Sony has revealed the first images of the PS VR2’s user interface, including what the see-through system and play area customisation will look like.
Similar to the Oculus/Meta Quest line of VR headsets, the PlayStation VR2 will feature a ‘see-through’ view which allows you to view your real-life surroundings in black and white. This uses cameras mounted to the headset, and is helpful for seeing where your controllers are, or navigating your playspace without taking the headset off. See-through view can be activated with a physical ‘function’ button on the hardware itself, or via the UI’s Control Center.
Control Center will also allow you to draw out and edit a customised play space on the floor using the hand-held controllers, also similar to how the Meta Quest handles things. A grid wall will display in-game when you move too close to your set boundaries. Your settings are saved between sessions, but moving to a new room will require a new play area to be drawn.
A ‘cinematic mode’ has also been confirmed, which will allow you to watch non-VR content, such as existing games, in a “virtual cinema screen”. (Being in VR allows things to look much bigger than they are, and so you can create a sort-of cinema experience). This content will be displayed in 1920×1080 HDR video format with 24/60Hz and also 120Hz frame rates, so will not be as high quality as, say, your nice 4K TV. VR content, on the otherhand, will be 4000 x 2040 resolution HDR (2000 x 2040 per eye) with 90Hz/120Hz frame rate.
PS VR2 will also feature a broadcast mode that, when coupled with a PS5 HD Camera, can stream video of both what you’re seeing in the headset and what you’re doing in real-life.
Sony has said that PS VR2 will have more than 20 major launch games. Coming to the platform is Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil Village, and Ghostbusters VR, among others. The headset itself was only revealed earlier this year, and you can see how it stacks up against other VR headsets in our comparisson.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.