At this evening’s CES 2022 conference, Sony discussed its upcoming VR headset and announced a new Horizon game for the device.
PlayStation President Jim Ryan took to the stage to provide details about the company’s next-generation virtual reality device. Following the tried-and-true naming scheme for gaming devices, the PSVR successor is officially called PlayStation VR2. Its controller is no longer a moving wand, but a PlayStation VR2 Sensory Controller instead. Ryan talked about the headset demonstrating a greater sense of presence and increased visual fidelity than the previous model.
Specifications of PSVR2 have been posted on Blog PlayStation which reveals all sorts of interesting information about the headset and the controller. PSVR2 will have a 2000×2040 resolution OLED display for each eye running at 90hz or 120hz. The headset will also come equipped with a camera on the outside to track your controller (and hopefully location in the room) and an IR sensor inside to track your eye movements. Another feature not to be missed is the addition of vibration feedback on the headphones themselves, which is quite exciting for a new level of immersion.
Here are the specifications provided by Sony for the PlayStation VR2 headset:
| Display method | OLED |
| Console resolution | 2000 x 2040 per eye |
| Console refresh rate | 90Hz, 120Hz |
| Split lens | Can be adjusted |
| Field of view | About 110 degrees |
| Sensor | Motion sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer) Attached sensor: Infrared proximity sensor |
| Camera | 4 cameras for headset and IR camera tracking controller for individual eye tracking |
| Feedback | Vibration on headphones |
| Communication with PS5 | USB Type-C® |
| Sound | Input: Built-in microphone Output: Stereo headphone jack |
The Sense PSVR2 controller looks to have split the classic face buttons on both controllers, with each Sense having two of the PS shapes represented. The controllers are equipped with capacitive and IR sensors for finger tracking, while the L2 and R2 buttons will feature a DualSense Trigger Effect touch system with the tension changes needed to press the buttons.
Here are the specs of the PVSR2 Sensory Controller:
| Buttons | [Right] PS button, Option button, Action buttons (Circle/Cross), R1 button, R2 button, Right Bar button/R3 [Left] PS button, Create button, Action buttons (Triangle/Square), L1 button, L2 button, Left/L3 button |
| Sensor / Tracking | Motion sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope + three-axis accelerometer) Capacitive sensor: Finger touch detection LEDIR: Location tracking |
| Feedback | Trigger effect (on R2/L2 button), Haptic feedback (by single actuator per unit) |
| port | USB Type-C® port |
| Communicate | Bluetooth® Ver5.1 |
| The battery | Type: Built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery |
Also during the CES showcase, the first PSVR2 game was announced. Horizon Call of the Mountain is a new VR game that comes from a partnership between Guerrilla Games and Firesprite (The Playroom VR, The Persistence VR). A short clip was shown in which a man removes what looks like a blindfold or bag from the player’s head, revealing a large lush forest with tall trees. They were rowing a boat down a river, when a Tallneck strode into view and then dangerously approached the boat, a moment that must have been a gruesome sight using a VR headset.
No date has been given for PlayStation VR2 or Horizon Call of the Mountain yet, although with hardware specs already released, it can’t be too far in the future. For more Horizon goodness, be sure to check out the latest issue of Game informant Magazine with Forbidden Horizon in the West gracing cover.
What do you think of this new look of PSVR2? Want to see which PlayStation franchise gets translated to VR and why Jet Moto? Let us know about it in the comments!
