PSVR 2 dev says ‘stop sweating’ about the headset’s wire
Developers have been getting their hands on PSVR 2 at GDC 2022, and one outspoken dev has moved to allay fears about Sony’s VR headset having a wire and shared their enthusiasm for the device.
In a post on Resetera (thanks, Push Square), a developer at Truant Pixel, who is making the PSVR 2 motorcycle title RUNNER, said: “Stop sweating about the wire. It’ll disappear once you start playing – unless you’re spinning in circles or something.”
Unlike the Oculus Quest 2, which has now been rebranded as the Meta Quest 2, the PSVR 2 isn’t a wireless headset. Instead, players will have to make do with one wire connecting the headset to the console. That’s an improvement over the original PSVR, which forced players to deal with two wires when stepping into the world of virtual reality.
Some VR fans have expressed concerns that the fact PSVR 2 not being wireless will impact the headset’s overall appeal and limit what’s possible in games, something which the anonymous Truant Pixel dev disagrees with.
The Truant Pixel dev also backed up Valve veteran Chet Faliszek’s positive comments after experiencing a PSVR 2 tech demo and heaped praise onto Sony’s upcoming VR headset.
Had one of those VR moments today playing in the new PSVR2 hmd… You know where the world just feels different when you return? Sooooo good… thanks @yosp and @GregRicey for the demo and chat.March 24, 2022
“Sony has been extremely deliberate with a lot of their choices about this thing,” the developer said. “They’ve been reading the room for a long time now.”
While stressing they can’t say anything specific, likely due to Sony’s strict NDA, they went on to add: “Performance and immersion goes beyond resolution. The numbers certainly matter, but the whole is definitely greater than the sum.” The PSVR 2 will be one of the most technically impressive VR headsets on the market when it releases.
However, it’s the unique features of Sony’s headset that help elevate the overall experience, according to the dev at Truant Pixel, similar to the DualSense controller.
“Haptics make a bigger impact than you realize. Think about the first time you experienced dualsense [sic], now consider it in the context of VR.” The PSVR 2 includes a motor in the headset along with a ventilation port to help combat those sweatier play sessions. The PSVR 2 Sense Controllers support haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and finger tracking.
For those clamoring for videos of the PSVR 2 in action, the Truant Pixel developer warned that any early footage could damage the appeal of Sony’s new headset and that VR, in general, already has a lot to prove for some people.
“People asking for videos, etc – it should be clear by now that that is never representative of the experience for VR, which often is unfairly scrutinized by gamers who are already very skeptical and jaded. I say this from experience. :),” the dev wrote on Resetera.
“VR already has enough to ‘prove’ for people, and showing unfinished builds with incomplete assets or performance hitches would not be in anyones [sic] best interest.”
Analysis: Will PSVR 2 release this year?
It’s clear that PSVR 2 is making a positive first impression with developers who have been lucky enough to experience the headset for themselves, but there are still two pieces of the puzzle that Sony has yet to address with the upcoming device: price and release date.
Sony has said that it’s aiming to release PSVR 2 towards the end of this year, but that the headset could slip to 2023 if there are complications with supply.
We’re still none the wiser when it comes to the price of PSVR 2, however. The headset appears to tick all the boxes that someone could desire for a high-end VR device, but that will likely come at an increased cost over the PSVR, which was $499 / £399 (about AU$650).
If you’re recently stumped up $499 / £449 / AU$975 for a PS5 console, the idea of paying a similar price for an accessory may be too much for some. There’s also the unavoidable fact that even finding a PS5 to purchase remains frustrating difficult.
The PSVR 2 certainly has a number of challenges to overcome, then, but it’s pleasing that developers are already encouraged by what they’ve seen. Ultimately it will be the games and experiences that Sony provides that will help sell PSVR 2 to gamers, and we think Sony might already have its killer app in Gran Turismo 7.
