Sony lifts the veil on the upcoming PS5 virtual reality headset, the PlayStation VR2

We still don't know what he looks like.

Or what will be its release date.

And even less its selling price.

But the future virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 5 console became a little more tangible at CES in Las Vegas.

Sony revealed the name of the device, unveiled its controllers, communicated on the technical characteristics of the headset, and showed a few seconds of a game that will be exclusive to it:

, taken from the successful license of the PlayStation ,

.

This game is developed by Firesprite, a VR studio that Sony acquired in September 2021. Firesprite is already behind

, which was offered with the first PlayStation VR headset of the name (2016).

seems to want to offer a spectacular and immersive HD experience, and to be the demonstration of the technical capabilities of the PlayStation VR2.

Mandatory cable

The PlayStation VR2 is not, unlike an Oculus Quest, a standalone headset. You will need to connect it to your PlayStation 5 console, via a USB-C cable, to make it work. This will therefore limit the playing area. But it will be useless to install cameras in his living room so that the headset recognizes the user's movements. The PSVR2 indeed embeds inside-out technology, and therefore includes external cameras.

Inside the helmet, the user will face an OLED screen with a resolution of 2000x2040p, with a scanning frequency of 90 or 120Hz and a 110 ° field of view.

Sensors will follow eye movements.

Objective, to concentrate the computing power on the area that the player is looking at, in order to display high quality graphics.

This is called foveal rendering.

For more realism, the helmet may vibrate.

Sony is abandoning the old PlayStation Move controllers, first released in 2010, in favor of the new PlayStation VR2 Sense Controllers.

The latter take the characteristics of the PlayStation 5 controller, such as haptic vibrations or more or less resistant keys.

Sony PlayStation VR2 Sense Controllers

Head-on competition with Facebook

Thanks to the PSVR2, Sony could give a boost to the virtual reality market.

The power of the Japanese brand in the world of video games is well established, and it has the potential to convert the general public to a hobby often perceived as reserved for technophiles.

This future headset will also relaunch competition with Facebook, which also targets the same audience with its Oculus Quest range.

The Californian group currently dominates the VR market with 3.5 million sales in 2021 according to IDC.

The sales price of the PSVR2, which already requires a console at 499 euros to operate, will be crucial to its success.

Just like a rich, varied and exclusive catalog of games.

Otherwise, it may quickly collect dust, like its predecessor the PSVR, released in 2016.