Welcome to the high-end VR party, PS5 console owners

Sony PS5 next-gen VR controller on blue background — (Image credit: Sony)

This year's CES 2022 announcement from Sony included confirmation of the PlayStation VR2, the company's next-generation VR system for the PlayStation 5 console. The PS VR2 looks like it'll be a pretty capable machine, packed with features you'd expect from a modern VR headset. Of course, with a few PlayStation-y innovations coming in under the Sense Technology moniker.

The official PlayStation blog outlines the PS VR2 specs, which include 4K HDR at 2,000 x 2,040 resolution per eye, and 1,001 ppi. That's miles above the previous generation PS VR1's overall 1080p with 386 ppi, and thanks to the OLED panel within the headset, players will be able to enjoy some deep contrasts, too.

With the PlayStation 5 powered by a custom AMD SoC, and with 16GB of GDDR6 RAM under the hood, the PS VR2 will surely be able to hold its own in the world of VR. At least until we PC gamers shuffle over to affordable 8K 240Hz VR, that is. That's probably a way off, though. A long way off.

Sony confirms the PS VR2 will come with 90/120Hz capabilities, and our friends over at TechRadar believe the latency of this next-gen headset should improve to around 2.2 milliseconds. That would be a darn sight better than the 18 millisecond latency of the PS VR1, though Sony hasn't confirmed this yet.

What the company has confirmed is an expanded, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering so the processor doesn't have to work as hard. The PS VR2 will also come with impressive sounding headset feedback which "amplifies the sensations of in-game actions," 3D audio, and the all important eye tracking, for "heightened emotional response and enhanced expression" in game. The combination of these features makes up PS VR2 Sense Technology, and it's all stuff right on the forefront of VR tech found anywhere today, even the best VR headsets on PC.

Sony psvr2 announcement — (Image credit: Sony)

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Additionally, PlayStation fans will be relieved to hear the PS VR2 will have inside out tracking—yep, no more setting up sensors. And since the new Sense Controllers will feature six-axis motion sensors (three-axis gyro, and three-axis accelerometer), they should be able to make up for any headset tracking issues when they move out of the camera's view, provided they're in motion. Anything is better than the PlayStation Move controller, but these new Sense Controllers actually look pretty great.

As for the PS VR2 release date, we're still unsure about that. The likelihood is some time this year as TechRadar notes, "Hardware analyst Brad Lynch spotted that a well respected Chinese supply chain analyst shared the news that manufacturer Goertek will be in charge of producing the PSVR 2 headsets, and that mass production could start soon."

Still, that's pretty nebulous.

Having been obsessed with game mechanics, computers and graphics for three decades, Katie took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni and has been writing about digital games, tabletop games and gaming technology for over five years since. She can be found facilitating board game design workshops and optimising everything in her path.