The PlayStation VR 2 headgear will feel instantly recognizable to anyone who has used or seen the original PlayStation VR.
There are the same two-tone black and white plastics and rubbers that are now emblematic of the PS5 (even if they originated with the PSVR), the same halo design for strapping it to your head, and the display is dangling in front of your eyes and can be adjusted in and out for comfort.
PlayStation VR 2 Features
Compared to the initial 2016 PSVR, there have been numerous improvements, building on the 2017 release of the PSVR v2 headset.
The power button and function button are now located on the underside of the headset, the clasp to release the headset to move in and out is now on the top, and there is a 3.5mm port with mounting hooks for the accompanying earbuds on the back of the halo.
The rubber barrier that blocks outside light from your VR experience is now flanged, making it far more flexible and allowing for a better experience for more individuals.
As a result of the transition to inside-out tracking, there are now four cameras on the front of the camera, giving it the appearance of a porpoise or beluga whale, and the PS5 can handle all of the VR processing, requiring only a single USB-C cable instead of a tangled mess of wires and breakout boxes.
This USB C cable cannot be detached from the headset, which could be a potential failure site. Additionally, the inside-out tracking directs us to the new Sense VR controllers.
They promise haptic feedback, adjustable triggers, and other features, so they are essentially half of a DualSense controller. Should they instead be referred to as SingleSense? Moreover, they employ a more contemporary VR controller style with a hand grip within a ring.
Some versions of this include a ring around the analog stick and buttons, but this can cause your headset to be accidentally bumped when playing games that need you to look carefully at your hands.
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Sony Improves Virtual Reality Features
The Sense controller places the ring around your hand closer to the wrist, so it shouldn’t interfere in such circumstances.
Coming from the PS Move controllers, it’s nice that the PlayStation VR controller now has analog sticks.
They are minuscule, however, appearing even smaller than the Nintendo Switch Joy-3/4-inch Con’s size. Ideally, the modules would be more robust. Next to them are two PlayStation symbol buttons and a menu button on the right (Cross, Circle, and Options) and the left (Square, Triangle, and Share) with a PS button to access the system menus.
Adaptive triggers appear to have a shorter travel distance than their DualSense counterparts, while L1/R1 have been turned into grip buttons for the middle fingers.
It is evident from the unboxing alone that Sony has revamped and improved their version of virtual reality. In many ways, they’re catching up to PC-based and standalone headsets, but it shouldn’t take away from what appears to be a sophisticated, high-end VR experience.
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