Sony next-gen PlayStation5 VR 120Hz 4K oled hmd (=PSVR2) - can now be used for PCVR too!

In less than an hour, Sony will launch their State of Play presentation introducing new games coming in 2024 for PS5 and PSVR2:

There has been a leak though - as we now know that one special game is coming for VR, namely:

https://twitter.com/Kurakasis/status/1751772582771093615

- but the game has only been confirmed for VR, so even if most think this will be a PSVR2 exclusive, we have no confirmation yet - but maybe in 40 minutes... 🤓

And the rumor were true - this may easily be the VR Game of the Year 2024, at least I see no competition right now:

It's not a PSVR2 exclusive though, also available on Steam and Quest.

Sony just revealed that later this year you will be able to enjoy Alyx with the PSVR2 - and much more 😎 🤓

"Also, we’re pleased to share that we are currently testing the ability for PS VR2 players to access additional games on PC to offer even more game variety in addition to the PS VR2 titles available through PS5. We hope to make this support available in 2024, so stay tuned for more updates."

https://blog.playstation.com/2024/02/22/coming-soon-to-ps-vr2-zombie-army-vr-little-cities-bigger-wanderer-the-fragments-of-fate-the-wizards-dark-times-brotherhood-and-more/

More thoughts and opinions here:

https://www.roadtovr.com/sony-psvr-2-pc-steamvr-support-planned-2024/

As many may know, there is a driver letting you use PSVR2 on a PC, but it only works with certain AMD video cards:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1021000/iVRy_Driver_for_SteamVR_PSVR2_Premium_Edition/

Instead of letting amateurs work on drivers and compatibility, of course so much better if Sony lets their engineers provide proper support for the PSVR2. It is not known if the support will require a PS5 or not. 

Hmmm, I got slightly ... bored ... and bought this ... thing 🤓

It shipped 16 February from Hong Kong, and I got it today in Scandinavia - no VAT, free shipping, it all worked flawlessly. They had reduced the price from $70 to $50:

Reviews indicate this is the best comfort available for the PSVR2, and I do believe that - looks a lot like the padding on the Index. But installing this does look like being on the edge of warranty, lol - this looks like real surgery 😬 😷

Guess I only need to change the front padding, the rear is fine as it is... Gotta be in the right mood for this surgery, not this weekend... 

Forgot to post this nice trailer some days ago:

For Gran Turismo 7 VR, Resident Evil 4 Remake VR, Resident Evil 8 (Village) VR, Call of the Mountain and Synapse - Sony really has little competition for delivering the most high-end VR content the last year. Still people want more - or want titles not ported from 2D, but made ground-up for VR, and that's more difficult for Sony. 

For those wanting 90+ fps with no reprojections and exclusive high-end PSVR2 games, there are none. The only high-quality PSVR2 exclusives are Call of the Mountain, Switchback, and Synapse, and all are 60 fps with reprojections. 

Still I'd consider Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil 4 & 8 VR some of the best VR content you can get - I'm not much into Gran Turismo 7. 

But Steam with PCVR is an almighty opponent - Sony cannot compete with Steam - there's so much more and better content for PCVR than PSVR2, even if PSVR2 holds the best AAA VR content of 2023. So that's why you need both 😉  - I would not recommend only having the PSVR2, because you'll miss out on tons of great PCVR games. I would not want to miss out on the PSVR2 though - Sony's top AAA VR content is not to be missed. 2c.

My PSVR2 is so much more comfy with the Globular Cluster CMP2 mod, I can wear the hmd for hours without discomfort now. So I got back to RE4 - it's as amazing as ever, here are some environments (note that due to foveated rendering, only the part I'm looking at has optimal sharpness - in case you see some blurry parts):

The last image has some banding in the sky because I had to increase brightness a lot - this game is so dark you really need oled. The environments are very different, the game feels like a great journey. 

Here's another example of in-game face quality. I have no idea if it's improved compared to the 2D version of the game, but skin details are impressive:

In-game face quality, but the power of the PlayStation5 does fuel this game 

Shadows and lights continue to amaze:

Note the dynamic shadow cast by the chain and knives

Btw - you can add gem stones to jewelry and increase it's value. Here I got a crown increased to its maximum value of 100,000 ptas (just happened to have the stones, what are the odds, lol):

Adding 5 different stone increases the value to 100k - which is a lot

Here you can see how much different stones increase the crown's value - it's similar for other objects where you can insert gem stones

I do not spend much time collecting stuff - I'm more into the action - and the rollercoaster ride in Chapter 11 is the best ride I ever had in VR - it's simply amazing, and very fast:

You start here by pushing the wagon to gain speed

The ride is mostly in mining tunnels - but you do get outside too 🙂

Feels like Indy - you can shoot enemies during the wild ride

Got the chainsaw dude

The rollercoaster ride can be seen here recorded from the 2D version, but it's 10 times as fun in VR:

Also got two of these today - so let's call it a night and I'll get back tomorrow 😇

Akka Arrh is a new exclusive for PSVR2 - but only for VR, the 2D version is available for many platforms. This is the PSVR2 launch trailer:

The game is here - from the team (Jeff Minter) behind Polybius:

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10006101/

Digital Trends reviewed the PSVR2 version:

"The experience is ever so slightly enhanced by the PS5 version’s VR support. The extra layer of immersion gives it the same appeal as Tetris Effect and Fantavision 202X, putting players in a psychedelic headspace that makes it easier to focus on chains. It’s like I’m both crafting and watching a light show, a concept Minter has long been fascinated with. VR brings that idea to life even more as text and particles zoom toward me. It’s a trip, the kind that only Minter knows how to make this well." https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/akka-arrh-ps5-psvr2-impressions/

83% rating by Digital Chumps - PSVR2 version: https://digitalchumps.com/akka-arrh-review-psvr2/

80% rating by God Is A Geek: https://www.godisageek.com/reviews/akka-arrh-ps5-review/

90% rating by Retro DoDo: https://retrododo.com/akka-arrh-review/

 

 

 

 

According to Sony, another confirmed VR exclusive for PSVR2 probably launching in 2024 is Meteora:

Shoot yourself into the nebula and join a race for survival. In this arcade combat racer, you’re not just a meteor but a force of nature. Cascade your way through a volatile universe of awe and wonder as you outmaneuver, pursue, and obliterate rival meteors in a dazzling display of strategy and skill.

Harness the power of the cosmos, level up your abilities, and climb the leaderboard in an experience that’s as thrilling as it is unforgiving. Your adventure awaits on PlayStation 5, PS VR2, and PC." 

Source: https://blog.playstation.com/2024/03/05/revealing-5-india-hero-project-games-coming-to-playstation/

Trailers look great:

The game will also launch on Steam, but without VR support. I'm starting to think that the nearly 30 different VR hmds on Steam, and competition from 7,000+ other SteamVR titles, may scare some indie devs. With PSVR2 they only have 1 hmd to support, and much less competition as there are less than 200 PSVR2 titles. And PS5 delivers enough performance to get 2D games into VR, while the low-end phone gpus (Adreno 650 and 740) in Quest2-3 cannot run such advanced games. 

Using oled, Meteora could be really great - trailers look great, and so do the screenshots:

OVRDark is out on the PSVR2, and it does look great: 

I haven't got it confirmed, but I'm pretty sure the game is just 60 fps with reprojections. For now the game is a PSVR2 exclusive, but it will launch for PCVR soon too. Devs don't answer questions on Steam, so launching soon has not been more elaborately defined, lol. 

I'm not buying the PSVR2 version though, I'll keep waiting for the premium version:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2299950/OVRDARK_a_Do_Not_Open_story/

It seems that Sony - to some degree - has given up on (making new exclusive content for) PSVR2. But Sony still has supported games like Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil 4 & 8 Remake VR, and Gran Turismo 7 VR.

After Sony's State of Play presentation a few hours ago, there were only 2 PSVR2 games revealed - namely:

- but none of these games are exclusive to PSVR2, and really are just beefed-up Quest ports. No matter what, PSVR2 is not able to compete with high-end PCVR, because the PS5 isn't much faster than a GTX 1080. This means, I've stopped buying any PSVR2 game I can get for PCVR too. I have not bought a PSVR2 game for many months (was considering MADiSON VR for oled, but MADiSON looks much better on PCVR). 

Btw, Sony  will soon provide an adapter, so PSVR2 can be used for SteamVR:

https://www.uploadvr.com/playstation-vr2-pc-adapter-certified-regulator/

Sony's lack of new exclusive content for PSVR2 may not mean that they have given up on the PSVR2, but maybe they think the PSVR2's future lies with PC owners.

Having used PSVR2 for many hours, when you get the sweet spot and comfort right, the PSVR2 is amazing with very deep oled blacks (much deeper than Rift CV1 due to the CV1 SPUD), 120 Hz, wide fov like Index - and the tracking is really great. I have never lost tracking with the PSVR2 controllers, even holding the controllers on my back for minutes, where the cameras cannot see them. 

If Sony gets the performance and compatibility right, PSVR2 could be the best PCVR hmd you can get - considering price and quality - you do get full Tobii eye tracking with the PSVR2, Tobii is the global leader in eye tracking - and it works flawlessly in supported titles (like Call of the Mountain).