At last night’s Mediatek Executive Summit 2022, the manufacturer confirmed that the PlayStation VR 2 is being powered by their chipset, the first MediaTek SoC in a VR product. The PlayStation VR 2 is set for launch in February 2023 and is one of the most highly-anticipated tech launches of the year. The VR headset and its controllers boast some pretty impressive tech and a pretty stacked lineup of games to go with it.
The PlayStation VR2 is priced at $549.99, which is significantly lower than that of other major VR products in the market such as the Valve Index and HTC Vive. It is priced closer to the Meta Quest 2, and the upcoming Meta Quest 3, scheduled for launch in 2023, is also said to cost around the same as the $500 mark.
PS VR2 Specifications
- Display – OLED
- Panel Resolution – 2000 x 2040 per eye
- Panel Refresh Rate – 90Hz, 120Hz
- Lens Separation – Adjustable
- Field of View – Approx. 110 degrees
- Sensors – Motion Sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer)
Attachment Sensor: IR Proximity sensor - Cameras – 4 cameras for headset and controller tracking, IR camera for eye tracking per eye
- Feedback – Vibration on the headset
- Communication with PS5 – USB Type C
- Audio – Input: Built-in microphoneOutput: Stereo headphone jack
Despite its seemingly low price, the PS VR 2 doesn’t seem to compromise on the tech at hand as it delivers 4K HDR, a 110-degree field of view, and an OLED display with a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz. To sweeten the deal a little more, the VR 2 Sense controllers feature the same revolutionary haptic feedback that has been a roaring success for the PS5’s Dualsense controllers.
PlayStation VR 2 Could be a Game Changer for VR Gaming
VR, for all the hype behind its incredibly potent tech and immersion, hasn’t really yet taken off in a way that would befit the hype. A large part of it is probably down to the pricing of the equipment and the requirement of physical space these headsets demand. While the PS VR 2 by itself will cost around $549.99, it can only be used via a PlayStation 5, which is also a massive $499/ Rs 54,990 purchase. This brings up the cost significantly more and the barrier for entry for the average PS5 user has been raised quite a bit.
Gaming hardware is only as good as the games you can play on it and it looks like the VR 2 has a pretty impressive lineup so far. Leading the charge is Horizon Call of the Mountains, a VR experience set within the world of the Horizon franchise and the game will provide a new, immersive way to explore the world.
Woahhh! @MediaTek is officially announcing that they're providing the chipset for the new @PlayStation #PSVR2 pic.twitter.com/jPJMoaLQ65
— Nirave 尼拉夫 (@nirave) November 10, 2022
Other notable games available on the VR 2 will be Resident Evil Village, one of the best games of 2021, and No Man’s Sky, one of the best games currently available today. It will be interesting to see if the VR2 is able to shake things up in a major way and change the way VR tech is seen in gaming. The price for the headset is yet to be revealed in India but it is expected to be around the Rs 45,000 mark.
