Sony shocked us all when it revealed new details about the upcoming PSVR 2 VR headset at CES 2022, but how does it compare to one of the most popular headsets out there, the Oculus Quest 2?
We’ve put all the details together here so you can find out which is the best VR headset to buy in 2022.
Specifications
Sony’s PSVR 2 has some very strong specs, especially when compared to competitors like the Oculus Quest 2.
Not only does the PSVR 2 have superior resolution (2000 x 2040 per eye compared to the Quest 1832 x 1920), it also features an OLED display, which is likely to have much better contrast and color accuracy than the LCD panel’s Has oculus.
Sony hasn’t improved the refresh rate for the PSVR sequel, but 120Hz is high enough. The Quest 2 has exactly the same refresh rate, so none of the headsets have an advantage here.
However, the PSVR 2 has a larger field of view, which means you can always get a wider view of a gaming environment.
| PSVR 2 | Oculus Quest 2 | |
| Resolution (per eye) | 2000 x 2040 | 1832 x 1920 |
| Sieve technology | YOU ARE | LCD |
| Field of view | 110 degrees | 89 degrees |
| Update rate | Up to 120Hz | Up to 120Hz |
Sony has also confirmed that the PSVR 2 has eye tracking, which not only allows your in-game avatar to copy your eye movements, but also enables features like foveated rendering, which dynamically improves the image quality of any game object you are looking at resulting in more efficient performance.
The rumored Oculus Quest Pro headset is also said to have foveated rendering technology, but the existing Quest 2 isn’t capable because it lacks eye-tracking cameras.
The specs suggest that you will get better image quality with the PSVR 2 compared to the Oculus Quest 2. The PS5’s power will also allow developers to create more graphically impressive games, while the Oculus Quest 2 is limited to the GPU power of the on-board Snapdragon chip unless you’ve tethered it to a PC.
The fact that you can also use the Oculus Quest 2 independently is without a doubt the headset’s greatest strength. There’s no need to worry about cables or buy an expensive console / PC. Sony has improved the way you plug the VR headset into the console as you only need one cable with the upcoming headset, but a connection to the PS5 will still be mandatory.
Design and controls
The Oculus Quest 2 has a great design as it is light and slim enough to slide easily over the head and wear for a long time without causing neck pain.
Unfortunately, Sony hasn’t yet revealed what the PSVR 2 will look like, so it’s currently impossible to compare the design to the Oculus Quest 2.
We expect a similar design to the original PSVR, although Sony may customize it to offer a similar design language to the PS5.
While we haven’t seen the headset’s design yet, Sony has given us a glimpse into the new ‘Sense’ controllers. They look pretty similar to the Oculus Quest controllers, with tiny magic wands that you can hold in either hand.
Just like the Oculus Quest 2 controllers, the Sony Sense controllers have finger-touch recognition so it can detect when your fingers are resting (and not pressing) the buttons. This can be useful for duplicating the shape of your hand, whether you want to give another player a thumbs up or make a fist.
Sony is also borrowing the innovative haptic feedback from the PS5’s DualSense controller for the new Sense VR controllers while integrating adaptive triggers so game developers can create resistance while simulating pulling a bowstring.
Games
This is an area where the PSVR 2 has tons of potential as Sony has a large number of game franchises that can be exploited. A new game called Horizon Call of the Mountains has already been confirmed and is being developed specifically for the PSVR 2 headset.
This is the only game that has been confirmed for PSVR 2 so far, but we can see spin-offs for God of War, The Last of Us, and Spider-Man launching in the future. But we shouldn’t rush to play, as the original PSVR didn’t have many games from first-party PlayStation franchises.
The Oculus Quest 2 already has a great library of games, but if you’re running independently, you’re limited to basic games like Beat Saber and Superhot VR. It is still possible to play games like Half-Life Alyx, although you must be tied to a gaming PC.
The PSVR 2 has the potential to offer a far larger game library, but it just depends on how many game studios PlayStation can bring on board for the platform.
First judgment
We haven’t even seen, let alone tested, the PSVR 2 design, so there’s no way to claim a winner here. But if you just look at the spec sheet, the PSVR 2 looks mighty impressive. It comes out on top when it comes to screen quality, and the PS5’s performance should also allow it to run far more advanced games than the Quest 2 when run independently.
However, the success of the PSVR 2 largely depends on its price and game support. There are many VR headsets out there with better specs than the Oculus Quest 2, but the headset has been hugely successful because it’s so affordable and accessible. The fact that you can use it wirelessly without the need for a console or PC is a huge plus. The PSVR 2 certainly has potential, but taking on the Quest won’t be an easy task.
It’s also important to remember that Meta is rumored to be releasing new Oculus Quest 3 and Oculus Quest Pro headsets, so they may be the true rivals of the PSVR 2 rather than the existing model.
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