PS VR 2

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.

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.

PS VR 2

PSVR vs. PSVR 2 Specs