A report from UploadVR, citing “multiple sources,” claims that Sony’s next-gen PlayStation VR 2 headset will bring a big jump in resolution, along with eye-tracking, IPD adjustment, and even head-mounted haptics.

UploadVR today reported that “multiple sources” shared details about the PSVR 2 headset after Sony revealed info to partners. Here’s the key info claimed in the report:

  • 4.1MP (2,000 × 2,040) per-eye resolution
  • IPD adjustment dial
  • Eye-tracking capable of foveated rendering
  • USB-C tether to PS5
  • Inside-out tracking
  • Head-mounted haptics

Road to VR has not been able to independently verify details of the report, though several sources says that these sorts of leaks tend to be the result of details shared with third-party developers.

Resolution

At 4.1 megapixels (2,000 × 2,040) per-eye, PSVR 2 would have one of the highest resolution displays among consumer VR headsets today, beat out only by the HP Reverb G2. This would dwarf the 1.0 megapixel per-eye of the original PSVR.

Headset Megapixels per-eye Released
PSVR 1.0 2016
Rift CV1 1.3 2016
Rift S 1.8 2019
Vive Pro 2.3 2018
Quest 2.3 2019
Index 2.3 2019
Quest 2 3.5 2020
PSVR 2 (rumored) 4.1 After 2021
Reverb G2 4.7 2020

IPD Adjustment

The report also claims the headset will have an IPD adjustment dial which will allow users to change the distance between the lenses to match the distance between their eyes. Doing so increases comfort and clarity by making sure the ‘sweet spot’ of the lens is closely aligned with the center of the eye.

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The original PSVR didn’t have a physical IPD adjustment, and generally didn’t seem to need one thanks to optics which gave the headset a fairly large sweet spot. The addition of an IPD adjustment on PSVR 2 could signal a major change in lens design; the original PSVR was one of the only headsets in the category to not use fresnel lenses.

Eye-tracking

The report from UploadVR also says the headset will be equipped with eye-tracking, which can bring a host of benefits to a VR headset, but to date we haven’t seen any consumer VR headset equipped with eye-tracking. Beyond foveated rendering (which can allow the headset to render a sharper view only where the user is looking), eye-tracking could pair well with the purported IPD adjustment, as the eye-tracking could be used to measure the ideal IPD value of the user.

Inside-out Tracking

The PSVR 2 is also said to use inside-out tracking, which means the headset will use on-board cameras to track its location and the location of the controllers. This is the same approach used by headsets like Oculus Quest.

Sony has yet to reveal PSVR 2, but it has already shown a clear look at the next-gen controllers | Image courtesy Sony

This would also be a big shift, as the original PSVR relied on the PS4 camera for tracking, which ultimately limited the headset’s tracking quality and range. This limited tracking made the headset more restrictive for developers, and less convenient for users. Inside-out tracking, on the other hand, stands to bring 360° tracking and the potential for ‘room-scale’ playspaces to the headset.

USB-C Tether

The UploadVR report says the headset will connect to PS5 via a USB-C tether, which could conveniently plug into the existing USB-C port on the front of the console. It would be a big win if the headset can use a single cable straight into the console for power, video, and data, because the original headset’s breakout box and many cables are quite cumbersome.

Head-mounted Haptics

Perhaps the most unexpected part of the report is the mention of head-mounted haptics. PSVR 2 would be the first consumer headset to include this sort of feature, which would ostensibly allow the headset to vibrate or rumble in order to provide extra feedback to the user. Combined with the DualSense adaptive triggers in the headset’s new controllers, this could make the next PSVR one of the most hapticly-capable VR systems to date.

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Beyond just offering more immersion, head-mounted haptics have even been shown as a potential avenue for improving comfort while in VR. Apple has also been looking into the idea of head-mounted haptics to aid navigation in virtual spaces.

– – — – –

If true, this is a good deal of info to know about the headset already, even before it has been officially revealed. Sony has said previously the headset won’t launch until sometime after 2021, so it seems it will be a while yet before we get other essential details like a price and release date for PSVR 2.

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Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • xyzs

    If it ends up true, that’s a good technical choice.

  • Ad

    How would it ever hit price point with this? This would be great, it would tear the heart out of the quest, but I am very skeptical.

    • Blaexe

      There’s no reason any of this tech should be expensive when manufactured in big volumes.

      That said, Quest is still a different device for different people and will we’ll see new hardware over the next years while PSVR2 will be on the market for longer.

      It doesn’t “tear the heart out of Quest”, it’s just another very compelling VR headset and that is great.

      • Ad

        The Quest 2 will be around for a while according to Boz, and while they might as well, eye tracking is a big expensive step up. This tears the heart out of the quest because it will be a much better product aimed right at young gamers who don’t have PCs. The Quest’s average age is pretty young, the idea that it’s older professions using quests on a large scale sounds like it’s just marketing.

        • Blaexe

          “A while” doesn’t mean 5 years or so. It’s reasonable to assume PSVR2 will release next year – probably around holiday season. It’s also reasonable to assume Quest 3 will release 2023.

          I really don’t know where you get this “eye tracking is expensive” from. Any sources?

          This “console war” you’re talking about is stupid. Both Quest and PSVR have its place and both will be successful.

          • Ad

            I’m not sure you understand what a console war is. A console war is when there’s a superficial fight between two games machines and it really doesn’t matter, it’s just a product vs product affair with no significance. Considering how absolutely awful Facebook is as a company and how core the new platform of XR is to their incredibly shitty plans for the future, this isn’t a console war. There is no “place” for quest and you’re not even making an argument that makes sense on your terms when the point of it is to reach some escape velocity and facebook dominance. Losing the engine behind the quest, young video game playing kids with disposable income looking for flashy experiences, would be a massive hit.

            I think this will come out early 2022, Quest 3 in early 2023 (and more focused on the real goals like AR and social/data).

          • Mradr

            In days past ~ Consoles had VERY different technology in them than they do today. No one company had the perfect answer to games, but very wildly in their performance for task and outcomes. This meant some games would work and look great on one console while on the other it wouldn’t run well or at all. Then there was the selection of games/software that could be used on said console that was limited to that console only. This split the community because everyone was looking for something different and both consoles offer that little something thus created the “war of my console is better”.

            Now a days, everything is made by AMD – so its more superficial in the long term of things.

    • Alex

      You would still need a PS5, so it adds to the total price for VR. Still cheaper than PCVR… but even at say 300$, it’s more expansive than Quest. We’ll see the quality of the final product it might be worth it.

      • Ad

        They cannot make enough PS5s to meet demand and won’t until late next year. It’s true that quest people don’t have a PC or whatever, but do they not have a console either? Who are they exactly, and why are they getting and consistently using VR?

        • Arno van Wingerde

          Well, i cannot speak for all the Quest users, but i have a Quest + a very modest HTPC, not suitable for gaming and consoles.
          I enjoy the games but only in VR and i cannot be bothered by even more hardware and wires. The PSVR was an unmitiqated disaster in that aspect. PSVR2 now, if coupled with enough performance + convincing games over the “Quest3” could make me get a PSVR… if i can use it wireless as well over the USB-C cable.

      • Mradr

        The games on Quest are fun, but limited, PC games are still better. By all means, you still be comparing a box + headset either direction.

  • Cragheart

    This is what I’ve been expecting for years, except I thought it was supposed to be fully wireless.

    • Tags I812

      there getting there . slowly but surly

  • 3872Orcs

    Finally we’ll get eye tracking and foveated rendering in a consumer headset! I’ve been waiting forever on this. Now if Sony does it the rest of the industry has to follow suit. That is very exiting to me!

    The only downside to the new PSVR is no wireless :( That’s the only showstopper for me. I really hope this headset and controllers could be modded to work on PC and made wireless that way! Hopefully that USB-C cable can be unplugged from the headset.

  • James Abrahams

    And we don’t need a Facebook account!

    • kontis

      But you get even more locked down and more controlled ecosystem where side loading isn’t even possible. Something like VRChat will never be on it.

      Compared to consoles even iOS is super open and consumer and dev friendly.
      But all of them have policies that make the concept of metaverse impossible and forbidden.

      This approach for a gaming toy box may be acceptable, but VR is much more than just video games.

      • FrankB

        there’s a fair chance that some workaround will come along to allow it to work on steam. With inside out tracking & proper controllers with button layouts similar to oculus and steam controllers it should be an easier task than PSVR on Steam.

      • Kevin White

        From a software perspective, yes, but I left FB in 2016 and have no desire to ever have anything to do with the company, so the FB account requirement is a showstopper for me.

      • Mradr

        I would TRUST Sony over FB. While Sony might be able to do some of things FB can – FB is FAR more out reaching than Sony ever can with the limited information is collects vs what FB gathers from many locations and has been proven in the past not to care about its users privacy, protection, and security at the end of the day. This has been proven many times overs its years as a business.

      • JB1968

        Frankly, there is really minority of VR apps other than games that are actually not “gimmicks”. The majority of users are glad to play wireless Beat Saber on mobile grade chips. That’s the sad reality (SR)

    • Andrew Jakobs

      No, you’ll need a PSN account.. But I’ll bet it will get third party support for PCVR, just like PSVR has now.

      • JB1968

        Technically, you don’t have to create any PSN account in order to play PSVR games which is huge difference from the FB crap.

    • Rupert Jung

      No, you need Sony acount. And there is no sideloading at all. And you can’t use it on a PC. And there is no standalone option, too. So in this case, a Quest still might be a better idea.

  • TechPassion

    I hope it won’t squeeze your head like psvr 1. Should be a dial at the back. Just like in Valve Index.

    • FrankB

      There is a dial at the back. PSVR 1 was a pretty comfy headset by all accounts.

      • TechPassion

        There wasn’t. There was a rubber-like thing which you extended to put it on. and it squeezed your skull. Very uncomfortable compared to Samsung Odyssey+ for example.

        • Justin Davis

          PSVR has a dial at the back and elastic. I opened up the strap and removed the elastic.

        • Kevin White

          I never tried the “+” but if it was anything like the original Odyssey then it was a headache inducer that put pressure on the upper forehead (I had to a modification using some cut padded fabric from the inner liner of a motorcycle jacket and ties on either side). The PSVR by comparison was more forgiving — my problem with the one I owned was that the front portion would slide forward of its own accord instead of staying in position close to my face, but that wasn’t discomfort like the Odyssey.

  • Bob

    Ben obtaining this information from Uploadvr. Shameful behavior! Shameful Ben! :)

  • Sebastien Mathieu

    Seems nice!! Can’t go back to tethered VR though (quest 2+ air link:-)

    • Sinshi Uzumaki

      There can be an optional wireless adaptor sold separately.

  • Alex

    Great !
    But wireless option plz

  • FrankB

    Does the USB-C tether suggest compressed video streaming similar to the Quest?

    • Andrew Jakobs

      No it doesn’t as there is also DP over USB.

  • david vincent

    I find weird that there is foveated rendering (which is not so interesting with current 3D engines – but I hope I’m wrong) but no wireless ?

  • PSVR2 is going to be cool. I hope it brings back the excitement for content with high-quality graphics!

    • Buddydudeguy

      Unlike the first PSVR. That pos gave VR a bad name. Good HMD, horrible VR ( tracking, controllers, image quality due to out of date console)

  • Sion12

    If the rumour is real, this will be the best headset price to performance wise by miles

    • Arno van Wingerde

      What rumour? I have not heart anything about the price so far…

  • Won’t launch until after 2021? Maybe then there will be PS5’s actually available for sale.