The PlayStation VR2 is inching closer to launch, and even though it doesn’t have a solid release date just yet Sony continues to drip-feed information about its upcoming VR peripheral.
The latest update is good news for anyone who’s ever stumbled over a real-world obstacle while playing a virtual game: the PSVR2 will feature a “see-through view” feature, which will let players observe the outside world without ever taking their headsets off. The device will also include options for broadcasting reactions, setting up custom play areas and watching more traditional media content.
Sony shared this information on the official PlayStation Blog, where the company detailed five new features of the PSVR2 including a See-Through View, Broadcast, Customized Play Area, VR Mode and Cinematic Mode. All of these modes are essentially what they sound like, but Sony provided a little more info on each one, particularly the novel See-Through View.
“With PS VR2, you can see your surroundings while wearing the headset with our new see-through feature,” the post explains. “It comes in handy when you want to easily check where the PS VR2 Sense controllers are in your room without taking the headset off.”
See-Through View uses the PSVR2’s external cameras to show users their surroundings, even when they’re still wearing the headset. Players can activate this mode with either a physical button press or a Control Center Card, which should make the process fairly seamless, even in the middle of a play session.
Broadcast is likewise a pretty straightforward feature. If players connect a PS5 HD Camera — one of the best PS5 accessories — they will be able to film themselves during gameplay and share their reactions with the PlayStation community. This seems like it could be useful to the burgeoning population of console streamers.
Arguably the most useful feature that Sony discussed is the PSVR2’s Customized Play Area, which lets players set their own parameters for what constitutes a play space, and what constitutes an “out-of-bounds” space. This seems particularly useful if you have irregularly shaped furniture, or are otherwise playing in an area that’s not a perfect square or rectangle.
Finally, Sony detailed the differences between VR Mode and Cinematic Mode. VR games on the PSVR2 will offer a 360-degree view, and display at 4000 x 2040 resolution with a framerate of 90 or 120 frames per second. The system UI, non-VR games and all other media will show up in Cinematic Mode, which broadcasts at 1920 x 1080 resolution at 24, 60 or 120 fps. Both modes will feature an HDR color palette.
Sony will probably continue to provide further PSVR2 updates until the system comes out, so stay tuned for more info over the next few months.
You can now read our own hands-on demo of the PS VR2.
