £349. This didn't include the later-released PlayStation Move controllers, though, which added a huge chunk to that price. Today, over five years on, the PSVR headset can be picked up for around $100 / £80 less from most major retailers. The PlayStation Move controllers are still quite expensive though.
There's no word from PlayStation on whether the PS VR2 headset will be sold separately from the VR2 Sense Controller - however, we're inclined to suggest that these will be initially bundled together and then later sold separately. Of course, we could be wrong - there's currently no information suggesting how PlayStation might release their new VR equipment. Only time will tell, unfortunately.
However, we can make a semi-accurate prediction of price based on the price of the PSVR headset at launch and the increase in price between PS4-generation hardware and PS5-generation hardware.
The PS VR2 headset is likely to be around $500 / £449 and the VR2 Sense Controllers could be another $200 on top of that. We should learn more in the coming months - but we should hopefully see some confirmation of this soon.
PS VR2 vs PSVR - How many games will there be?
At the moment, there's only one confirmed game for the PS VR2 - Horizon Call of the Mountain.
We're expecting a large majority of currently-available PSVR titles to be playable with the PS VR2 equipment, but they won't make the most of the enhancements on offer. If you're worried about a lack of games, though, we wouldn't be. The PS VR2 doesn't even have a confirmed release date yet - there's plenty of time for new announcements between now and launch and we know Sony would want their new VR system to launch with a healthy library of titles to explore.
PS VR2 vs PSVR - Which PlayStation console do you need?
Although there hasn't been any confirmation of this, we're under the impression that the PS VR2 is only going to work with a PS5 console - so, if you don't have one of those it might be worth forgetting about getting a PS VR2 until you do.
PlayStation does reference the PS VR2 exclusively against the PS5 in official statements, but this doesn't mean it won't work on a PS4 console. With the 4K OLED display and the VR2 Sense Controller's features, though... It doesn't seem likely that a PS4 console will have enough raw power to support the systems in place.
Featured Image Credit: The Verge