Despite the fact that the PlayStation 5 reveal event didn’t include a single mention of PSVR or the upcoming successor VR headset, don’t worry too much. Sony Interactive Entertainment’s president and CEO Jim Ryan reconfirmed in an interview published today on CNET that the PSVR “is compatible with PS5” thankfully.
The full quote reads:
“All that we have said to date, and we’re not adding to it tonight, is that the current PlayStation VR is compatible with PS5. The camera that we demonstrated tonight will be available as a peripheral, it will not be in the box at launch.”
This sounds to me like the HD camera will offer enhanced features that were not available with the PS4 Camera and is likely going to be used to enable current generation PSVR compatibility. However, as Ryan states, it will not be included with either the standard or digital edition of the PS5 console in the box at launch.
Yesterday’s PS5 reveal went down a treat with most gamers, but there wasn’t much to say on the PSVR front.
This was to be expected, of course; Sony wants to market its console for launch and talking about additional hardware at this stage complicates that. We were waiting with bated breath for a mention of VR, but knew full well it was highly unlikely.
But, look a little closer at yesterday’s showcase and you will see at least a few promising hints for the future. PS5 is compatible with a new HD camera, for example. But it’s the games, mostly sequels to titles with original PSVR support, that have us most intrigued. So here’s five PS5 games we certainly hope get PSVR support.
Resident Evil Village
We’re all pinning our hopes on this one, right? Resident Evil 7 remains one of the best PSVR games on the market and the series is long overdue to make its return to the headset. And the signs are encouraging; Resident Evil Village (which, as the logo design makes clear, is Resident Evil 8) returns to a first-person perspective and picks up with 7’s hero, Ethan Winters.
Details are slim but we know Ethan sets off for a snowy, mysterious village on the hunt for Chris Redfield, who appears to have been a very bad boy. The game will feature more open spaces than 7, with a greater emphasis on combat. Let’s hope we get to see all of that in VR when it launches next year.
Gran Turismo 7
Another series with unfinished business in the VR arena. Gran Turismo Sport, the PS4 iteration of the racing sim, featured incredibly immersive but desperately slim PSVR support. But yesterday’s reveal of Gran Turismo 7 brought with it renewed hope that we’ll get a full driving simulator in VR on PS5.
In fact, in a 2019 interview Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi said that the first and most obvious jump Gran Turismo could make with a new console was in VR. “The first thing that’s going to be affected by more power is VR,” the developer said. “I don’t think that there’s anything else that requires that much processing power.” Based on those comments alone, eventual PSVR support for Gran Turismo 7 seems likely.
Deathloop
Why Deathloop of all the games featured at the show yesterday? Because developer Arkane — best known for the Dishonored series — has been experimenting with the platform, as seen in the additional VR modes for 2017’s Prey. That makes it at least a little more suited for PSVR support than many of the other games on show.
In this first-person shooter, you play a prisoner trapped on an island where everyone is out to kill you. Every time you die you wake up ready for the hunt to start all over again. There’s a touch of Arkane’s signature sorcery to it, with powers like telekinesis and teleporting, two things that work incredibly well in VR. We’ll be keeping a keen eye on this one.
Astro’s Playroom
What is Astro Bot without VR? That’s the terrible question Sony had us reckoning with when Astro’s Playroom was revealed last night. Granted, it doesn’t sound like this is a full sequel to the best PSVR game; Astro’s Playroom is a pack-in title for PS5 with four worlds to explore (similar to how Playroom and Playroom VR came free with PS4 and PSVR).
But, all the same, we’re hoping to see a VR version of this. Even if it doesn’t quite take advantage of VR hardware like Rescue Mission does, returning to this adorable world is a must on PS5. If not Astro’s Playroom, then surely a full PSVR sequel is on the way.
Grand Theft Auto V
Let’s end on a curveball. Yes, GTAV is heading into its third console generation on PS5, and we’ve been promised improved visuals and more updates to Grand Theft Auto Online. But surely the most significant update Rockstar could implement here is full PSVR support?
It sounds ambitious and we really doubt it would happen, but the keen interest in the recent GTAV mod surely proves it could be done. We can’t think of a better way for Sony to kickstart a new generation of VR.
Sony today revealed its newest console, PlayStation 5. Though the company has previously confirmed that PS5 will support the current PSVR headset, it remained quiet about the prospect of PSVR 2 during today’s reveal. But there may be one good hint, a new stereo camera accessory which could bring upgraded tracking to PSVR and PSVR 2.
PlayStation 5 was finally revealed in full today. It’s a sleek, upright console that can stand upright or lay on its side, and will come in two variations: one with a disk drive and one without. The price and exact release date weren’t announced today, but the system is set to ship this holiday season.
Image courtesy Sony
Of most interest to us, of course, is the console’s VR capabilities and PSVR 2. Sony didn’t talk about that today, but it’s already been confirmed that PS5 will support the current PSVR headset.
And that makes today’s reveal of a stereo ‘HD Camera’ accessory for PlayStation 5 quiet intriguing.
PSVR Tracking is Largely Limited by the PS4 Camera
The current PSVR headset uses the PS4’s stereo PlayStation Camera to track the position of the headset by detecting its array of glowing lights. The camera also tracks the PlayStation Move controllers the same way.
The limited resolution of the PlayStation camera (up to 1280 × 800 @ 60Hz) is one reason why PSVR tracking is worst-in-class, showing more jitter and less accuracy than other major headsets (but still clearly good enough for Sony to be leading in headset sales).
Enhanced specs on the PlayStation 5 stereo HD Camera could potentially mean upgraded tracking for PSVR and PSVR 2.
How the PS5 Camera Could Upgrade PSVR Tracking
Image courtesy Sony
We’re still waiting for full specs on the camera, but The Verge reports that the HD Camera’s dual sensors are 1920 × 1080. More pixels means more precision when detecting the glowing tracking markers on PSVR and the PS Move controllers. This is especially important for detecting the markers at a distance, because precision falls off at an exponential rate as distance increases.
Beyond higher resolution, modern higher quality sensors could make a big difference too. PSVR’s current tracking can be fussy if the environment is too bright, or if there’s high contrast in the scene (like a bright window or ray of sun behind the player). Sensors with better light sensitivity and dynamic range could improve tracking in these difficult scenarios. Other upgrades like global shutter would be better still.
Higher frame rates could help too. The existing PS4 camera can go up to 240Hz, but only at a resolution of 320 × 192. Higher frame rates can reduce the need for tracking prediction, but sacrificing that much resolution wouldn’t be worth it.
We don’t know the frame rate modes on the PS5 camera yet, but if it can do 1080p @ 120Hz, that would be even better for tracking than 1080p @ 60Hz. Higher framerates would mean more up-to-date data for the tracking algorithms, which could reduce the need for tracking prediction (which helps mask latency).
A Big Hint
The big hint that the PS5 HD Camera will likely work for PSVR tracking is that it’s stereo instead of mono. Having two cameras means the tracking algorithms can compare the difference between the images to enhance the tracking estimate, just like our own eyes work together to give us a visual sensation of 3D depth.
The PS5 controller has some lights on it, but none that seem obvious for tracking usage | Image courtesy Sony
Sony might have just made the camera for streamers who want to capture themselves along with their gameplay, but then why make it stereo?
The camera will likely track the PS5 DualSense controller (just like the PS4 camera tracks the PS4 controllers) though it isn’t clear exactly how that will work, because the PS5 controller doesn’t have obvious glowing markers on it like the PS4 controller.
What the Camera Could Mean for PSVR 2 Tracking on PS5
It seems obvious for Sony to use the PS5 HD Camera to track PSVR 2. This would increase the demand for the camera while cutting costs on the headset by not shelling out for an inside-out tracking system.
“But but but!”—I hear commenters already typing—”that would mean PSVR 2 still has front-facing tracking which is so last-gen!” Ah, but this is a misconception.
PSVR supports 360 tracking fairly well. The reason it’s restricted mostly to front-facing tracking is that the Move controllers are easily occluded when the player turns around. For 360 tracking on PSVR 2, Sony could continue to use the HD Camera to track the headset, as long as it uses a different tracking solution for the controllers.
Headset-based electromagnetic controller tracking—as seen in Magic Leap and Pico Neo 2—is one option. We’ve also seen the likes of headset-based ultrasonic tracking on headsets like Vive Focus Plus. There’s other possibilities too, like putting cameras on the controllers themselves which look for the headset’s glowing markers.
Another possibility is that PSVR 2 will use full-blown inside-out tracking, but could still fuse data from the HD camera for additional precision and robustness.
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We’ve reached out to Sony for more information about the PS5 HD camera and the company’s plans for PlayStation VR and PlayStation VR 2 on Playstation 5.
Sony revealed its next generation PlayStation 5 console today, which features a new white design, a white DualSense controller, media remote and a new HD camera. While there was no specific PSVR news, the HD camera reinforces previous suggestions that PS5 should support current, and possibly future, PlayStation VR hardware.
After a lot of hype and much anticipation, we finally got our first proper look at the PS5 today, in all its slick white glory. The reveal livestream, which lasted just over an hour, featured looks at a number of games and culminated in the reveal of the console’s design.
While we already knew the specifications of the PS5, this event finally unveiled the shiny white design, a stark difference to the angular black look of the base PS4 model. The PS5 has a curved white shell that wraps around the black core, pictured below.
Notably, there are two versions of the console — the standard PS5 and a ‘Digital Edition’ PS5 that is visibly missing a disc drive. This Digital Edition console will presumably only run games that are downloaded digitally onto the system from the PlayStation store, lacking the capability to run and install physical games from a disc.
Also notable is the inclusion of a new ‘HD Camera’. The camera available for the PS4 is a requirement for PSVR, as it is used to track the headset, DS4 controller or Move controllers while in VR. The availability of a new camera for the PS5 suggests compatibility with current PSVR hardware, which we expected, and may even play a role in the next generation of PSVR hardware, which has yet to be announced. It’s unclear whether the new HD Camera is a requirement for running current generation PSVR hardware on the PS5, or whether the existing PS4 camera will be compatible with the PS5 as well.
Although the camera was presented alongside the PS5, we’re unsure if it will be bundled with all models of the console itself. An audio headset and a media remote were also pictured.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission is one of the best PSVR games to date and ranks highly among the list of all VR games in general. Today during the PlayStation 5 reveal event, Sony announced a follow up named Astro’s Playroom, but neglected to mention any VR support for the PS5 title.
An official trailer should be up on the PlayStation YouTube eventually, but for now we embedded one that someone has ripped themselves:
The Astro Bots themselves date all the way back to the original Playroom demo on PS4 that used the DualShock 4 and PS4 Camera for interactive mini games. After that, when PSVR launched it came with another free collection of games: Playroom VR.
In Playroom VR one of the highlights was Robot Rescue, a short demo experience that showed what a third-person action-adventure platformer might be like. And it was so good, they made an entire game based on that concept: Astro Bot Rescue Mission.
But now, during the PS5 reveal event today, Astro’s Playroom showed a wide assortment of new locales, gorgeous and colorful gameplay, and the iconic Astro Bot once again, but neglected to confirm or deny PSVR support of any kind.
Obviously it could still get an optional VR mode, but as of now we have no indication if that’s the plan. In fact, as of the time of this writing, VR has not mentioned a single time other than a brief image of Astro Bot during the opening sizzle reel celebration for PS4. That’s it.
We will reach out to Sony for comment on Astro’s Playroom and if we hear back we will update this post with more information.
Nearly three and a half years after launch, Capcom’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is nearing a total of one million VR users.
As of writing, the horror sequel has seen 902,910 VR users. That is according to the game’s official stat-tracking site. Players must opt-in to be counted in the stats, so the real number could well have passed a million by now. Last time we checked in during August 2018, the game had passed 500,000 users. Resident Evil 7 launched in January of 2017, a few months after PSVR launched.
With over 5 million players in total, the VR userbase represents 17.14% of all players. That’s a surprising statistic considering Resident Evil 7 is also available on Xbox One and PC without any VR support. PSVR itself has sold over 5 million units, so it’s a significant chunk of that userbase, too.
Resident Evil 7 remains one of the most polished and terrifying VR experiences on the market today. The entire campaign and much of the DLC that’s since released for it can be played inside Sony’s headset. Sadly, VR support for the PC version of the game hasn’t materialized since release.
Earlier this year rumors claimed that the unannounced Resident Evil 8 will feature VR support, which wasn’t included in the recent remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3. The series did, however, return to VR in the form of arcade games exclusive to Japan last year. We got to try them out for ourselves in the most recent episode of The VR Culture Show.
Could Resident Evil 7 officially break 1 million VR users this year? Or will it take a little longer? We’ll be keeping a keen eye on the stats to find out.
At long last there’s some sign of change in the monthly PSVR charts on the PlayStation Store. Two games released in May have managed to beat Beat Saber and climb to the top.
Skydance Interactive’s The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and Free Lives’ Gorn placed in first and second respectively in the US charts for last month. In the EU, Walking Dead came out on top again, but Beat Saber edged out Gorn for second place. Still, getting two new games to outsell the usual PSVR staples like Superhot and Job Simulator (which both feature lower down) is a huge achievement.
Neither territory shares actual sales figures, though neither game has physical editions in stores, either.
With a lack of really big releases for PSVR over the past few months, Beat Saber had been sitting unchallenged on top of the charts for quite a while. It’s reassuring to see that new games are capable of climbing to the top, then, especially two great games. The Walking Dead enjoyed a top tier port to PSVR (after reaching Steam’s top sellers list on PC in January) and Gorn finally arrived in need of a few updates that also hit last week.
Fireproof Games’ The Room VR: A Dark Matter is the only other 2020 VR game to feature this month, coming in 10th on the EU chart. Other than that, it’s the usual suspects.
There’s not much on the radar for PSVR in June so don’t expect any other big shakeups. But July starts strong with the long-awaited launch of Marvel’s Iron Man VR. That’s bound to have an impact.
According to a Twitch ad today someone saw during a livestream, the new date for Sony’s PlayStation 5 reveal event appeared to have leaked as June 11th. Shortly afterward, Sony confirmed the new date on the official Twitter account. The PS5 reveal is now set for June 11th at 1PM PT. You can watch it at the official website when the time comes.
Previously the PS5 reveal event was set for June 4th, but was delayed in order to allow “more important voices to be heard” as a result of the death of George Floyd and ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. We also delayed our Summer Showcase, which was originally set for today, June 8th. Instead, it will be running next week on June 16th.
We’re really not too sure about what to expect from Sony’s big PS5 reveal event, but other than seeing actual gameplay, the console itself, and getting a feel for what it will be like, there likely isn’t going to be a ton of new information for VR players. Revealing the PSVR 2 at this time is unlikely, as is much discussion of backwards compatibility with the original PSVR, but we can always cross our fingers.
Community Download is a weekly discussion-focused articles series published (usually) every Monday in which we pose a single, core question to you all, our readers, in the spirit of fostering discussion and debate. For today’s Community Download, we want to know what you’re expecting to see and learn about at Sony’s PS5 event?
Last week we pushed pause on a lot of things, like delaying our Summer Showcase until next week (6/16) and we even decided to skip the Community Download. But we’re back this week with a new topic for everyone to weigh in on: Sony’s PlayStation 5 reveal event.
Obviously we should expect a few obvious things like getting to see what the PlayStation 5 actually looks like finally, especially since Sony revealed the controller already. We know a few of the games coming from third party publishers, but for a new game system that’s only a handful of months away we still don’t know what Sony themselves are working on specifically. There should be a couple heavy-hitters revealed along those lines.
But for the VR crowd, it’s a bit of a mystery. Sony remains insistent that the PS5 will be backwards compatible with the original PSVR, so expecting to see news of the PSVR 2 at this stage is probably a longshot, but who knows. Maybe a tease of what’s to come.
What do you think? What are you expecting and/or hoping to see at the PS5 reveal event? Let us know down in the comments below!
We’re still waiting on a rescheduled date for Sony’s PS5 reveal, originally set for last Thursday. In the meantime, let’s put our speculation caps on.
Sony promised new game reveals for its digital event, though we’re not likely to learn every detail about the console itself. We wouldn’t expect to hear a whole lot about what PS5 launch looks like this holiday season, outside of what we’ll be playing on the console. That said, we’re hoping for a few clarifications on the PSVR front.
Below, we’ve outlined some realistic expectations for how Sony shares messaging to PSVR owners. To be absolutely clear, there’s a good chance the show comes and goes without so much as a mention of its headset, and we certainly wouldn’t expect concrete details on PSVR 2 (more on that here). That said, if there is to be any updates on the PSVR side, these would be our bets.
Confirmation PSVR Will Work On Day One
We’ve known the original PSVR will work on PS5 since the console was first officially detailed over a year ago. What we don’t know, though, is what the support looks like and when it will arrive. Will Sony have a solution in place for VR fans looking to upgrade on day one? Or, with the rumored limited rollout of PS5 this year, have VR plans been put on the backburner? We’re really hoping not, and we’re really hoping Sony clears up this question at its show.
A Look At How The Original PSVR Works On PS5
Confirmation of support is one thing, but we really want to know how that support is implemented too. Will we be plugging in our original PlayStation Cameras, or will we need to buy adapters? Sony’s DualSense controller doesn’t have a light bar on the back, so will some PSVR games like Astro Bot still need a Dualshock 4? There’s a lot to pick through here.
Confirmation PSVR Games Can Upgrade On PS5
This might be the single most important aspect about PSVR support on PS5. It’s no secret that PS4 can’t keep up with a high-powered PC when it comes to VR, leading to compromised ports and blurry graphics in some cases. But PS5 changes all that; last month’s demonstration of Unreal Engine 5 running on the platform showed that. If developers could somehow patch existing PSVR titles to take advantage of the hardware, we could see a huge step forward for many games practically overnight. The same is true for normal PS4 titles, of course, but it’s VR that really stands to benefit in this department.
Confirmation PSVR Will Get New Games Before PSVR 2
Another very important point. We’re not expecting PSVR 2 to arrive alongside PS5 later this year, so does that mean there will be no new VR games on the console until the new headset arrives? That would create a strange gap in the market for VR developers and one that doesn’t seem strictly necessary. Sure, they might still have to put up with tracking limitations, but getting games like Boneworks and Half-Life: Alyx onto PS5 would be a great way to tide over PSVR owners waiting for the next headset.
A Hint Of The Future
If there was to be any talk at all of the next PSVR headset (which, again, we wouldn’t expect), we’d guess it would be incredibly minute, along the lines of a Sony executive hinting “We’ll have very exciting VR news in the future.” Just dropping a small line like that in to secure the future of the platform would be a huge deal.
What are you expecting from the PS5 reveal event? Do you have any hopes to see VR at the show? Let us know in the comments below!
Also notable is the inclusion of a new ‘HD Camera’. The camera available for the PS4 is a requirement for PSVR, as it is used to track the headset, DS4 controller or Move controllers while in VR. The availability of a new camera for the PS5 suggests compatibility with current PSVR hardware, 
