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PSVR 2

PSVR 2 vs PC VR Specs Comparison – Index, Reverb G2, Vive Pro 2

From uploadvr

We’ve compared Sony’s newest VR headset to three of the most popular PC VR headsets out there today. How does it stack up? Find out in our PSVR 2 vs PC VR specs comparison!

A few weeks back we compared the recently-released PSVR 2 specs with those for the Quest 2 and the few bits of info we know about Project Cambria. But PSVR 2 will also face stiff competition from a range of established PC VR devices, and those that want only the graphically richest, most demanding VR experiences will be looking to make a choice in this arena (unless they’re not already streaming over Air Link, that is).

For this comparison, then, we’ve chosen three of the best-known PC VR headsets on the market today. That includes Valve’s flagship SteamVR headset, the Index, HP’s high resolution Windows MR-branded Reverb G2 and HTC’s latest PC VR powerhouse, the Vive Pro 2. We haven’t included discontinued headsets like the Oculus Rift S or devices that are aiming for the very top of the enthusiast market, like the Varjo Aero.

With that in mind, let’s get to the specs!

PSVR 2 vs PC VR Spec Comparison

Specs PSVR 2 Valve Index HP Reverb G2 HTC Vive Pro 2
Format Wired connection to console Wired connection to PC Wired connection to PC Wired connection to PC (wireless add-on available)
Price TBA $999 full kit, $499 headset-only $599 full kit $1399 full kit, $749 headset-only
Display Per Eye 2000×2040 1440 x 1600 2160 x 2160 2448 x 2448
Display Type OLED LCD LCD LCD
HDR? Yes No No No
Refresh Rate 90Hz/120Hz 90Hz/120Hz/144Hz 90Hz 90Hz/120Hz
Lens Type TBA Dual-element canted fresnel  Dual-element canted fresnel Dual-element fresnel
Lens Separation Adjustable (specifics TBA) Adjustable Adjustable Adjustable
Tracking Type 4 camera inside-out Outside-in via 2 – 4 SteamVR base stations 4 camera inside-out Outside-in via 2 – 4 SteamVR base stations
Eye Tracking? Yes No No (but high-end Omnicept edition does) No (available via add-on)
Hand Tracking? No No No Yes
Headset Vibration Yes No No No
Microphone? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Audio Headphone jack Integrated headphones Integrated headphones Integrated headphones
Controllers Bundled Sense controllers with buttons, sticks, capacitive touch sensors, haptic feedback (single actuator per unit), trigger resistance  Optionally bundled Valve Index controllers with touch sensing for all fingers/thumbs, sticks, buttons, triggers, trackpad (Vive wand compatible also) Bundled Windows MR controllers with sticks, buttons, triggers, grip Optionally bundled Vive wands with trackpad, triggers, grips (Valve Index controllers compatible also)

And that’s our PSVR 2 vs PC VR spec comparison. Does Sony’s spec sheet interest you enough to go the PS5 route? Or are there other headsets you’re waiting on? Let us know in the comments below!

Sony Won’t Say If PSVR 2 Is Releasing This Year (Yet)

From uploadvr

It appears that Sony is tight-lipped on if PSVR 2 will be releasing this year.

Following last week’s official reveal of the headset’s name and specs, Axios’ Stephen Totilo noted that he had reached out to Sony to ask two key questions about the device. First, Totilo asked if PSVR 2 would be backwards compatible with the original PSVR and its library of content. He also asked if it would release this year.

According to Totilo, Sony declined to comment on each point.

Sony Silent On PSVR 2 Release Date

This perhaps isn’t too surprising given that companies often have dedicated beats for when and where they’ll reveal details such as this, but it is somewhat curious that Sony hasn’t confirmed a broad 2022 release window for its next VR headset yet.

The headset was first announced in early 2021 and UploadVR was the first to reveal specs for the device around the middle of the year, so it’s clear that many details about the kit have been nailed down for a long time. Plus, revealing information at CES in the first week of the year does suggest that you’re firing the starting gun for a months-long promotional plan leading up to a release somewhere around the holiday season. That’s exactly what Sony did with the PS5 two years ago, for example.

But it’s very possible that the ongoing component shortage that has plagued the rollout of so many electronic devices — not least of which the PS5 — is having an influence on Sony’s plans. With so much up in the air and different manufacturers offering differing opinions on when the situation might be resolved, the company might not yet be able to commit to a 2022 release date even if that is the plan.

But, regardless of the silence, we’re fully expecting to at least hear much more about PSVR 2 this year. Stay tuned to UploadVR, where we’ll bring you all the latest on the headset.

PSVR vs. PSVR 2 – How Far Has PlayStation VR Come Since 2016?

From roadtovr

PlayStation VR 2 isn’t here quite yet, but at the very start of 2022 Sony revealed the first detailed specs for the headset. Comparing PSVR vs. PSVR 2 specs side-by-side shows us how much has changed since Sony’s first consumer headset released in 2016.

Among the major players in the VR space, Sony has bided its time on a follow-up to the original headset. Assuming the company’s next-gen VR headset is released this year, around the same time of year as the original, it will be six years between PSVR and PSVR 2.

The original PSVR was released about six months after the first major consumer VR headsets—HTC Vive and Oculus Rift—hit the market back in 2016. However, HTC, Oculus, and others have released many new headsets in the interim. To its credit, PSVR managed to feel competitive for many years after its release, but eventually began to feel dated as the rest of the pack charged ahead.

Now here we are in 2022 with PSVR 2 on PS5 set to bring new life to Sony’s VR ambitions. Let’s take a look at how PSVR and PSVR 2 specs compare:

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

PSVR 2 Specs – Beyond the Numbers

It’s easy to get lost in the numbers so let’s really break down the major changes between the headsets.

Resolution, Field-of-view, & HDR

PSVR 1 display and housing | Photo courtesy iFixit (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

For one, PSVR 2 has about four times the pixel count of PSVR. All things being equal, that means images inside the headset would look about four times sharper, which is a substantial improvement.

However, we know that all things won’t be equal. Sony quotes the field-of-view of PSVR 2 at 110° compared to 100° for PSVR 1. That means that while PSVR 2 has many more pixels, they’ll be stretched over a slightly wider area. Overall the sharpness of the headset should still be substantially better, but not quite as much as the sheer increase in pixels would suggest.

As for the field-of-view itself, 100° to 110° isn’t a huge leap, but you’d surely notice it if you compared the headsets side-by-side.

PSVR 1 had an eye-relief adjustment that allowed users to move the lenses closer to their eyes which helped to maximize the headset’s field-of-view. We don’t yet know if PSVR 2 will include an eye-relief adjustment; if it doesn’t then some users might not be able to utilize the headset’s full field-of-view because of how faces are shaped differently from person-to-person.

Unless a surprise headset beats it to the punch, PSVR 2 will be the first commercially available VR headset to launch with an HDR (high-dynamic range) display. That means it’s capable of a much wider range of brightness than a typical headset. Functionally this means the headset will be able to produce scenes with more life-like brightness which could improve immersive considerably.

Personally I’ve never seen an HDR display in a headset… nor do I know anyone who has (that’s allowed to talk about it). I’ve seen plenty of HDR TVs and phones, but because of the unique way that VR displays typically work (with things like low-persistence), it’s tough to know if HDR on PSVR 2 will be directly comparable. So at this point it’s unclear if HDR will be a ‘nice to have’ feature, or something that defines the headset compared to its contemporaries.

Lenses & IPD

PSVR 1 lens | Photo courtesy iFixit (BY-NC-SA)

We don’t know what kind of lenses PSVR 2 will use. The original headset is famously the only headsets on the market in its class that doesn’t use Fresnel lenses, which are known to cause glare (in exchange for other benefits).

The lenses in the original PSVR had a large enough eye-box that Sony didn’t feel the need to include an IPD adjustment (which adjusts the lenses to match the distance between your eyes). However, PSVR 2 does have an IPD adjustment, which suggests a significant change in the headset’s optics, but it’s difficult to say what that might entail.

Even if the lenses didn’t change, having an IPD adjustment is generally a good idea anyway, so we’re glad to see this change for PSVR 2.

Ease-of-use & Tracking

Even though this reads minimally on a spec sheet, this is a huge deal for PSVR 2—no more breakout box and no more external camera.

PSVR 1 setup diagram | image courtesy Sony

PSVR 1 ships with a large breakout box that accepts two plugs from the headset that run along a thick cable. The breakout box has to be connected to the host console by a USB cable and an HDMI cable (and also has to be plugged into the TV). And don’t forget that it needs its own power supply. That’s six… yes, six, individual plugs running into and out of the box.

Needless to say, the breakout box was a bit of a pain. Not only did it complicate the user’s A/V set up, in some cases it even created resolution and HDR issues for certain TVs; this was partly fixed with a revision to the PSVR hardware, but even so the breakout box was a hindrance to the overall experience.

Oh and don’t forget about the camera. PSVR 1 required the PS4 camera for tracking, which meant having another peripheral plugged into your console. Not only that, but the camera was never made for VR in the first place and it suffered from poor tracking accuracy and limited coverage.

PS4 Camera | Image courtesy Sony

Sony has identified and eliminated these issues for PSVR 2. The breakout box is completely gone; the company says the headset will plug into the PS5 with a single USB-C cable through the USB-C port conveniently placed right on the front of the PS5.

And the PS4 camera is gone too. Instead of using ‘outside-in’ tracking with a camera that sits on your TV, PSVR 2 has on-board cameras for ‘inside-out’ tracking. That means the cameras on the headset itself are used to track the player’s head movements. This eliminates another extra peripheral compared to PSVR 1.

But there’s a risk in Sony’s move to inside-out tracking. The quality of inside-out tracking varies greatly between headset makers. While the inside-out tracking on Quest 2, for instance, is very good, the inside-out tracking on Windows VR headsets leaves much to be desired. Only a handful of companies in the world have shown that they can deliver top-tier inside-out tracking for VR.

Granted, the bar is pretty low in this case. Tracking on PSVR 1 was arguably the worst among major headsets on the market, but it still sold very well regardless. Even if PSVR 2 has just ‘ok’ inside-out tracking, it could still be an improvement over the poor tracking of the original.

All that said, Sony tends to be pretty serious about VR, and I expect they’ll have a decent solution for inside-out tracking, if not a very good one.

Continue on Page 2: Eye-tracking, Controllers, Audio, & Headset Haptics »

Sony Announces PlayStation VR 2 Specs Including Eye-tracking, HDR, & 110° Field-of-view

From roadtovr

Today during Sony’s CES 2022 press conference the company revealed the first details on PlayStation VR 2, including eye-tracking, a “4K” HDR display, and a 110° Field-of-view.

For the first time today, Sony confirmed that its next-gen VR headset for PS5 will be called… *drumroll*… PlayStation VR 2. Although it’s not really much of a surprise, it’s the first time the company has officially revealed the headset’s name.

During the company’s CES 2022 press conference today Sony also confirmed a range of features and specs for PSVR 2. Here’s what we know so far:

PlayStation VR 2 Specs
Resolution 2,000 × 2,040 (4.1MP) per-eye, OLED, HDR
Refresh Rate 90Hz, 120Hz
Field-of-view (claimed) 110° (diagonal presumed)
Optical Adjustments IPD
Connectors USB-C
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons)
On-board cameras 4x IR (external), 2x IR (internal)
Input Motion controllers (rechargeable battery), eye-tracking
Audio 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Yes
Haptics Controllers, headset

Sony said that the headset will include foveated rendering. This is a rendering technique which uses eye-tracking to render high detail only at the center of the user’s field-of-view (where the eye sees most of its detail), while reducing detail in the periphery. This allows for more detailed virtual scenes without giving up much performance.

Eye-tracking and foveated rendering tech has been available in high-end enterprise VR headsets for some time now, but so far no major consumer-class headset has adopted the technology. Unless another headset beats Sony to the punch, PSVR 2 will be the first in its category to adopt the technology.

Similarly, PSVR 2 will include HDR (high dynamic range) technology which has yet to be seen in commercial headsets, even among high-end enterprise devices. HDR allows for a much wider range of brightness which more closely mimics what your eye can see in the real world. Sony hasn’t specified exactly how bright the display can get, so it’s tough to know at this point how impressive the feature could be. Luckily the underlying display in PSVR 2 is based on OLED, which is generally a good sign for quality HDR capabilities.

Eye-tracking and HDR aren’t the only new technologies that Sony is embracing for PlayStation VR 2. The device will also be the first to include on-board haptic feedback on the headset itself. Sony says haptics on the headset will allow for greater immersion (and it could even combat motion sickness).

According to Sony, PSVR 2 will go a long way toward simplifying the VR setup compared to its predecessor. The new headset is ditching the PS camera (which was previously used to track the headset and controllers) in favor of inside-out tracking via cameras mounted on the headset itself. Four infrared cameras will look out at the real world to track the movement of the headset and also track the controllers when they are in view.

And beyond inside-out tracking, PlayStation VR 2 will connect to PS5 with a single USB-C cable. We don’t have the full details yet, but it sounds like there will be no breakout box between the headset and the console. That’s going to get a cheer from fans of the original headset who were used to dealing with a big VHS-sized breakout box which had multiple cables running in and out of it, and needed its own power supply.

Generally the specs on PSVR 2 seem very impressive except for one area… from the specs provided, it appears that the headset will not have on-board audio, instead expecting users to either use their TV speakers or attach their own headphones with a 3.5mm jack. Like the original headset, it’s possible that PSVR 2 will come with a pair of earbuds, though this isn’t an ideal solution for VR headset audio. These details are still early so we’re hoping there might be something we’re missing about audio on the headset that will be revealed once the company releases more info on the hardware.

Although Sony shared a decent set of specs and features today, the price and release date for PSVR 2 is still unannounced, and we still don’t actually know what the headset itself looks like.

Sony Reveals VR Headset Prototype with Display Tech That Could Wind Up in PSVR 2

From roadtovr

During an online showcase today, Sony revealed a VR headset prototype with a 4K OLED microdisplay. While it appears to be a wholly different project than the upcoming PSVR 2, the company says it expects the display itself to be “used in the entertainment field,” which could include other VR headsets.

Today during the Sony Technology Day showcase the company highlighted new technology from across its various businesses.

During the event the Sony Group R&D Center revealed a VR headset prototype which employs a 4K OLED microdisplay. The headset is shown connected to a PC and uses a hand-held form-factor rather than a headstrap. The prototype appears to only support rotation tracking for the time being.

The headset’s 4K OLED microdisplay is ostensibly Sony-made. It’s not only significantly higher resolution than what was in the original PSVR headset, (roughly 1MP vs. 16MP per-eye) it’s also much more compact. The exact specifications weren’t given but a 1-inch² size was suggested.

While the original PSVR used a single large display that spanned both eyes, the display shown in the prototype headset has a nearly square form-factor which makes it better for VR headsets since one display can be used for each eye (which improves design flexibility and pixel utilization).

Image courtesy Sony

Although the new display is more compact, it’s appears to be so small that zooming and focusing the image for an immersive field-of-view would necessitate more advanced optics than what’s in most consumer VR headsets today. Doing so could lead to a rather compact headset, though the presentation doesn’t offer a clear sense of the headset’s fundamental size, nor what kind of optics are used.

Image courtesy Sony

The prototype headset appears to be a totally different project than what Sony’s PlayStation group is working on with the upcoming PSVR 2, however it’s an intriguing possibility that PSVR 2 might make use of the same displays.

Although Sony is in the display business, the original PSVR actually used a Samsung-made OLED display. While many first-gen VR headsets similarly used OLED displays, second-gen headsets have largely moved to LCD for improvements in price, resolution, and brightness, at the cost of the rich colors and dark blacks that OLED displays are known for.

Sony has yet to release its second-gen headset and at this point it’s unclear if it will continue to opt for OLED in the next PSVR headset or move to LCD like most of its peers; rumors suggest it will be OLED, but possibly made by Samsung once again.

For Sony’s part, however, the company says it expects its 4K OLED microdisplay will be used in “industrial applications” as well as the “entertainment field.” This suggests that if PSVR 2 doesn’t use the display, we might ironically see it in other non-Sony VR headsets. The size suggests it might be best fit for compact VR headsets like Vive Flow.

Sony Patent Filing Gives New Look At PSVR 2 Controllers

From uploadvr

We’ve just had another glimpse at the promising motion controllers for Sony’s upcoming PS5 VR headset, this time from a recently-spotted patent filing.

The filing, which was published last week, is for a light-emitting ‘Input Device’ that’s detected by a camera. Several drawings feature the new orb-like design for the unnamed controllers, which Sony shared official renders of right back at the beginning of the year.

Given we’ve seen these controllers before, there isn’t too much new to share here, save for some new angles of the device. The drawings also show exactly where the tracking lights are placed on the device, giving us some idea of how the headset will track the controllers with an onboard camera. We already knew that the headset would track the controllers, rather than an external camera as with the original PSVR, but these designs suggest the controllers will practically be covered in lights to ensure stable inside-out tracking.

We haven’t seen the headset itself yet, nor has it been officially named, but we’re all calling it PSVR 2 for now. You can keep up with everything else we know about the device right here.

PSVR 2 Controllers Patent

As always, we have to note this is merely a patent filing and not official proof of a final product but, given that we’ve already seen the final renders, it’s quite likely what’s being displayed here matches up with the actual design. We’re expecting these controllers to feature capacitive sensors for some form of finger tracking and, of course, the inclusion of analog sticks will be a huge relief to anyone that’s used the PSVR Move controllers.

Earlier this year we also confirmed that PSVR 2 will offer 4K resolution with foveated rendering and onboard motors for some level of haptic feedback. Sony previously confirmed the device won’t be launching in 2021, but we’re hoping to see more of it in 2022 at the very least.

Sony’s Newest VR Headset Isn’t What You Think It Is

From uploadvr

It looks like Sony has a new VR headset on the way but, no, it isn’t PSVR 2.

Xperia Blog caught what appears to be leaked images of a new headset from Sony’s mobile division, Xperia. Yes, that’s right, this is a phone-based VR headset in 2021. According to the rumor, this new device will connect with Sony’s own Xperia 1 II and Xperia 1 III flagship models.

Images of the device show a plastic shell with a space in the front visor for the phone’s camera. There also appears to be a lens adjustment dial on the bottom. There’s no word yet on exactly what type of content you could expect on the device aside from one promotional image (below) that mentions 8K 360 degree HDR content. We don’t if it would offer advanced features like six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking, but that seems unlikely.

Phone-based VR headsets have mostly died out in the past year as the industry has shifted to fully standalone devices like the Oculus Quest. That said the Xperia 1 III is a powerhouse handset with a 4K HDR OLED display and 120Hz refresh rate, so it could offer a pretty striking visual experience.

Sony new VR Headset Promotion

Plus we’re also seeing some interesting new takes on the concept – the HTC Vive Flow connects to a user’s phone wirelessly as a means of control and media viewing, for example.

So, no, it’s not exactly the new Sony VR headset we’ve all been asking for. But more details on the previously-confirmed PS5 VR headset are expected in the new year. You can keep up with everything we know about that headset, which hasn’t officially been called PSVR 2, right here.