I have big time buyer’s remorse. One dark and dreary Scottish night back in March, I decided that I absolutely needed to own PSVR 2 right that very second. One impromptu online order later, and there was suddenly a gaping $550/£530 hole in my wallet.
How I wish I had that money back.
It’s not that PSVR 2 isn’t a great virtual reality headset. Quite the contrary; it really is. Specs-wise, it delivers everything I wanted over its 2016 predecessor.
I love that 4K OLED display, the haptics on those Valve Index-aping controllers is lush and the headset’s 120Hz refresh rate helps ensure I’ve never once experienced motion sickness while playing in VR.
Since I bought my PSVR 2 five months ago, I reckon I've played it about six times... seven at a push.
Not that I’ve done much playing, of course. I bought PSV2 exactly nine days after it launched on February 22. In the intervening five months, I reckon I’ve played it about six times… seven at a push.
These haven’t been long sessions, either. I poked my head around that boxy cantina in Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge. I bashed through the generously long demo of Horizon Call of the Mountain. And I have a hazy memory of booting up No Man’s Sky in VR, quickly deciding the textures looked rubbish, before immediately uninstalling it.
I do have one singularly great memory of playing PSVR 2, though: that first night with the headset was pretty special.
Race day
I remember that evening vividly. I was in-between sofas at the time, so my first (and best) experience of playing Gran Turismo 7 in VR involved slowly sinking into an oversized leather bean bag. I’ve had finer moments.
Still, what an experience. Not only is it one of the best PS5 games, but GT7 is sensational in VR. My first race was a breakneck battle around the Nürburgring in a Porsche 911 GT3. As the heavens opened above the iconic German course, I was in awe.
The fact I had to physically crane my neck so that I could get a better view of the rainswept perils ahead blew my mind. This was using the N64’s analogue stick to swing Bowser around in Mario 64-levels of mind-blowing.
Despite the odd fleeting piece of GT7 magic, I’ve never managed to get into a headspace where I regularly want to play PSVR 2. It’s not really the hardware’s fault, as I appreciate its single cable setup is way more streamlined than the original PSVR. Still, having any sort of wire connected to my console that then runs directly to my stupid face leaves me with lingering worries.
Despite some fleeting GT7 magic, I’ve never managed to get into a headspace where I regularly want to play PSVR 2.
I sit a good eight or so feet away from my PS5, and the few times I’ve used PSVR 2, I’ve pictured one overly vigorous neck swing causing havoc. When I briefly played through the opening of Resident Evil Village’s VR mode, I was concerned my cowardly head bobs would accidentally yank out the PSVR 2’s USB-C cable.
Mainly, I’m just worried I’ll trip over my dog and break my neck whenever I stand up for a brief VR session.
Reality bites
Either that, or my hairy little agent of chaos will chew directly through that cable I just mentioned while my vision is being blocked by a posse of slavering European werewolves.
So it’s with a heavy heart and a depleted bank balance that I’ve decided to sell my PSVR 2.
The fact the headset lacks a killer app on the level of Half-Life: Alyx means it remains a luxury accessory; it’s not an essential PS5 peripheral.
As a pet owner who mostly enjoys playing games on my back like a felled tree, I was never the best bedfellow for PSVR 2. When I make a substantial loss selling it — which seems like a safe bet at this point — I’ll have no one to blame but my overly impulsive self.
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