While Sony made the jump to the next-generation of consoles late in 2020 with the release of the PS5, the company hadn’t yet confirmed if it had plans for the future of virtual reality either. As luck would have it, though, PlayStation has today reiterated that it’s very much still committed to the VR space and is actively creating a new version of the PS VR.
Detailed on PlayStation’s website, the company announced that a next-generation version of PlayStation VR is in the works right now. The hardware is going to be compatible solely with the PS5 which will allow the device to become “the ultimate entertainment experience with dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity.” The goal with this new iteration of PlayStation VR is to allow a “greater sense of presence and become even more immersed in their game worlds once they put on the new headset.”
A Simpler Setup and New Controller
Even though visuals of what this new PS VR headset will look like haven’t been revealed just yet, Sony did detail its plans for its new model. Rather than boasting an extensive cable setup that needs to connect between the PS5 console and a separate processing unit, this new PS VR model will simply connect via a single cable. This should make setting up the device so much simpler and will also allow for greater movement when playing.
The other major confirmation that Sony has announced so far is that a dedicated VR controller will be releasing for this next-gen PS VR unit. In the past, PlayStation relied solely on its own Move controllers, which were created in the PS3 era. One of the common complaints about PS VR in its current iteration has been these controllers, so the fact that Sony is creating a totally new handheld device that will “incorporate some of the key features found in the DualSense wireless controller” is fantastic news.
No Release Date Yet
At the moment, the only downside about the reveal of this Sony hasn’t provided any sort of release date or window for the next-gen PlayStation VR system. The sole confirmation we have is that it won’t be coming this year for certain. Sony says it merely wanted to update fans and let them know that VR is still something that the company is focusing on. In addition, new games are also said to be in the works at various studios.
For those of us who may use PlayStation VR for fitness purposes though, it’s great to see that Sony’s version of the tech won’t be going away. The PlayStation VR hardware in its current form is nearly five years old and has been in need of some major adjustments. Although there’s still a lot left to learn about what Sony plans to do in the future, a lighter headset would do wonders for those who use VR to workout. Not to mention, being able to more freely swap in third-party face coverings would also be an excellent tweak to the headset’s design.
That said, if you’re looking to pick up this new version of PlayStation VR, you might want to start tucking away a few extra dollars. Not only will the headset itself likely be pretty expensive on its own, but you’ll also need to ensure that you own a PS5 console as well. Hopefully, we start to see more of what this new hardware could look like later in 2021.
