PSVR 2 Controllers: Cut to the chase
- What is that? The next release of input accessories for PlayStation VR
- When is the exit? February 22, 2023
- How much will it cost? TBC – but the set will be bundled with PSVR2.
PSVR 2 console price and release date
After much speculation, Sony has finally confirmed the price of the PSVR 2. According to the PlayStation Blog, it will cost $549.99 / €599.99 / £529.99 for the standard package, which comes with PS VR2 Sense controllers and stereo headsets. No official Australian pricing has been announced and we don’t have individual pricing for the consoles.
So, how much do we expect the PSVR 2 consoles to cost? One pair will almost certainly be bundled with the hardware, but much like the PS Move controllers, Sony will likely offer standalone pairs. PlayStation Move controllers were initially available for $35 / £35 on the PS3, or with the PlayStation Eye Camera for $50 / £50. A navigation controller (equivalent to the Wii nunchuck) added an extra $25 / £25.
Since the VR controllers share many technical elements with the DualSense platforms, which cost $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$109, we expect the PSVR 2 Sense controllers to get quite expensive. It’s unclear if the PSVR 2 controllers will have additional attachments, but we expect the price for a single to be just over $35, with a pair costing more, given the built-in technology.
Sony hasn’t confirmed pricing at this time, so this is still speculation at this point. What we do know is the cost of the official Sony charging station accessories that will accompany it. Available from launch, it will cost $49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99, and as with the headset, there’s no confirmed Australian price yet.
Design of PSVR Controllers 2
PSVR 2 Sense controllers look significantly different than PlayStation Move controllers. The sensory controllers are black and have an orb-like shape, which Sony claims makes them feel more natural, and provides a “high degree of freedom.” Sony also claims that this design means there are no restrictions on how players can move their hands, allowing developers to create “unique gaming experiences”.
Furthermore, Sony said the controllers are designed with ergonomics in mind, taking into account different hand sizes and insights from previous PlayStation controllers. This means that sensory controllers should feel balanced and comfortable to hold.
From the images we’ve seen, each PSVR 2 controller has two buttons (the left has a triangle and a square and the right has a circle and an X), an analog stick, a ‘grip’ button (L1 or R1, can be used to select in-game objects) and either an options button (the controller right) or Share button (left console). Each controller has an adaptive trigger, a touch detector (more on that below) and what appears to be a charging port on the bottom. The wrist strap is also shown in some of the images.
PSVR 2 console features
PSVR 2’s Sense controllers seek to improve immersion with important new features, similar to what we saw in DualSense, that were absent from the PS Move controllers. Thanks to adaptive triggers, we can expect Sense to add palatable tension when pressed. So, for example, when you draw a bow in a game, you should feel the tension of the string in the trigger, and it feels more real.
Another feature that the PSVR 2 controllers take from the DualSense is haptic feedback. Haptic feedback uses touch to communicate with players, allowing you to feel sensations from the game through the controller itself. So, for example, in Astro’s Playroom for PS5, when you’re walking across the sand, you can feel the texture difference echoing through the DualSense controller.
The PSVR 2 controllers also have finger touch detection, allowing the controllers to detect where your fingers are without having to press a button. “This enables you to make more natural gestures with your hands while gaming,” says Hideaki Nishino, Head of Platform Planning and Management at PlayStation.
These controllers will be tracked by the new PSVR 2 headset, which is achieved with a tracking loop across the bottom of the controller.
PSVR controller specifications 2
At CES 2022, Sony revealed the official specifications of the PlayStation VR2 Sense console. We’ll have to wait until we start figuring things out like battery life, but here’s what you can expect.
PSVR 2 consoles: what we want to see
Decent battery life
Despite upgrading to a Micro USB connection in 2017, the batteries inside PS Move controllers are still annoying, so we’d like to be able to use the PSVR 2 Sensor controllers for an extended period of time before recharging them. Whether this will happen is still uncertain because the DualSense controller doesn’t hold a charge very well, which means we often find ourselves needing at least one on standby constantly charging.
Developers using features
The PSVR 2 controller has impressive audio and we’re excited for a more immersive virtual reality experience thanks to the haptic feedback and adaptive controllers. However, it is up to the developers to actually use these features. While we like how the likes of Astro’s Playroom, Returnal, Ratchet, and Clank: Rift Apart are using these features on the DualSense, we’d like to see more developers take advantage of them. Hopefully, they will do the same for PSVR 2 consoles.
Better accuracy and reliability
PlayStation Move controllers haven’t always been the most reliable and accurate controllers around, and sometimes they give up mid-game or don’t do exactly what you want. Hopefully the PSVR 2 consoles will improve on this.
No is very beloved
Virtual reality is great fun with friends, so hopefully Sony will mind the price with the cost of buying extra pairs of PSVR 2 controllers, especially if they are You have To be purchased in pairs (this seems to be the case). While we don’t expect the add-on controllers to be cheap, we hope Sony doesn’t stray too far from the $70 mark (after all the DualSense retails for $70).
- PSVR 2 games: What we can expect to play on PlayStation VR 2
