Sony's SVP of platform planning and management, Hideaki Nishino, has posted a blog post sharing the first details of a next gen VR headset designed for the PlayStation 5. Nishino starts by reminding us of what he considers to be the highlights of the existing PlayStation VR system – its broadening of the adoption of VR gaming, and acclaimed VR titles such as Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, Beat Saber, and Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.
Some current gen PSVR titles have been enhanced for PS4 Pro, and even PS5, and in the meantime, while developers work on next-gen PSVR hardware and software, Nishino says there are numerous new VR titles coming along shortly, like After The Fall, Sniper Elite VR, and Humanity. These can help fill the gap between current gen and next gen PSVR, as you will be waiting until 2022 for its launch, the blog post hints.
Dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity
Of course the next gen PSVR will deliver big improvements over its predecessor. The new PS5 is significantly more powerful than the PS4/Pro and the original Sony VR HMD is going to be five years old or so before its successor arrives. The new headset, says the Sony SVP, will give players a greater sense of presence and immersion than ever.
Hardware technical improvements to precipitate the much improved VR experience are wide-ranging and cover boosts to features from display resolution and field of view to tracking and input. Beyond the leap forward with its next gen single-cord connected HMD, Sony days it is excited about its new VR controller which are influenced by some key features from the new PS5 DualSense controllers.
We are still waiting for VR HMDs to become an essential accessory for PC gaming. PC VR experiences are better than ever, but it still forms a small portion of the PC gaming market. We still need consoles, affordable VR systems, and more 'killer apps' for the immersive VR way of enjoying media and gaming to break out.
