PlayStation VR2: the user interface is revealed

Bit by bit, Sony continues to distill more and more concrete details on the future PS5 virtual reality headset. On the menu for the end of July 2022, here is the very first information on the experience of using the aptly named PlayStation VR2.

Information that, let’s face it, does not reveal any revolutionary functionality for a current generation helmet. But in the absence of disrupt industry, the PS VR2 at least confirms that it will be perfectly up to date regarding the comfort options that other headsets on the market have accustomed us to. The main one is the presence of a transparency mode, which uses the cameras placed on the outer shell of the helmet – cameras whose primary role is to monitor movement inside out – to allow the user to see his environment without having to remove said helmet.

The activation of the transparency mode is done through a control panel that can be called either via a card in the interface of the PS5, or directly via a dedicated button on the helmet.

It is also through these cameras that the configuration of the available play area takes place. As a first approach, the helmet automatically analyzes the room to detect walls and bulky objects, to define the limits of the safety zone by itself. Subsequently, the user has the possibility of adjusting these limits, by redrawing them on the ground using one of the Sense joysticks. In game, the borders appear in the form of a virtual grid as soon as you approach them. All of this is just very classic for a motion-sensing headset. inside out, and is very close to what we already know with the Oculus / Meta Quest or the HTC Vive Cosmos, for example. But, after all, why reinvent what already works perfectly?

Cinematic mode is back

Sony also confirms that the PS VR2, like its predecessor, can be used not only for VR content strictly speaking, but also for viewing 2D content (games and videos) on a personal “virtual cinema screen”. In this use, we are told that the image will be displayed in HDR, with support for refresh rates at 24, 60 and 120 Hz, all in 1080p definition. This last point is certainly an abuse of language: the native definition of 2000 x 2040 px per eye of the PS VR2 display, which must be considered taking into account the distortion specific to the ultra-wide-angle optics of a VR headset (the pixels appear larger in the center of the display than in the periphery), will not be sufficient to display in “1:1” a 1920 x 1080 px image.

Finally, it should be noted that the manufacturer does not provide any support for video files or Blu-rays in stereoscopic 3D. This will certainly move only the very thin handful of enthusiasts still addicted to this format, but it is still a small regression compared to the first PS VR of the name and the PS4.

The PlayStation VR2 is still expected “soon”, with no further official indication regarding its price or launch period. According to the latest news, the insiders darling of the industry were counting on a market launch in the first months of 2023.