PlayStation VR 2

Report: Sony Plans to Produce 2 Million PSVR 2 Headsets by March 2023

October 3, 2022 From roadtovr

Sony plans to release PSVR 2 sometime in early 2023, although exactly when is still a mystery. Now a Bloomberg report maintains the company is aiming to produce 2 million units by March 2023, which would signify a sizeable uptick in sales expectations over the original PSVR.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the report maintains the 2 million figure “could be adjusted depending on the device’s sales momentum.” The company allegedly hasn’t faced any supply chain issues after initially heading into mass production in September, however.

Released in October 2016, the original PSVR for PS4 reached that two-million-unit sales mark after about 14 months on store shelves. In late 2019, Sony announced the headset has sold over five million units. By the time PSVR reached that two-million-mark Sony had already sold 70.6 million PS4s however—a large potential install base that PS5 frankly just doesn’t have yet.

According to sales figures obtained by Android Authority, the company has only sold five million PS5 consoles as of August 2022. The Bloomberg report maintains though PSVR 2 sales will begin with “an expected relief of supply chain bottlenecks” that affected the rollout of PlayStation 5, so it’s possible the company is looking to significantly increase production on PS5 to further maximize PSVR 2 sales.

On the standalone side of things: it’s uncertain how many Meta Quest 2 headsets have sold to date, however data obtained from independent analyst IDC maintains it reached around three million in sales in the first quarter since launch in 2020.

IDC further claims Quest 2 has already reached 14.8 million units sold as of June 2022. Standalone headsets present the best-case scenario for headset sales right now since they include onboard processing, giving you everything you need in one box.

Want to learn more about PSVR 2? Check out our detailed hands-on with the headset, and some of the top titles coming to the headset including Resident Evil Village and Horizon Call of the Mountain.

PlayStation VR 2 Launching Early 2023, Sony Confirms

August 22, 2022 From roadtovr

Sony confirmed today that its latest VR headset, PSVR 2, will see a release date in 2023. The company’s brief announcement didn’t include a price for PlayStation VR 2, one of the last pieces of key info that’s still unknown.

Sony today shared one of the last but most important pieces of info regarding PlayStation VR 2… its launch window. The company confirmed today on Instagram (of all places) that the headset’s release date will come in early 2023, but shared absolutely no other info about the headset’s launch.

Granted, we know almost everything there is to know about PSVR 2 by this point, except for its price.

The early 2023 launch window (presumably Q1) is a curious move by Sony. The company has only ever launched major PlayStation hardware in Q3 or Q4, dating all the way back to the original PS1, and including the first PSVR headset.

Our best guess for the move is that Sony is expecting the ongoing global supply chain and inflation issues to cause chaos in the electronics market this holiday, and it doesn’t want to battle other consumer electronics makers on price. It’s even possible that the company wasn’t able to secure the components it needed for a Q4 2022 launch, forcing it to delay to Q1 2023.

In any case, we finally have an idea of when PlayStation VR 2 will launch… and it will be more than six years since the original headset’s release.

Sony is promising that PSVR 2 will offer an innovative VR experience with many features not currently found in other consumer headsets, like eye-tracking, HDR, head-haptics, and advanced trigger haptics. Check out our breakdown of PlayStation VR 2 specs to learn everything we know about the headset and how it compares to the original PSVR.

Import Records Reveal Sony Has Shipped Thousands of Dev Kits, Possibly PSVR 2

March 16, 2022 From roadtovr

United States import records from late 2021 onward show that Sony Interactive Entertainment has shipped thousands of boxes containing developer kits from Asia to the US. The exact contents of the boxes hasn’t been specified, however Sony’s next-gen PlayStation VR 2 headset is a very likely candidate.

As first reported by TweakTown, Sony has shipped 2,374 cartons containing “DEVELOPMENT KIT[s] FOR INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE,” starting back in October 2021.

Here’s the relevant data from TweakTown, sourced from import/export firm Import Genius and confirmed with Seair Exim Solutions:

January 2022 – 434 CTN (cartons), 4730 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
December 2021 – 980 CTN, 8712 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
November 2021 – 480 CTN, 5218 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA
October 2021 – 240 CTN, 2612 kg, Korea -> Oakland, CA
October 2021 – 240 CTN, 2612 kg, Japan -> Oakland, CA

Granted, records don’t specify which dev kit is inside the box, however we can make a few educated guesses.

Platform holders like Sony typically distribute dev kits to a handful of select studios months before launch so they can properly target the new hardware. PSVR 2 is rumored to release in early 2023, so the clock is ticking for studios to make the best use of all the new tech packed into Sony’s next-gen headset, including eye-tracking, face haptics and its new Sense controllers.

PlayStation 5 released in November 2020 and continues to lag in production due to the global chip shortage, so it’s unlikely Sony is shipping additional PS5 consoles to developers at this late stage.

Sony also hasn’t announced any other console, like a PlayStation 5 Pro. Given the ongoing supply chain problem with microprocessors, a surprise PS5 Pro launch seems like a non-starter considering PS5 is still in high demand and relatively little supply.

Want to learn everything there is to know about PSVR 2? Check out specs and a breakdown of the tech in PSVR 2.

PlayStation VR 2 Finally Revealed in First Images

February 22, 2022 From roadtovr

Sony finally lifted the veil on PlayStation VR2 along with the final design image of the PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers.

Note: This news is breaking. We’re updating this piece as new information comes in.

We’ve been waiting for nearly a year now since Sony first revealed images of its PSVR 2 Sense controllers to finally catch a glimpse of PSVR 2.

The next-gen headset itself takes on a very PS5 aesthetic—which is no wonder, since it’s the official VR headset for PS5. The company also says the orb-like headset and matching controllers are supposed to represent “the 360-degree view that players feel when they enter the virtual reality world.”

Sony says it’s paid “very close attention to the ergonomics of the headset and conducted extensive testing to ensure a comfortable feel for a variety of head sizes.”

The company says it’s balanced the headset weight and included an adjustable headband that can be tweaked to fit the headset closer or further away from the face. So much is pretty standard for the original PSVR too, however Sony says new features a lens adjustment dial for more comfortable viewing, among other things.

“We also created a slimmer design with a slight weight reduction – even with the new added features such as the new built-in motor for the headset feedback,” says Hideaki Nishino, Sony Vice President of Platform Experience. “It was quite a challenge to create a slimmer design with new features added to improve upon our first headset, but our design and engineering teams proved this could be possible when we saw the final design!”

The headset is also said to include a new vent design for better air flow. And just like the PS5 and Dual Sense controller, the new PSVR 2 Sense controller and PSVR 2 headset will feature tiny PS symbols all throughout its design.

Sony first shared PSVR 2’s specs back in January. As you can see below, it’s set to be a substantial upgrade over the original PSVR, which was first unveiled in 2014 as Project Morpheus and later released as PSVR in 2016.

Yes, it has tethered design, although it features inside-out optical tracking that will do away with the positively ancient PlayStation Camera, as well as PS Move controllers. If you’re looking for a bigger breakdown than the chart below, check out our PSVR 2 spec comparison article for more.

PSVR vs. PSVR 2 Specs
	PSVR 2	PSVR
Resolution	2,000 × 2,040 (4.1MP) per-eye, OLED, HDR	960 × 1,080 (1.0MP) per-eye, RGB OLED
Refresh Rate	90Hz, 120Hz	90Hz, 120Hz
Lenses	unknown	Single element non-Fresnel
Field-of-view (claimed)	110° (diagonal presumed)	100° (diagonal presumed)
Optical Adjustments	IPD	Eye-relief
Connectors	USB-C (no breakout box)	USB, HDMI (breakout box)
Cable Length	unknown	4.4m
Tracking	Inside-out (no external beacons)	Outside-in (external camera)
On-board cameras	4x IR (external), 2x IR (internal)	None
Input	PSVR 2 Sense controllers (rechargable), eye-tracking	DualShock 4 (rechargeable), PS Move (rechargeable), PS Aim (rechargeable), voice
Audio	3.5mm aux output	3.5mm aux output
Microphone	Yes	Yes
Haptics	Controllers, headset	Controllers
Weight	unknown	600g
Release Date	Expected Q3/Q4 2022	2016
Console Compatibility	PS5 (backwards compatibility not expected)	PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5

There’s still no telling when PSVR 2 will release. We’ll be following this story in the coming days, so check back soon.

A Sony Patent Could Bring Next-gen Fresnel Lenses to PSVR 2

February 8, 2022 From roadtovr

We learned last week that PSVR 2 will use Fresnel lenses, which have a range of advantages over traditional lenses, but also come with a big downside: god rays. However, Sony may have a trick up its sleeve that could give the headset’s Fresnel lenses a big advantage over the competition.

As we explained last week with the revelation about PSVR 2’s lenses, every major consumer VR headset on the market has moved to Fresnel lenses, but they unfortunately come with one major downside and that is ‘god rays’. This is a visual artifact that’s especially prominent with high-contrast elements (like white text on a black background) which appears to show streaks of light radiating outward from the center of the lens. This is a lens-dependent issue; no matter how much resolution you pack into the display or what kind of display you’re using, the image will always be negatively impacted by god rays.

A comparison between a Fresnel lens (1) and a traditional lens (2). The Fresnel lens has the same overall curvature but in a more compact package.

The industry at large has leaned into Fresnel lenses seemingly because they offer greater flexibility for optical designs that are light and compact. High-end optical systems (like the lens of a DSLR) often stack multiple lens elements in a row to achieve the desired optical characteristics, but this has been largely avoided for VR headsets due to the additional cost, complexity, and size that can come with multi-element optics.

Are we forever doomed to suffer god rays in VR headsets with Fresnel lenses? Maybe not. And PlayStation 2 might be the first headset to truly address the problem.

A patent granted to Sony in 2020 proposes a “method of manufacturing the Fresnel lens which can suppress [god rays] […].”

The patent describes adding a “light absorbing portion” to the surfaces of the Fresnel lens that don’t actually contribute to the overall shape of the lens (the back-side of the ridges). This would, in theory, reduce god rays by preventing light from being scattered by those parts of the lens. The patent shows several arrangements for the light absorbing portion, both on the surface of the lens and embedded within it.

If you’ve ever seen a Fresnel lens in a modern VR headset then you know how tiny the ridges of the lens can be. Placing a light absorbing material only on those parts of the lens that are undesirably would understandably be difficult.

HP’s Reverb G2 headset; zoom way in to spot the tiny Fresnel ridges in the lens | Photo by Road to VR

Sony’s patent proposes several different methods for manufacturing such a lens. One of which involves applying a ‘mask’ (which blocks light) over the entire lens surface, and then, using some kind of exposure technique, removing only portion where light is desired to pass through.

Another method proposes starting with the light absorbing material already shaped and then forming the lens around it so that the ridges align just right with the light absorbing structure.

It’s an interesting idea and, to our knowledge, not one that’s been employed in a VR headset yet.

– – — – –

As ever, big companies like Sony file lots of patents and many of them never become products. There’s no telling whether the methods described are even practical for mass manufacturing. So it’s tough to say if this might end up in PSVR 2, but the option is on the table.

At a minimum we at least know that Sony filed the patent with VR headsets in mind. While this patent could easily apply to the company’s many other optics-related business interests—they make their own high-end cameras and lenses, after all— this patent was specifically filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the division of the company responsible for PlayStation. What’s more, the patent specifically mentions using two Fresnel lenses in front of a display for use in a “head mounted display.”

It’s unlikely that we’ll get any more details on PSVR 2’s lenses before the company reveals the final design, which is expected sometime this year.

PSVR 2 Could Include Tech from the Biggest Name in Eye Tracking

February 7, 2022 From roadtovr

Tobii, a global leader in eye-tracking, announced it’s currently in talks with Sony to include its tech in the upcoming PlayStation VR2.

Tobii released a short press statement today confirming that negotiations are ongoing, additionally noting that it’s “not commenting on the financial impact of the deal at this time.”

It was first revealed that Sony would include eye-tracking in PSVR 2 back in May 2021, with the mention that it will provide foveated rendering for the next-gen VR headset. Foveated rendering allows the headset to render scenes in high detail exactly where you’re looking and not in your peripheral. That essentially lets PSVR 2 save precious compute power for more and better things.

Founded in 2001, Tobii has become well known in the industry for its eye-tracking hardware and software stacks. The Sweden-based firm has partnered with VR headset makers over the years and can be found in a number of devices, such as HTC Vive Pro Eye, HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition, Pico Neo 2 Eye, Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye, and a number of Qualcomm VRDK reference designs.

It’s still unclear when PSVR 2 is slated to arrive, although it may be positioned to become the first true commercial VR headset to feature eye-tracking—that’s if PSVR 2 isn’t beaten out by Project Cambria, the rumored ‘Quest Pro’ headset from Meta which is also said to include face and eye-tracking.

PlayStation VR 2

PSVR vs. PSVR 2 Specs