PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2)

I have been tempted by VR for some years now. Years ago I looked into it for the OC but was put off by the specs needed to run the games and latterly lost a little interest due to the lack of AAA titles. I was tempted by the PS4 PSVR but never got around to getting a PS4 and once again the interest waned.After a VR day with friends, my interest was reignited. The whole experience was fantastic but the graphics on the VR day were a little disappointing and I was excited to see virtual 4K gaming via the PSVR2.First and foremost, the whole set up is straightforward. Having never dabbled in Meta Quest etc, I was a little apprehensive, and the box lay unopen for a couple of days as I convinced myself I'd need a full day to familiarise myself with the equipment. I needn't have worried.There's not much in the box. The headset itself and the two lightweight controllers, plus a USB C cable to charge the controllers, one at a time. There's also earphones and 3 pairs of sizes to fit all earholes. The one thing to note is the controllers came uncharged, and needed charging before setup could proceed. So if you're planning on getting this as a gift for someone who is impatient, bare this in mind.Once charged, set up was a doddle. Each stage from putting the headset on, to mapping to your eyes and mapping out your room is done with short animations. The buttons on your headset are shown in front of you if you're worried where to press on your head, and then you're away.One thing you may have read about is the "sweet spot" of the headset. Unlike my virtual reality day, the tilt of the headset is critical as even a degree or two up or down will result in a slightly blurred image. At first I thought this was the resolution, but it's simply fixed by tilting up or down and then tightening the headset.I've got Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Gran Turismo and I'm blown away. The visual fidelity is unreal and I will review those games separately. It's hard to believe you have 360 degree reality around you with a home set up. Of course the whole hardware costs are £1000 so you need to ask yourself how much into gaming you are.For me as a casual gamer I have no regrets. So far i'm asking myself whether to invest another £200 into a steering wheel and pedals, and this is from someone who has previously had no interest in driving games. So far the catalogue is pretty sparse, to my mind. I'm looking forward to The Walking Dead and the VR version of Resident Evil 4, which alone may make it all worthwhile.As a virgin at all this, I'm very impressed so far and I think a steering wheel and Gran Turismo alone would make me feel like a I have full simulator at home.

Not had the PSVR2 for long, but I can say it’s definitely better than its predecessor. Some of the games are visually ming blowing, Kayak VR Mirage & Red Matter 2 are two games that are absolute stand outs in terms of visuals. I am still to try Resident Evil, GT7 and Horizon, but have heard these are also very good. There are currently just over 200 games that support the PSVR2, so there are plenty of games to pick from.The set up is nice and easy, just one cable feeding into the PS5, and once the controllers are set up, you’re good to go. Eye tracking is great, your surroundings are blurred out and it focuses solely on what you’re looking at directly, which I think is a good feature, as the image sharpens, making what you’re looking at, pop.The rumbles you get in the headset and in the controllers are a great feature, definitely adds to the immersion. The controllers are a lot better than the move controllers, these are a huge upgrade. The headset itself isn’t comfortable, I might need to mess around with the settings more to fit my face better, but currently I am struggling to keep it on for more than 20 mins.The only major drawback is the lack of video apps, as this would make the machine complete. I feel like Sony is missing a trick on this one. Their focus is lacking on the PSVR2, they need to put more effort into the software, as the hardware is fantastic.If you’re new to VR games or a big VR gamer, go for it and buy, you won’t be disappointed. If you want it for video content, DO NOT buy, there is not one app that supports video content, and from the looks of things, there won’t be one, certainly not in the near future, which is incredibly disappointing. Just to add, there is also no VR feature within the YouTube app on the PS5.Overall - fantastic, the price reduction was the deciding factor for me and if you want a high end VR gaming experience without an expensive PC gaming rig, this is the one for you.

The PSVR 2 is a massive step up from the previous model. The screen is incredible. Sharp and vibrant, it really makes games pop out with the bigger titles like Horrizon looking stunningly beautiful. Everything is as responsive as you'd like and with it's really simple USB-C connection, there's no jumper box to mess around with. It's very much "plug and play" once it's set up.It's worth spending the time to set up properly too as the eye tracking is an impressive feature and works better than I ecpected. I wear glasses and even with those (I can't see VR without them), the tracking still works as intended.My only real gripe is a lack of games and what there is is all very samey, but that's to be expected. The real let down is the lack of backwards compatability with the original PSVR games. I get that they use different controlers, but I'm sure that could be easily fixed. The few games that have been reworked for PSVR 2 usually require and "upgrade" fee, which I think is a bit cheaky to be honest.