Sony Interactive Entertainment today officially confirmed it will release a next generation PS5 VR headset in the future.
The headset, which does not have an official name, will not launch this year. Over on the PlayStation Blog the company stated that the device will feature enhanced resolution, field of view, tracking and input compared to the original PSVR, which launched in 2016. PSVR 1 featured a 1080p display and was tracked using a user-facing PlayStation Camera that followed lights on both the headset and motion controllers, but didn’t allow for 360 degree tracking with those controllers.
This new device will connect to PS5 with a single cord – there’s no mention of wireless at this time. Sony did, however, confirm that the kit will feature a new ‘VR controller’ that implements features first used in the new DualSense PS5 controller. It didn’t detail exactly what those features would be but past patents have outlined controllers with improved haptics and resistant triggers (both seen in DualSense) along with sensors to track the positions of individual fingers.
The news comes after years of speculation about the possibility of a PSVR 2 or PS5 VR headset. Patents, research videos and talks all confirmed Sony was prototyping new VR devices, but executive comments made it uncertain that any such device would see the light of day.
For now, PSVR itself works with PS5 but the setup is complicated, requiring an adaptor for the PlayStation Camera and your old PS4 controllers. That said, some developers have updated their games to take advantage of the PS5’s improved horsepower, including the PS4 version of No Man’s Sky. PS5 games can’t, however, implement native support for the original PSVR at this stage.
What are you hoping for in a next-generation PS5 VR headset? Let us know in the comments below.
