This is great news. PSVR is one of the best selling headsets and I think that if VR is going to become mainstream it needs a console presence. I can't say that I played a lot of games on my PSVR and it was probably not worth what I paid for it, but it was really neat, and if the new version incorporates a lot of the advances PC VR has seen (and has higher fidelity) it will really be something.
Plus they're working on new controllers, which are a must given the limitations of the move.
PSVR for the PS4 was a cool toy but kind of an afterthought. I think that PS5 VR is going to be something special and hopefully keep the momentum of VR development and gaming moving forward.
Having DualSense-esque controllers in VR would be amazing. Probably the most annoying part of the Move controllers was charging them. I don’t think I had anything with that uses that port anymore and was a hassle charging two of them.
By the time that headset comes out, the original PS VR will probably be 5 to 6 years old. I know it’s marketing spin to call it a “next-gen” headset, but there’s been noticeable improvements in VR over that period of time. Hopefully there’s a huge improvement with the next headset.
The things i want out of a new headset are PC and PSVR1 compatibility. Better screens, controller and tracking should be a given, and are a must in the case of tracking. Calling the PSVR an afterthought is a good way to describe it. It was at a good price, the hardware was fairly good, but had some shortcomings in the controllers and tracking because of the rehashed PS Move tech. The temperamental tracking was its main shortfall and where they should not have skimped on the R&D.
If they can hit $300-$400 with the new headset with good tracking and it works with PC ill probably get one at some point.
I bought a PSVR around launch and I think the only thing I spent any significant time doing with it was playing through Bound in VR. I really don't know what the future of VR is at this point. I don't know what it would take for me to care about VR again.
This is a cool surprise! But really disappointed it isn't wireless. Even if they went the Oculus Quest route and made it a standalone device that didn't interface with the PS5 at all that might have been preferable to another cord coming out of the back of a helmet.
They could have even called it the PSPVR. Come on.
@angrighandi: I think the sweet spot for VR is enhancements to games like Resident EVIIL. Go pickup roadside trash if you’re trying to simulate what virtual reality can do. Close your eyes. No wires!
I never bought a PSVR for PS4 because I've been using my launch console this whole time and working under the assumption that the PSVR worked best on the PS4 Pro, which I never owned. It's something that I'd definitely be interested in trying on PS5 though, I messed around with my brothers PSVR and had a lot of fun playing SuperHot. You'd hope that they'd be able to really up the quality of that experience with the next gen horsepower.
I tried picking up a PS4VR, hoping for a deal. Nope, they all seem to be regular-to-inflated prices. I imagine stock is low.
So, what's the deal with PC compatibility? As in, is there any? I just put together an RTX build, and would love to start VRing. I'm tempted to get a Index but a) hella expensive, b) it's about a 2-3month wait, at best, I hear, and c) HTC was teasing a lot of VR announcements through the year, and maybe there'll be a Valve Index 2 somewhere along there? However, if PS5VR works with PCs, that would solve that entire issue for me.
@cheburashka: Sony doesn't support PC. There are ways of getting a PSVR to work with a PC, but last time i looked the way it was done was really not worth the effort. To many things need to be hacked together to get something close to a PC VR headset, and still not as good. Best cheap option is a Oculus Quest right now, but im not a fan of facebook so im not getting one. And the jump in price to a better headset like the Index is more then im willing to spend.
Its why PC compatibility is on my wishlist for the new PSVR2 headset. VR even at the relatively cheap prices of PSVR and Quest is still an investment, and it sucks having it locked to one platform when good content is still fairly spars. I hope Sony can sell the headset for a profit and doesn't care that they may not make as much back selling games on PC. But selling more headsets and with the economies of scale make the headset even cheaper and get even more people into VR and get the snowball rolling on making VR more mainstream.
They are showing off the new controllers. A big improvement over the old Move controllers. And based on the wording of how they are tracked im going to assume the new headset uses inside-out tracking. Which will make setting it up easy with just the one USB cord and no camera. Makes me more hopeful that this can at the very least be hacked to work with a PC even if Sony doesn't officially support it.
Features
The new VR controller enables players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way. There are several features, including key features from the DualSense controller, which match our vision for what next-generation VR games can be.
● Adaptive triggers: Each VR controller (Left and Right) includes an adaptive trigger button that adds palpable tension when pressed, similar to what’s found in the DualSense controller. If you’ve played a PS5 game, you’ll be familiar with the tension in the L2 or R2 buttons when you press them, such as when you’re drawing your bow to fire an arrow. When you take that kind of mechanic and apply it to VR, the experience is amplified to the next level.
● Haptic feedback: The new controller will have haptic feedback optimized for its form factor, making every sensation in the game world more impactful, textured and nuanced. When you’re traversing through rocky desert or trading blows in melee combat, you’ll feel the difference, magnifying the extraordinary visual and audio experience that’s so central to VR.
● Finger touch detection: The controller can detect your fingers without any pressing in the areas where you place your thumb, index, or middle fingers. This enables you to make more natural gestures with your hands during gameplay.
● Tracking: The VR controller is tracked by the new VR headset through a tracking ring across the bottom of the controller.
● Action buttons / analog sticks: The Left controller contains one analog stick, the triangle and square buttons, a “grip” button (L1), trigger button (L2) and Create button. The Right controller contains one analog stick, the cross and circle buttons, a “grip” button (R1), trigger button (R2) and Options button. The “grip” button can be used to pick up in-game objects, as one example.
The controllers look cool, but I wonder how necessary having controllers actually is for VR, and how much of it is just the bad taste motion controls and the Kinect left in peoples mouth. The second Kinect got good enough to track individual fingers right? Or am I making that up? Whatever. You probably still would need a way to move your characters, and sticks are probably still the best way to do that.
I wonder how necessary having controllers actually is for VR
Separated controllers are absolutely necessary for a good experience in VR. Finger-detection is impossible without an array of sensors positioned all around your body, and most VR sets are moving away from dedicated sensors.
The curious thing about the controllers is that they seemingly don't have the lights on them that will be read by the PSCamera. Tracking ring at the bottom of the controller seems very hard to track by camera. Maybe it’s infrared tracking distance from the floor. On commonality in all usage cases is the floor . So maybe a camera isn't necessary. After playing PSVR on a PS4 I think al I want is head tracking while I play a 3D space. I don't think Iron Man VR set the world on fire because who wants to do all the physical labor required to play VR games like Half Life Alyx. I think motion controls on the level of The Switch is good enough and not requiring a camera keeps the price low (who wants to balance a camera on a 2mm thick TV. Besides, between controllers, PS5, camera, and PSVR we are entering $1200 territory. Best case scenario is a bundle with controller + headset for $400. Sony is giving away a ton of PSVR games next week and none of them seem to involve any of the stupid full body tracking https://www.google.com/amp/s/blog.playstation.com/2021/03/17/play-at-home-2021-update-10-free-games-to-download-this-spring/amp/ . This move and psvr might make me go digital only PS5. Me hopes that they take the if you want full body tracking we have a system for you, it's called the PS4 approach.
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