PlayStation VR2 lets you broadcast yourself stumbling around in VR games

Sony is teasing some more details about its upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset today. After detailing the design of PS VR2 earlier this year and some games that will support it, Sony is now confirming that the headset will include a see-through view to see your surroundings, a broadcast mode for filming yourself while you play, and a cinematic mode where you can display non-VR games and media content on a virtual cinema screen.

Sony’s PS VR2 see-through view will let players keep the headset on, thanks to cameras embedded in the front of the headset. “It comes in handy when you want to easily check where the PS VR2 Sense controllers are in your room without taking the headset off,” explains Yasuo Takahashi, senior staff product manager at Sony Interactive Entertainment. The view sounds a lot like what’s available with Meta’s quest headsets.

Image: Sony

Image: Sony

If you’re interested in filming yourself while you play VR games, the PS VR2 will include a broadcast mode that requires a PS5 HD Camera to be connected to the PS5. Broadcast mode will let you capture your movements or reactions during games and share them using the built-in tools on the PS5.

Much like the Meta Quest headsets, you’ll also be able to create a play area for the PS VR2. The embedded cameras in the PlayStation VR2 headset will scan a room, and the VR2 Sense controllers will let you drag and drop the play area to your liking. It’s very similar to the Guardian play area on the Meta Quest, and if you get close to the boundary, you’ll get a warning about the play area boundary.

Image: Sony

Sony’s PS VR2 will have two main modes: VR Mode and Cinematic Mode. The VR mode is designed for VR game content in a virtual 360-degree environment, and it will display at the maximum resolution of 4000 x 2040 HDR video (2000 x 2040 per eye) and a 90Hz or 120Hz frame rate.

The Cinematic Mode is designed for all other content in VR, and it drops the resolution down to 1920 x 1080 HDR video with 24Hz, 60Hz, and 120Hz frame rate options. It’s really designed to watch videos, and players will be able to see the PS5 system UI and then switch to a virtual cinema screen to watch content.

We still don’t have a price or a release date for the PlayStation VR2, but Takahashi says Sony will “share more information soon, including launch date and additional games coming to the platform.” Meanwhile, developers will start to get access to the latest user experience for PS VR2 in a new system software update “coming soon as part of the ongoing development.”

Image: Sony