At long last, Sony has shared the first details about the next-generation of PlayStation VR, though there are a number of specifics, such as its official name and launch date, that presently remain under wraps. PlayStation VR hit store shelves in 2016, and, as of 2018, became the highest-selling VR unit on the market. Fans of the technology have long waited for Sony to play catch up, however, considering how antiquated the device now feels when compared to newer headsets from other hardware manufacturers.
Despite PSVR's seemingly waning popularity, and the dearth of new games that have released of late, Sony made its commitment to the technology clear a while ago. Said commitment has since been evidenced in the sheer amount of patents that continue to make the rounds, which hint at what the company's R&D team may be cooking up on the virtual reality front. One recent patent suggests PSVR 2 will integrate audience participation that allows spectators to augment in-game scenarios for headset users. Another from last summer noted the company's interest in significantly reducing motion sickness.
A PlayStation Blog post from the brand's Senior VP of Platform Planning & Management, Hideaki Nishino, outlines future plans for the next-generation of PlayStation VR on PS5. The next PSVR, which currently lacks a name, aims to enhance field of view, resolution, input, and tracking. Sony is streamlining the setup aspect of the experience, too, by ensuring the device connects to PS5 with only one cord. According to Nishino, PS Move controllers are being replaced with an all-new VR controller that incorporates some of the DualSense controller's key features. The new VR controller will additionally "focus on great ergonomics." Nishino notes that development on the new PSVR is still ongoing; thus, a 2021 due date is not on the cards. Speaking with GQ Magazine, PlayStation CEO and President Jim Ryan divulged that dev kits "are about to go out" to developers.
Taking all of the above into consideration, it's safe to assume the PSVR's overall design hasn't been finalized as of yet. Therefore, a first-look at the new device may not surface for quite some time. When Sony plans to unveil more is anyone's guess at this point, too, but the few details that are being shared sound impressive enough.
Arguably, the most important bit of information from Nishino's write-up concerns the hardware manufacturer's focus on ease-of-use. One of the criticisms leveled against PSVR centers on the hassle required for setup, which is due to a mess of wires that makes the process cumbersome. It's clear Sony's been taking notes in this regard and intends to rectify this issue and possibly several others.
Sony's yet to unveil a due date for its new PlayStation VR headset.
Source: PlayStation Blog, GQ Magazine