2023-04-23 12:29:34
VR glasses and their games have been a niche market for years. But now Sony is launching the PSVR2. The goal: virtual worlds as a mass market. The test reveals whether this works.
The canoe makes its way, swaying slightly. Suddenly the sack is pulled from my head. The sun is blinding. Dense plants line the shore. I’m a prisoner, that much becomes clear quickly. I look around furtively. Suddenly a gigantic long neck appears. A machine as tall as a skyscraper. The giant foot hovers just above the canoe. I involuntarily duck my head.
It’s not the last time that day that my body involuntarily reacts to what’s happening around me. And that, even though my head knows that what I’m experiencing isn’t real. That I move in a virtual world. Created on the computer, presented by the glasses that sit on my head. I know it but I don’t realize it. And that’s probably the nicest compliment you can give the PSVR2.
PSVR2 in the test: A “being in” that can never be achieved on television
Virtual worlds have a hard time. The inhibition threshold (and also the investments that are necessary) is high. And yet, the moment I play Horizon: Call of the Mountain on the new PSVR2 for the first time, I realize I’m glimpsing the future of gaming. Beautiful worlds on the big TV screen, they’ve been around for a long time. But they are, 65-inch OLED or not, flat, two and a half meters away from me and I can see all the time that I’m sitting in my gaming den. The degree of immersion, of being “inside” in a fantastic world, is never reached on television.
VR glasses have been around for a long time. Sony had also tried it a few years ago with the PSVR. Given the state of the art at the time, it was all right, and above all it was reasonably affordable. But it wasn’t a resounding success. That was probably because you might count the really impressive titles on one hand. It was because of the hefty price tag, at least initially, although that still made it a steal compared to the PC VR goggles. Part of the reason was that the graphics were utilitarian at best, but never stunning.
Connected in 30 seconds – no comparison to the PSVR1
But most of all, it was because the device was incredibly complicated. Connecting the glasses to the Playstation might easily take an hour. Unplug the HDMI cable from the TV and connect it to a box that comes with it. Connect the box to the TV, put the glasses on the box, put the Playstation camera on the TV and plug it into the box, pair the Move controllers.
A box full of cables was waiting to be installed when PSVR was mothballed once more. In view of the cable clutter, you never wanted to leave it hanging permanently on the TV, and the box (at least the original version) was never able to loop through a 4K signal from the PS4 Pro to the TV for reasons that only Sony understands.
But Sony has done its homework. The PSVR2 does it all much, much better. A long cable connects the glasses to the USB-C input on the front of the PS5 – that’s it, the setup is done. Quickly switch on the two Sense controllers and you’re ready to go. Even measuring the environment and the initial setup is an experience and feels blatantly like science fiction.
If you still had to buy the old PS3 Move controller for the PSVR in order to benefit from the movement control, the PSVR2 comes with two wireless Sense controllers that completely enclose the hand. Both my giant paws (slightly) and my wife’s tiny hands (comfortably) fit in there. A little later you almost forgot that you were holding a controller in your hand.
Suitable for every skull size, nothing pinches or gets uncomfortably hot
Set up is child’s play. Now that sounds like a small thing, but it isn’t. Nobody plays VR permanently and exclusively. The goggles must be easy to clean up and easy to connect in order for them to be used regularly. That works great.
The glasses themselves sit comfortably on my giant skull, and even following several hours of use, my wife has not noticed any signs of fatigue from the glasses. With a button directly on the glasses and a rotary knob on the back of the arm, you can quickly find the right position. Nothing pinches, and it doesn’t get uncomfortably hot under the glasses. You can even get your glasses under the VR glasses if you’re a bit careful. Two in-ear headphones are also attached directly to the PSVR2. They don’t sound earth-shattering, but they serve their purpose perfectly.
Two high-resolution monitors – one for each eye – are built into the VR glasses themselves. While the large pixels were still noticeable in the first PSVR, the PSVR2 is much, much better. Of course, if you look very closely, you will still notice a slight fly screen effect. But that’s no longer annoying and you won’t notice it anymore when you’re playing.
A handful of games to start with, but they’re fascinating
Speaking of games: The game lineup at the start is still manageable. And yes, 70 euros for “Horizon: Call of the Mountain” are – to put it mildly – self-confidently priced. But let’s be honest: If I buy a PSVR2 for 599 euros, then I want to see what the thing can do. And nowhere is that more evident than on Call of the Mountain.
During the daring climbs on steep rock faces, it is better to look down because it really makes your stomach queasy. It gets rather grumpy in the stomach area when you compete once morest one of the machine beings. When a gigantic snapping maw attacks the canoe right at the beginning, your heart almost slips into your pants.
And if you later briefly meet Aloy, the enchanting leading actress from “Horizon: Zero Dawn” and “Horizon: Forbidden West”, then a pleasant joy of reunion spreads in the stressed abdomen. Of course there is more playing time for the money elsewhere, not least in the “big” Horizon titles. But such an intense VR experience should not be missed.
Otherwise you can already experience a lot with the PSVR2. Ironing the Nordschleife with your glasses on in a supercar in Gran Turismo is simply breathtaking (owners of the main game get the VR update for free). Exploring an alien planet in No Man’s Sky never felt so real (free update). In “Moss Book 1 & 2” you can puzzle, jump and fight your way through enchanting worlds with the little mouse Quill. Here, however, a new purchase is announced – even for those who have already purchased the games for the PSVR1.
Conclusion: Not a bargain, but fascinating technology and a glimpse into the future of gaming
So is PSVR2 worth it? The new VR glasses from Sony are certainly not a bargain at 699 euros. But it is also not significantly more expensive than its predecessor. It was sold for 499 euros back then, but you had to buy the Playstation camera and the two Move controllers, which all in all were almost 200 euros.
The PSVR2 has (almost) everything: If you don’t want to keep cursing and trying to charge the Sense controllers on the USB-C port, which is sensationally fiddly, you can quickly and happily spend the 50 euros on the Sense charging station.
And of course the new PSVR2 is absolutely useless if you don’t own a PS5. This is now quite readily available, but it still costs 549 euros. But in contrast to the PS4, it really has enough computing power to conjure up impressive worlds like that of “Horizon: Call of the Mountain” on the screen.
In the end, buying the new VR glasses, like any new hardware, is a bet on the future. If the glasses sell often enough, Sony will quickly add great games. And that’s what it takes to sell more glasses. As of today, the PSVR2 is an impressive piece of technology that allows you to immerse yourself in new, fascinating virtual worlds at a reasonable price.
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