The PlayStation VR 2, which will be sold next month, won’t support playing games from previous PSVR headsets. However, customers will be able to buy more than 30 titles when the headset launches on February 22 and a total of 37 within a month of that launch, according to a statement released today by Sony.
The first PSVR 2 roster is largely a “greatest hits” compilation of games that are already available on other VR systems. The majority of the games included in the headset’s launch window are also accessible on SteamVR, Oculus Quest, or the original PSVR.
The previously revealed Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain stands out among the few PSVR 2 exclusives as a first-person adventure akin to Half-Life: Alyx. As for third-party exclusives, Fantavision 202X is a fully 3D reimagining of the infamous, fireworks-filled PS2 launch title, while Supermassive’s The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a VR rollercoaster comparable to the similar Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (and will also work without a headset).
The only PSVR “exclusives” left at the moment are Gran Turismo 7 and Resident Evil Village, both of which are free updates for existing flat-screen PS5 games to support VR. Then there’s Before Your Eyes, a game that debuted on Steam and mobile devices in recent years but will make its VR premiere on the PSVR 2 the following month. This game uses the headset’s eye-tracking cameras to capture the player’s time-controlling blinks.
NFL Pro Era, Pistol Whip, Puzzling Places, Song in the Smoke: Rekindled, Synth Riders, and Zenith: The Last City are a few of the developers offering free upgrades for people who bought titles on the earlier headset. Existing PSVR games won’t work by default on PSVR 2, but they will on PSVR 2. While this is going on, PSVR owners of Rez Infinite and Tetris Effect: Connected will be able to upgrade to a PSVR 2 version for for $9.99 apiece.
The $550 PSVR 2 features eye-tracking, “passthrough” cameras, a resolution of 2000 x 2400 per eye, a field of view of 100 degrees, support for HDR colours, and a set of headset motors for haptic effects. The jumble of cables, junction boxes, and external cameras required for the original PSVR on the PS4 have been replaced by a single connection that connects the new headset to the PS5.
