Tokyo Game Show 2022 Complete Coverage

Tokyo Game Show 2022 - Hands-on with the PlayStation VR 2

As an early adopter of the original PlayStation VR, I was more than a little excited to try out the PlayStation VR 2 at Tokyo Game Show 2022. And let me tell you, it's a marked improvement in every single way—though that doesn't mean it isn't without a few lingering problems.

To start with, the setup for the PSVR 2 is much more user friendly. The automated calibration options allow you to automatically adjust for eye-width (making sure things don't appear too thin or fat) instead of spending hours tweaking and testing manually. It also has a quick eye-tracking configuration which simply asks you to look at various dots on the virtual screen in front of you.

However, perhaps my favorite new addition is the headset's external camera. Though the feed was black and white, I was able to actually see around me even with the headset on—something impossible with the previous iteration. But while it is a welcome feature—and far better than nothing at all—it's not quite perfect. The images on the feed do not exactly match real life items' sizes and there is the most minor bit of lag between your real world actions and what you see on screen. Having the booth attendant try to hand me the controllers while I was “seeing” through the external video feed—i.e., when we both were moving at the same time—was an interesting experience in relearning hand-eye coordination.

Once in game, everything looked great. The massive improvement in resolution when compared to the original PSVR was immediately noticeable—it no longer felt like looking through a screen door. (The specs sheet says that the field of view has also been increased, but I have to admit I didn't notice this at the time.) Likewise, the frame rate was buttery smooth (as least on the Resident Evil Village VR demo I was playing) and I wasn't able to notice any lag between my head movements or hand movements and what I saw on screen.

Unfortunately, the PSVR 2 shares one major issue with its predecessor. It has a visual sweet spot of sorts where everything is crystal clear. However, jostle the PSVR2—like when making quick head movements during an action game—and the sweet spot shifts leaving everything blurry. As I was playing I had to constantly readjust the headset to put the sweet spot back at the center of my vision or play with my head tilted in some odd way like I was trying to read using bifocals to reacquire the sweet spot. It made reading text on screen was headache inducing.

Along with the new headset comes a pair of PSVR 2 Sense Controllers. They are a massive improvement over the aging move controllers. Like with the headset, they do not require a PlayStation camera to work and they feel just as responsive—if not more so. Moreover, having a thumbstick on each one makes it feel much more intuitive—like a normal controller. The only issue I had with the Sense Controllers was the L1/R1 placement. Used to simulate grabbing, the buttons are located where your middle and ring fingers rest while gripping the controller's main shaft. When holding in-game objects (like a gun) for a long period of time or in the midst of intense action, I found myself dropping what I was holding onto—with gruesome repercussions. (Though, I will be the first to admit that this is likely a “me problem” that would go away quickly with a bit of practice.)

All in all, the PlayStation VR 2 feels like a clear improvement over the original and a worthwhile upgrade if you have the money, a PlayStation 5, and VR is your thing.

The PlayStation VR 2 is slated for an early 2023 release.

Richard is an anime and video game journalist with over a decade of experience living and working in Japan. For more of his writings, check out his Twitter and blog.