While Microsoft continues to ignore virtual reality on its own gaming consoles, Sony continues to push forward: it has announced the next-generation PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation VR2 Sense controller for the PlayStation 5.

“PlayStation VR2 takes VR gaming to a whole new level, enabling a greater sense of presence and allowing players to escape into game worlds like never before,” Sony senior vice president Hideaki Nishino writes in the announcement post. “With the headset on and controllers in hand, players will feel a heightened range of sensations unlike any other – thanks to the creativity of the game worlds being built by our world-class developers, and the latest technology incorporated into the hardware.”

The PS VR2 offers 4K HDR via its OLED display, Sony says, with a 110-degree field of view and foveated rendering. It provides a display resolution of 2000 × 2040 per eye with smooth frame rates of 90 or 120 Hz. The headset also provides controller tracking via integrated, embedded cameras so that your movements and the directions you look are replicated in-game without the need for external cameras.

The headset also features new sensory features by combining inputs from eye-tracking, headset feedback, 3D Audio, and the PS VR2 Sense controller for a more immersive experience. It also provides feedback that amplifies in-game actions using a built-in motor with vibrations. “Gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments,” Mr. Nishino notes, “the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward.

Its new eye-tracking functionality allows the PS VR2 to detect your eye movement, so you can simply look in a specific direction to provide additional in-game input. Sony says this “allows for a heightened emotional response and enhanced expression that provide a new level of realism in gaming.”

As for the new PS VR2 Sense controller, this provides haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. PS VR2 is also easier to set up with just a single cable connected directly to the PS5.

I’m not sure about pricing or availability.

Tagged with PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR, Sony, virtual reality, VR