PlayStation VR2

What's inside Sony's latest foray into virtual reality? Get ready to feel the future through your eyes

- By Louise Blain

THE HARDWARE

Sony has added sensory features to its headset for more ways to persuade your brain that you're no longer sitting on your sofa

Think about the original PlayStation VR experience released back in 2016 and it's easy to see that Sony was massively ahead of its time. Boldly releasing a virtual reality headset that worked with an existing console and existing controllers long thought defunct was a bold but largely successful move. Now though, Sony is back with the infinitely more powerful PS5 and a lot more knowledge as to what works when it comes to a VR headset. Even to look at, the PSVR2 is the newer, slicker sibling with those old square edges shaved off to make way for bold ergonomic curves. Gone are the glowing tracking lights and anxiety-inducing seas of wires. In their place reassuring camera lenses and a single effortless USB cable connection.

Peer inside the PSVR2 and this is some impressive hardware. Firstly, visual clarity has been improved drastically from the original with two 2000 x 2040 OLED displays delivering 4K visuals up to 120fps. This is more than four times the resolution of the original PSVR which, while not crisp, still didn't feel like a visual slouch. The equally important field of view is sitting at 110 degrees which is 13 degrees wider than the currently impressive Meta Quest 2. Thankfully, unlike the original headset, a lens adjustment dial makes sure that the displays can be positioned in just the right way for ultra-sharp clarity. And anyone who suffered from the cursed PSVR lens fog at exactly the wrong moments in Beat Saber can rejoice too. Lead headset designer, Sony Senior Art Director Yujin Morisawa, has designed an air flow solution with ventilation to eradicate steamy lenses.