February 23, 2022 – Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has revealed the new design of its next generation virtual reality (VR) headset, PlayStation VR2, together with an updated and final design image of the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.
In a blog post by Hideaki Nishino the company’s Senior Vice President of Platform Experience, details on the new device were shown for the first time, with both the PS VR2 headset and Sense controller taking on a matching “orb” look, which according to Nishino is to represents the 360-degree view that players will feel when they enter VR.
Adding to this, Nishino stated that the overall design of the PS VR2 headset was inspired by the look of the PS5 family of products. Apparently, when SIE’s design team created the PS5 console, they also had the next generation VR headset in mind, so there are some similarities in the look and feel.
According to Nishino, the goal with the design of the PS VR2 device was to create a headset that will not only become an attractive part of a user’s living room decor, but will also keep them immersed in the game world, to the point where they almost forget that they are using a headset or controller.
Close attention was paid to the ergonomics of the headset and extensive testing was conducted in order to ensure a comfortable feel for a variety of head sizes. SIE has already had a lot of positive feedback on the ergonomics of the first PS VR headset, which carefully balanced the headset weight and featured a simple adjustable headband. As a result, the company has decided to stick with that same concept for the PS VR2 headset. Other features such as the headset’s adjustable scope that places the scope area closer or further away from the face and placement of the stereo headphone jack also remain the same, so players will be familiar with it.
New features have also been introduced for the PS VR2 headset, including a lens adjustment dial, which will allow users to manually change the inter-pupillary distance (IPD) setting (the distance between an individual’s pupils) on the device in order to optimize their view. The PS VR2 headset also comes in a slightly slimmer design with a slight weight reduction – even with newly added features such as a new built-in motor for the headset feedback.
Additionally, the company has integrated a new vent design for the PS VR2 headset. Commenting on the new vent design, Yujin Morisawa, Senior Art Director at SIE and who led the headset design of PS VR2, said: “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. 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.”
SIE stated that when PS VR2 launches there will be plenty of exciting new features to look forward to, including visual fidelity in 4K HDR and state-of-art graphical rendering, enhanced tracking such as inside-out camera tracking, new PlayStation VR2 Sense Technology features such as headset feedback, and the new PS VR2 Sense controller that helps to create a deeper feeling of immersion for users. Additionally, the PS VR2 system comes in a simple, single cord setup, allowing users to connect to their games immediately.
The company added that PS VR2 development kits are already in the hands of game creators. More details on PS VR2 will be released in the coming months, with the system expected to be released fully towards the end of 2022, however, that is yet to be seen.
For more information on Sony Interactive Entertainment and its PS VR2 virtual reality gaming system, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.