The PlayStation VR 2 will arrive in just over a month and the expectations for the new baby of sony are very strong. Its characteristics are promising, its launch catalog is still a little light in number, but there are AAA exclusives that are more than desirable, such as Resident Evil Village or Gran Turismo 7. Everything suggests that this is just the beginning, but some would still like to see this VR headset come out of the universe playstation so that it can be used on PC. Let’s see if it can be considered or if it will remain a pure fantasy.
It is true that the PlayStation VR is a VR headset with some nice features. It has an OLED HDR screen offering a definition of 2000 x 2040 per eye, a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and a 110° field of view. With its eye tracking, games take advantage of a foveal rendering which makes it possible to display much more detailed graphics where the player is looking by saving resources by not forcing the definition where it is not useful. Add to that, quality haptic feedback on the controllers and the face and you have a VR headset which, for 600 euros, is enough to make PCVR players dream who, for more or less equivalent functionalities, have to pay more than 1200 euro… In short, you have understood it, the hope of being able to use the PSVR 2 on a PC makes sense but it will undoubtedly remain an unrealized fantasy.. We see several reasons for this. The first is commercial, the second technical.
First of all, if the helmet is sold so inexpensively – of course, everything is relative – it is to make it as affordable as possible. This call price is therefore certainly very close to the cost price or even perhaps below.. This is economically viable because sony will make up for it on the commissions taken on the sales of games or on the sales of their own licenses. It’s a bit like coffee machines that are sold at ridiculous prices, sometimes even offered, because it’s the pods that will make the margin. Clear, playstation certainly doesn’t want to sell headsets for use on any system other than the PlayStation 5.
Then, based on this finding, so it is logical to think that many protections have been put in place to counter those who would try to make it possible. If the hackers managed to run the PSVR on PC, it is because its technology was much simpler. However, it took no less than five years to succeed in obtaining a follow-up from the original controllers (moves) correct and again, this is still quite experimental. Nobody bought a PSVR to do PC VR, even with the hack. For the PlayStation VR 2, the situation is no longer the same because this VR headset is a high-end model and could really appeal to a lot of people if it could be used on a PC.. And Sony must know that. Is diverting the PlayStation VR 2 from its native console really impossible? Not necessarily, but it will probably be necessary to wait many years before perhaps seeing a PSVR 2 running on PC in an unofficial way. Between the decryption of signals, the circumvention of any security included, the development of third-party drivers (not easy, that), as much to say that if you buy a psvr 2 today, make sure you get a ps5 so you can use it.
By the way, even if it’s a little off topic, the other question that arises is whether playstation will decide to put on SteamVRor elsewhere, PC versions of their exclusive VR titles. This would allow games to be played with already existing headsets sony. This is quite possible since it is already the case for some current non-VR titles. Finally, the PSVR 2 will, without a doubt, remain linked – wired or wireless, for that matter – to the PlayStation 5 for many years to come. It is therefore to be hoped that developers will find this buoyant market and offer good games so that the general public will also follow on its side. To be continued, from February 22!