PS5 VR aka PSVR 2: Price, Release Date, Specs, News, and Rumors

Now that the PS5 is in distribution, expectations are high a next-generation VR headset is on the way. A variety of recent patents awarded to Sony are good indicators the company is hard at work on an update to its current PSVR.

When Will the PSVR 2 Be Released?

Given the PS5 has barely hit the shelves for the 2020 holiday season and no announcement has been made about a new VR headset, it's clear nothing's happening in 2020.

Sony's senior vice president of R&D, Dominic Mallinson, told CNET "it's good to have a little breathing space between those things" in a clear signal that consumers should just sit back and enjoy their Playstation as-is for now.

Lifewire's Release Date Estimate

We're betting on a release date of Fall 2021. Given Sony is highly focused on getting the PS5 out to consumers and having a tough time doing it, it's likely the focus will remain on the console for the near future. That places a VR headset squarely in the backseat for marketing and distribution for now. Assuming Sony follows its usual marketing timelines, we're looking for an initial announcement summer of 2021 with distribution to follow in time for the 2021 holiday season.

Price Rumors

Sony doesn't do anything inexpensively so we're expecting the new PSVR to start at $399. The original PSVR was priced at $499 but has now settled firmly into a $349 price tag so it makes sense a brand-new, upgraded version would set consumers back just a bit more than the current product.

The closest competitor, the Oculus Quest 2, is priced at $299 to $399 and Sony will undoubtedly want to be seen as the premium option. Still, a high price tag doesn't help position VR as something for the average consumer, which is what Sony needs to achieve if it wants to capture the mass market. Since the PS5 (with disc) is priced at $499, the company needs to come in lower than that to help consumers see it as an accessory worth buying.

Pre-Order Information

No pre-order information will be available until Sony makes an official announcement that there is indeed such a product.

The Latest News About the PS5 VR

You can get more gaming news from Lifewire on all kinds of topics; here are more stories and rumors about Sony's plans for the PSVR 2.

New PSVR Controllers May Include Trigger Resistance, Hand Detection

Sony patent shows next-generation wireless PlayStation VR with a rear camera

PS5 VR Features

We found multiple patents awarded to Sony for executing a video game being played by a user via a head-mounted display. For example, in September 2020, a U.S. patent was granted involving 'motion capture data indicate of motion of plurality of markets disposed on a surface of a first subject.'

Another U.S. patent we saw was granted in June 2020, clearly shows a headset user playing on a cloud-based gaming network. The description is intriguing: It appears to indicate the re-creation of gameplay sessions in the cloud, which could indicate two users in separate locations can play a VR game together.

A Sony U.S. patent drawing showing cloud gameplay

Based on these and other rumors we're hearing, we think you'll see the following in a next-gen VR headset from the company.

Foveated Rendering
Improved resolution, pixel quality and refresh rates
Wireless features
Avatars
A lighter-weight headset overall
Cloud gaming options for interactive play in remote locations
Built-in front and rear cameras
Built-in microphone
Improved controllers which use haptic technology to improve sensations of pushing, pulling, grasping, and pulsing and can apply finger tracking
Controller sensors which can determine which hand is holding the controller and remap buttons accordingly

Techradar claims to have found evidence of the future of VR in the new PS5 game Astro's Playroom and and a Twitter user named Lumen started a flutter about other potential PS5 references to VR. However, Ask PlayStation UK is firmly encouraging users on Twitter to use current accessories with the PS5 so any 'clues' could just be red herrings.

PS5 VR Specs and Hardware

At this point, only Sony knows what's coming. But we expect the next-gen VR headset to incorporate aspects of the PS5 specs. Custom graphics based on AMD's Radeon RX 5000 series, for example; a refresh rate of 120 fps; and 1,000ppi should be part of the new headset.

Next generation lenses, too, should appear and the field of view is expected to increase to take in more detail.

PS5 VR Controllers

Things get really interesting when it comes to the potential for a next-gen PSVR controller. LetsGoDigital, a Dutch gaming site, has supposedly uncovered a World Intellectual Property Office patent granted to Sony in September 2020 for a robust VR controller design.

According to LetsGoDigital, "The controller is provided with several light-emitting parts which are placed on the curved surface. These light-emitting parts are detected by the camera of the VR headset. An image sensor with visible light or infrared can be used for this. Subsequently, the position and position of the motion controller can be accurately determined using this information."

We couldn't confirm the patent they claim to have found but here are the drawings they are attributing to Sony.