PSVR 2 news, release date, price, games, rumours and everything else

The world of VR has grown exponentially in the last few years, and Sony has been at the forefront of it from a games perspective, launching the original PlayStation VR headset back in 2016.

Now that the PS5 has entered the market, Sony has confirmed that its next-gen virtual reality device is on the way – officially known as the PlayStation VR2. As such, here at T3 we've gathered all the officially announced PSVR 2 information, as well as notable leaks, rumours, price details, games and other specs in one convenient place for your reading pleasure.

Like its predecessor, the PSVR 2 is going to be a device that's very specifically targeted. As of January 2020, Sony confirmed that PSVR has surpassed five million sales but the PSVR 2 is expected to be on another level entirely. 

Sony unveiled lots of PSVR 2 details throughout 20222 – most importantly a first look at the headset and a list of official specifications. We also got a release date and price as well as confirmation that Horizon is receiving its own PSVR 2 title in the form of Horizon Call of the Mountain. Exciting times! 

That said, there are still a number of details we don't know about. Here's everything we know so far about PSVR 2, including all of the latest news, rumours and leaks. 

PSVR 2 – release date and price

Sony has now officially confirmed that the PSVR 2 will arrive on the market on February 22nd, 2023. This was confirmed by the Japanese firm in November 2022, following months of speculation. 

Sony also confirmed that a PSVR 2 unit will cost $549.99 / £529.99 / AU$879.95. This will include a PSVR 2 headset, PSVR 2 Sense controllers and stereo headphones. A PSVR 2 bundle with Horizon Call of the Mountain will be available at $599.99 / £569.99 / AU$959.95 as well. 

The original retail price for the first PSVR was slightly cheaper. That device launched in October 2016 at £349 / $399 / AU$549.95 before dropping down to £299 / $299 / AU$479 for the PSVR Starter Pack a year later. So PSVR 2 is definitely a high-end tech product.

PSVR 2 – design

Sony officially revealed a first look at the PSVR 2 headset with the final design of the Sense controllers in February 2022 (via PS Blog). 

Taking inspiration from the PS5, the PSVR 2 headset has received updates to help with user comfort by adding new features such as a lens adjustment dial, allowing users to have an additional option to match the lens distance between their eyes to optimise their view, as well as a slimmer design with a slight weight reduction. Additionally, there is a new built-in motor for the headset feedback. 

Sony confirmed that the design of the PSVR 2 will utilise a "simplified single-cord setup", so we're not going to get the complete wireless freedom of something like the Oculus Quest 2. The first look at the headset showed off the cord setup. Despite that, it's still a big update that looks to reduce the numerous wires included in the original.

“When I started to work on the design for the PlayStation VR2 headset, one of the areas I wanted to focus on first was the idea of creating a vent in the headset to let air out, similar to the vents on the PS5 console that allows airflow," Sony Interactive Entertainment senior art director Yujin Morisawa said, speaking on the new update.

"Our engineers came up with this idea as a good way to allow ventilation and avoid having the lens fog up while players are immersed in their VR games. I worked on many design concepts to achieve this, and in the final design, you can see there is a little space in between the top and front surface of the scope that contains the integrated ventilation. I am really proud of how this turned out and the positive feedback I have gotten so far. I hope our PlayStation fans will also agree, and I can’t wait for them to try it out.”

An update of the original PSVR headset was released back in 2017 when Sony launched the CUH-ZVR2 model. The major differences were lighter cables as well as the stereo headphone now being situated within the headset, again reducing the cabling situation from the CUH-ZVR1. Most notably, HDR passthrough was enabled for 4K TVs through the new processor unit, something that was available prior but was a lot more hassle to set up. We expect Sony to continue this streamlining approach.

PlayStation VR2 Sense controller

What we do know is what the PSVR 2 Sense controllers are going to look like, thanks to an early preview from Sony itself. As you can see from the picture below, the ergonomic controllers wrap around the entire hand, and we're being promised adaptive triggers, haptic feedback and finger-touch detection when they make their appearance.

Nishino further added in a blog post that these new features "enables you to make more natural gestures with your hands during gameplay." In January 2022, the device was officially titled the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.

Some of this tech, like the tension you can feel when you press down on a trigger, has been adapted from the DualSense controllers that come with the PS5 console itself. Sony says that a tracking ring on the bottom of the controller will be used to track your hands in 3D space, with no need for any external monitors or trackers to be added.

On the left controller, we have an analog stick, the triangle and square buttons, a 'grip' L1 button, an L2 trigger button and a Create button. Over on the right controller, there's another analog stick, the cross and circle buttons, a 'grip' R1 button, an R2 trigger button and an Options button. One of the uses for the 'grip' buttons is to pick up objects in the virtual reality world, for example.

PSVR 2 – specs

Sony has now confirmed lots of information about the PSVR 2's specs and hardware (via its official blog). The official PlayStation VR 2 specifications are as below:

Display: OLED
Resolution: 2000 x 2040 per eye
Refresh rate: 90Hz, 120Hz
Lens separation: Adjustable
Field of view: 110 degrees
Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system
Cameras: Four cameras for headset, one IR camera
Feedback: Vibration on headset
Communication: USB Type-C
Audio: Headphone jack, built-in mic

In terms of visual fidelity, the PSVR 2 offers a 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view and foveated rendering. The PSVR 2's display is OLED and consumers can expect a display resolution of 2000 x 2040 per eye and in-game frame rates of 90Hz or 120Hz.

The PSVR 2 headset also delivers controller tracking with inside-out tracking. This means that the headset tracks the controller through integrated cameras, with directions and movements made mirrored in the game, without the need for an external camera.

"All of these advancements in PlayStation VR2, combined with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers from the PS VR2 Sense controllers, enable players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way," wrote Sony platform experience senior vice president Hideaki Nishino. 

Eye-tracking

During a Unity talk at GDC 2022, it was further revealed (via Android Central) that the PSVR 2 headset's eye-tracking has received a boost.  The GPU frame times are now up to 2.5 times faster with foveated rendering and now 3.6 times faster with rendering and eye-tracking combined. 

Sony similarly has officially confirmed the specifications for the PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers. These can be seen below:

Buttons: [Right] PS button, Options button, Action buttons (Circle / Cross), R1 button, R2 button, Right Stick / R3 button

[Left] PS button, Create button, Action buttons (Triangle / Square), L1 button, L2 button, Left Stick / L3 button

Sensing/Tracking: Motion sensor: six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope plus three-axis accelerometer). Capacitive sensor: finger touch detectionIR LED: position tracking

Feedback: Trigger effect (on R2/L2 button), haptic feedback (by single actuator per unit)

Port: USB Type-C

Communication: Bluetooth

Battery: Built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery

PSVR 2 – games

Sony has confirmed that PSVR 2 will have more than 20 games at launch, being made up of both first-party and third-party titles. The biggest two are clearly Horizon Call of the Mountain and Resident Evil Village but there are seemingly a lot more in the works. 

"Right now, there is a considerable amount of money being spent on partnerships with independent and other third-party developers to secure a considerable pipeline of attractive VR content at the launch of PlayStation VR2,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan during a briefing in May 2022 (via VGC). 

“That energy, that effort and that money will continue to grow as the installed base of PlayStation VR 2 headsets grows also.”

Sony also announced 11 new games alongside the unveiling of the PSVR 2 price and release date in November. This includes:

• The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (Supermassive Games)
• Crossfire: Sierra Squad (Smilegate)
• The Light Brigade (Funktronic Labs)
• Cities VR (Fast Travel Games)
• Cosmonious High (Owlchemy Labs)
• Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue (TinyBuild Games)
• Jurassic World Aftermath Collection (Coatsink)
• Pistol Whip VR (Cloudhead Games)
• Zenith (Ramen VR)
• After the Fall (Vertigo Games)
• Tentacular (Firepunchd Games UG)

The original PSVR launched with over 30 games, including Batman: Arkham VR, Driveclub VR, EVE: Valkyrie, Job Simulator, PlayStation VR Worlds, Rez Infinite, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Thumper and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. 

Over the span of its lifecycle, it then went on to receive such fantastic titles as Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, Blood & Truth, Tetris Effect, Moss, Beat Saber, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Once again, Sony is going to need a strong roster of games to tempt players into purchasing the virtual reality accessory. 

Horizon Call of the Mountain

After months of rumours, a Horizon game for PSVR 2 was officially confirmed by Sony in January 2021. Developed by Guerrilla and Firesprite, the original game is being built specifically for PSVR 2 and is said to "open the doors for players to go deeper into the world of Horizon". 

Now that Horizon Forbidden West has launched, it's likely we'll start to hear more about this project in the coming months. 

Iron Man VR 2

Iron Man VR developer Camouflaj put up a load of new vacancies for a currently unannounced triple-A project. The listing asks for "experience with VR" so it's fair to assume the studio will be staying within the space for the time being. Could this be Iron Man VR 2, or even another Marvel property? 

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord

After hearing fan requests, Sony Pictures confirmed in June 2022 (via Twitter) that Ghostbusters VR will be coming to PSVR 2. It was then renamed Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord on Halloween 2022 with influencers Kinda Funny making the announcement via their daily games show. The game is expected to release in early 2023.

No Man's Sky 

Space survival game No Man's Sky was confirmed for PSVR 2 during Sony's State of Play event in June 2022. It's expected to launch alongside the headset as part of a new free update. 

"The power of PlayStation 5, coupled with the all-new PSVR 2 hardware, including the new Sense controllers, combine together to take that sense of immersion and believability up another level," said Hello Games founder Sean Murray. 

Resident Evil

How do you shift a few more million units of PSVR 2? You put Lady Dimitrescu in virtual reality. Sony confirmed in June 2022 that development on Resident Evil Village is now underway. 

The horror survival game is now set to "provide an even deeper immersive experience by taking full advantage of the vivid graphics possible with the headset’s 4K HDR display, PlayStation VR2’s eye-tracking, PS5’s 3D Audio and more". It was similarly confirmed that the remake of Resident Evil 4 will get PSVR 2 content. 

Venom VR

On top of this, we have another peculiar rumour surrounding actor/director Andy Serkis and a video of the man congratulating players on earning a Platinum trophy. No specific game has been cited at the minute, so speculation seems to point to a new game tied to Venom. 

Why PSVR? Well, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set to launch in 2023 (at the earliest) and while the game is set to feature Venom it does seem odd to include Serkis promoting a film that will have launched two years prior. Not to mention, Insomniac Games likes to branch off from established versions of the Spider-Man characters, so why would they want to connect it to the Tom Hardy-led movie? 

Furthermore, Sony previously released a small Spider-Man: Homecoming VR experience alongside the release of the MCU film. So, our thinking is this will be for a similar Venom-led experience sometime in the near future. 

Moss: Book II

Developer Polyarc announced a sequel to PSVR darling Moss as part of Sony's State of Play showcase in July 2021. While no release date has been slated yet for Moss: Book II, it's fair to assume the game will arrive to coincide with the launch of PSVR 2 or if not, shortly afterwards.

Doctor Who and Engram

Developer Maze Theory (known for making Doctor Who: The Edge of Time) has also confirmed that it is looking at bringing its upcoming narrative-based game Engram to the platform. 

"PSVR 2 brings exciting new aspects, better controllers and dexterity which will create even more immersive worlds and higher fidelity. This lends itself well to more VR gaming for Doctor Who, although currently nothing is confirmed for the future," Maze Theory studio director Russell Harding told T3. 

Speaking on the possibility of Doctor Who game for PSVR 2, Harding further said: "We have a great relationship with the BBC and will always be looking at titles we can support and evolve across multiple gaming platforms." 

Peaky Blinders

Furthermore, Maze Theory has confirmed that it is working on Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom, which is set to launch in 2022. The VR title will arrive on Oculus Quest and with the studio telling T3 that "PSVR is to be confirmed soon". 

Cillian Murphy will return as Thomas "Tommy" Shelby alongside Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, in their respective roles from the TV series. Set in 1920s England. Players will choose their path in moments of "subversion, wish fulfilment, narrative intrigue, and gripping set pieces", to see how the story will play out.

Hideo Kojima

Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima is working on a new project for PSVR 2, according to a new rumour in February 2022. 

Twitter account Oops Leaksshared that Kojima Productions received a PSVR 2 prototype in November 2021. The studio is now supposedly working on a smaller VR project alongside Lucid Dreams Productions founder Celine Tricart, a virtual reality specialist. 

Kojima then appeared as a guest on Tokyo radio station J-Wave in January 2022, where he teased the project. According to translations made by Genki (via Twitter), it has been described as "edgy", closer to an indie game, not AR, and not traditional. 

Among Us VR

Imposter! A teaser trailer for Among Us VR was debuted at the Meta Gaming Showcase in April 2022. Subsequently, it was confirmed (via Twitter) that the game will arrive on PSVR 2 upon the headset's release. A new trailer was also unveiled to show exactly how crewmates will interact and play the Mafia-inspired title. 

Medieval Dynasty 

Medieval Dynasty, a survival open world game, looks to be coming to PSVR 2 sometime in the future, with developers Render Cube and Spectral Games confirming the intention during a Polish interview (via Push Square). 

The game is already available on PC and a new VR version is already planned for the Meta Quest 2 with a port then set to arrive on PSVR 2. 

Ultrawings 2

Indie studio Bit Planet Games confirmed in June 2022 that Ultrawings 2 will be coming to PSVR 2. No release date was shared, though the developer did briefly post an image of what PSVR 2 will look like outside of promotional shots before shortly taking the image down. So there's a chance it will available at launch. 

Kayak VRL Mirage

While not officially confirmed yet, developer Better Than Life confirmed (via Push Square) that Kayak VR: Mirage is planned to release on PSVR 2 at some point the future. The free roam game launched on PC in July 2022.

Requisition

Arcadia, the developer behind the zombie VR title Requistion, confirmed (via UploadVR) that the studio is planning on bringing the game to PSVR 2 sometime in 2023. It will also arrive on Quest 2. 

Firewall Ultra

A sequel to the first-person shooter, Firewall: Zero Hour, is now in development for PSVR 2. Named Firewall Ultra, it's said to take advantage of the new hardware better and is seen as an upgrade over its predecessor. 

“Firewall Ultra utilises new PSVR 2 Sense Technology features like eye tracking, which enables you to intuitively swap weapons and bring up HUD indicators through cameras built into the PSVR 2 headset,” said Firewall community manager Frank Marm.

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge

During Sony's State of Play for September 2022, it was confirmed that PSVR 2 will be getting Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge in a new enhanced edition. Players will begin their story as a droid repair technician who gets swept up in a grand adventure when they crash land on the planet Batuu after an attack by the Guavian Death Gang. It's due to launch sometime in 2023. 

PSVR 2 – everything else to know

PlayStation creator not sold

PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi shared his thoughts in an interview with Bloomberg about VR, and it sounds as if the former Sony CEO is not quite sold on the prospect 

"Headsets would isolate you from the real world, and I can’t agree with that,” said Kutaragi. Summing up his thoughts, he stated that “headsets are simply annoying.” 

GDC 2022

GDC took place the week of March 20th, 2022, and one presentation that got people talking was the 'Building Next-Gen Games for PlayStation VR2 with Unity'. The 60-minute presentation looked to provide helpful information on developers making games specifically for PSVR 2. The description of the talk read as such:

"PlayStation VR2 (PS VR2) promises improved graphics performance and cutting-edge hardware that allows you to create immersive virtual worlds for your players. This session explores how Unity’s VR tech stack can help you build better VR titles. Learn how to use the Unity Platform and graphics tools to build stunning PlayStation VR2 experiences and optimize your projects’ performance." 

The talk can be watched below:

Two million units for launch

A report from Bloomberg pointed to Sony producing close to two million units of PSVR 2 in time for its launch in 2023. It will be looking to better the one million sales mark that the original PSVR unit earned within its first eight months on the market. 

It's likely we'll start to hear more about further games and an exact launch date in the coming months, so make sure to keep checking in for the latest details.