It wasn’t too long ago that Sony revealed that it had a sequel to its virtual reality gear in development, dropping a number of pictures to show off a device that pinched inspiration from other established kits in the scene and looking better overall. According to a report on UploadVR via “reliable sources”, PSVR 2 won’t just look and function like an ergonomic dream, it’ll be packing some pretty impressive features into its plastic frame as well.
For starters, the VR headset will have eye tracking, which allows the device to know exactly what it is that you’ve got your peeper locked onto, which will be used in tandem with foveated rendering to channel resources at your area of focus and thus creating more detailed digital renderings. I stand to be corrected, but I don’t think this magic is present in mainstream offerings such as the Oculus Quest 2 or the Valve’s Index VR headset.
Oculus does use fixed foveated rendering for its Quest headsets though (cheers Kotaku) which allows for manual foveated rendering, so only a specific item has its detail amped up while the rest of the image gets a bit like Puddle of Mudd’s magnificent track. Blurry.
Other features that the report mentioned was a per-eye resolution of 2000 x 2040 pixels or 4000 x 2040 in total, which will be enhanced by a lens separation adjustment dial so that you can precisely zero in on where the image looks just right for you. Another big plus, just like the Swiss flag, is inside-out tracking that will cut down on the need for any extra hardware to monitor where you are in your living room space.
Basically, the headset can track where the controllers are using built-in cameras, thus cutting down on the need for external sensors. UploadVR claims that haptic feedback will also be a part of the package, with a tiny motor in the headset, adaptive triggers in the controllers, and other touchy-feely features being used to create a more immersive experience. If the end result is anything like the superb DualSense controller, there’s going to be some top-notch haptic feedback on offer that developers can play with.
The only downside to all this is that the device will still be connected via a single USB-C cable, so you won’t be completely untethered from the PS5 console. It’s leagues better than the absolute mess of wires on the original PSVR though, so that’s something. Sony said that the PSVR2 won’t be out this year, but it’ll be interesting to see how this hardware stacks up against its big PC brothers when it does arrive, hopefully during the course of the PS5’s second year on the market.
Last Updated: May 11, 2021
