Category: VR Headset

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13 Essential Tips & Tricks for New PSVR 2 Owners

PSVR 2 is finally here and for those of you lucky enough to get your hands on Sony’s newest VR headset, here’s some essential tips and tricks you’ll want to know.

Updated – March 31, 2023

PSVR 2 is a pretty straightforward headset thanks to the fact that once you plug it into the console you’ll see the usual PS5 menu that you’re already used to. However, the headset does have a few less obvious capabilities that you’ll want to know about.

1. Voice Input

PSVR 2 supports the same voice commands as PS5, and thanks to a microphone that’s mounted right next to your mouth, they work very well! Voice commands through PSVR 2 can be used to easily launch games and apps (instead of digging through the game library) or to open certain settings pages (instead of digging through the settings menu). All you have to do to get the console to listen is say “Hey PlayStation.”

If you’ve never used voice commands on PS5 before, you’ll need to enable them first. To do so go to Settings > Voice Command (Preview) and enable the option.

2. Quick Menu

PSVR 2 has a quick menu that makes it easy to access frequently used settings. To open the PSVR 2 quick menu, just double-tap the PlayStation button on your controller.

3. Lens Calibration

Since PSVR 2 has such a small sweet spot (the area of the lens where everything is at its clearest), it’s important to get the lenses dialed in just right to your specific IPD.

Luckily PSVR 2 has a built-in lens calibration that’s easy to run at any time, even in the middle of a game.

You’ll be prompted to run the calibration initially when you set up your headset for the first time, but since you put the headset on a bit differently every time (and sometimes the lenses can get bumped which adjusts their spacing) it’s worth running the calibration every few sessions to make sure you’re seeing the clearest image through the headset. You should also run the calibration step any time a new person puts on the headset so they can get the ideal fit.

To run lens calibration on PSVR 2, double-tap the PlayStation button on the controller, then select Adjust Visibility from the quick settings menu.

The calibration will help you not only adjust the headset to the ideal IPD (distance between the lenses), but also tell you if the headset is sitting too high, low, or crooked on your head. Having the best fit will also increase the accuracy of the headset’s eye-tracking function.

4. Use PSVR 2 Without a Display Connected

Though PSVR 2 mirrors its display onto whatever TV you’re connected to so spectators can see what you’re up to, you can also use the headset while your TV is turned off, doing something else, or disconnected entirely.

Just note that to set up your PSVR 2 for the first time you’ll need a connected display, but once you have it set up you can turn off the display or unplug it entirely and your headset should continue to work just fine.

5. Where to Find PSVR 2 Volume Control

This one really shouldn’t be a tip or a trick, but it’s not entirely intuitive where to find the volume control for PSVR 2.

Instead of being in the quick settings menu, you can find the volume adjustment for PSVR 2 by pressing the PlayStation button to bring up the bottom menu, then selecting Sound (speaker icon). In the Sound menu you’ll see PSVR 2; click on it to find the volume adjustment.

6. Use Headset Button to Mute Microphone

The button on the bottom of PSVR 2 gives you one-click access to the headset’s passthrough view, which is very handy. However you have the option to rebind this button to act as a microphone mute toggle instead, which might be useful if you find yourself playing multiplayer VR games regularly.

To make the button on PSVR 2 mute the microphone, go to Settings > Accessories > PlayStation VR2 > VR Headset section > Function Button Assignment, then switch it to Mute Microphone.

Even if you change the button’s function, you can still quickly access the passthrough view by double-clicking the PlayStation button on the controller to open PSVR 2 quick settings, then click ‘View Surroundings’.

7. Use PSVR 2 as a 120Hz HDR Display for Playing Flat PS5 Games

While PSVR 2 is undoubtedly an impressive VR headset, you can also use it to play regular PS5 games and watch video content—Sony calls this ‘Cinematic Mode’ for PSVR 2.

To do that, all you need to do is launch a non-VR game or app on PS5, then use a standard PS5 controller to play (unfortunately the Sense controllers won’t work for regular content because they don’t have all of the same buttons and controls as a regular controller). Some non-game apps may work with the Sense controllers for simple navigation however.

And technically speaking, PSVR 2 can function like a regular high refresh rate (120Hz) HDR TV, which means it will be able to play flat PS5 games that support a 120Hz performance mode and it can correctly display any HDR content that an HDR TV could.

While PSVR 2 automatically runs at 120Hz and HDR mode for VR games, you need to enable both 120Hz and HDR for flat PS5 games and content.

To do so, go to Settings > Accessories > PlayStation VR2 > Cinematic Mode. Then select Video Output for Cinematic Mode. There you’ll find the option for both 120Hz output and HDR.

8. Change the Size of the PSVR 2 Cinematic Mode Screen

So you’re playing PS5 games using your headset like a high performance TV, but maybe you wish your screen was a little bigger or smaller?

Luckily you can easily adjust this by double tapping the PlayStation button on the controller to access the PSVR 2 quick settings, then use the Screen Size slider to adjust the size.

If you want to reposition the screen you can also press and hold the options button (on the right controller) which will move the screen directly in front of you regardless of where you’re looking.

9. Tighten Your Sense Controller Straps the Easy Way

Nobody thinks they’re going to accidentally throw their controller until it happens. That’s why I personally always use my wrist straps when using a VR headset, and recommend others do too. After using VR headsets for more than 10 years, I have smashed 0 TVs and broken 0 controllers.

Luckily Sony has come up with a neat design for the wrist straps on the PS Sense controllers that allows you to tighten them with one hand.

To do so just pull the wrist strap so there’s tension on the band, then rotate your wrist to tighten the strap. If it doesn’t seem to be working, try rotating your wrist the other direction.

10. Dark Rooms Are No Longer Ideal

With the original PSVR, you’d get the best headset and controller tracking when playing in a dark room because of the way the tracking system on that headset worked. When everything else was dark, it was easier for the camera to pick up the glowing tracking markers on the headset.

With PSVR 2 now using an inside-out tracking system, playing in a dark room will actually hinder tracking performance rather than help it. In our testing we found the headset is quite good at tracking in low light, but even so it isn’t the ideal way to play.

While too much sunlight (ie: being completely outdoors) is also an issue, playing in a normally lit room will give you the best tracking performance on the headset.

11. Enable Tracking Support for Tough Tracking Conditions

Speaking of tracking performance, if you feel like your headset is having tracking issues, you can turn on an additional option which will use your TV as a tracking marker to make it easier for the headset to have something to lock onto.

To enable Tracking Support on PSVR 2, go to Settings > Accessories > PlayStation VR2 > Tracking Support and turn the option on.

In our testing we found that PSVR 2 tracking is really solid, and for most people this option shouldn’t be necessary. In some specific cases (ie: a room with lots of skylights letting in tons of bright sunlight), or a completely white room with no discernable features, it could be helpful.

Note that this option will only improve head-tracking; if you’re having tracking issues with only your PSVR 2 controllers, something else is likely to blame.

12. Enable Sidetone to Hear People Around You More Easily

This is one I wish I knew while I was reviewing PSVR 2 in the first place! While the earbuds included with the headset do a decent job with noise isolation, in cases where you do want to be able to hear what’s going on outside of your headset, you can use the ‘sidetone’ option which picks up sound from the headset’s microphone and sends it through the earbuds.

To enable Sidetone on PSVR 2, go to Settings > Sound > Audio Output > Sidetone and adjust the setting to the desired volume.

13. Find Every Free Demo Game for PSVR 2

If you don’t know what PSVR 2 game to buy next, it’s worth keeping an eye on the PSVR 2 demo store page. Most PSVR 2 games don’t have demos, but some do, including big ones like Resident Evil Village and Horizon Call of the Mountain.

For an always up-to-date list of PSVR 2 demos, see this section of the PlayStation Store.

Got any great PSVR 2 tips & tricks to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks to our friends at Cas & Chary VR for tips 12 and 13! You can find a few more good tips not on our list in their PSVR 2 tips video.

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State of Play Presentation Will Reveal Five New PSVR 2 Games This Week

Sony’s State of Play presentation returns this Thursday, promising reveals for five new PlayStation VR2 games.

With just one day left before PlayStation VR2 arrives, Sony announced a new online broadcast on February 23 at 1pm PT. This latest showcase promises “a first glimpse at five PlayStation VR2 games set to arrive later this year,” giving us our first major look at Sony’s upcoming line-up beyond the PSVR 2 launch games. New footage for the upcoming flatscreen game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is also promised.

This isn’t the only PSVR 2 announcement that dropped today, either. Hours before this State of Play confirmation, Sony announced ten further games are joining the PSVR 2 launch window, including previously announced games like Runner. There’s also Gorn, which appeared in last week’s German PlayStation Blog, though this announcement doesn’t feature Solaris Offworld Combat 2, Wanderer Remastered or Project Wingman. You can find the full list and release dates below:

If you’re eager to jump into Sony’s new PS5 headset, you can check out our PSVR 2 review now, and we’re also bringing you a full PSVR 2 technical analysis soon. As for the games, you can check out our thoughts on Horizon Call of the Mountain, Kayak VR: Mirage, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition and Cities: VR – Enhanced Edition right now, with more to come.

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Kayak VR: Mirage PSVR 2 Review – Calm Waters Ahead

Following its PC VR release last year, Kayak VR: Mirage now arrives on PlayStation VR2. Developed by Better Than Life, how does this visually stunning physics-based sim fare on the new PS5 headset? Here’s our full review.

Kayak VR is my biggest surprise among the PSVR 2 launch titles. In a line-up dominated by Horizon Call of the Mountain and older ports, Better Than Life’s latest game offers a simple premise with a solid execution as the Sense controllers become your rowing paddles. To test this out, you can mess around in a swimming pool and getting started is relatively easy.

Diving into the free roam mode, I was immediately taken with Kayak VR’s presentation. Watching the ripples while paddling demonstrates some incredible water physics; light reflects impressively on the water’s surface and the resolution remains sharp throughout. Objects react realistically as well, such as when you push away small blocks of ice or prod the rubber ring flamingo in the swimming pool.

Kayak VR: Mirage Review – The Facts

Platforms:  PC VR via Steam, PSVR 2 (Review conducted on PSVR 2)

Release Date: Out Now

Developer: Better Than Life

Price: $22.99

You can explore four beautiful locations, each with day and night variants. Exploring Papagayo lets the gulf’s beauty shine through, realistically bringing the scenery and its fish to life. Antarctica’s chilly waters are a favorite when paddling through the broken ice and whale watching from a distance. Navigating Bjørnøya through stormy waters offered a dramatic change of pace, while Australia’s canyons offer a certain serenity. Each level feels alive through its dynamic wildlife too, ranging from flocks of birds to cute little penguins.

Kayak VR takes its pleasing experience even further on PSVR 2 using haptic feedback. The Sense controllers add gentle resistance when paddling alongside simulated rain, creating an amazing sense of depth across the rough waves of the Bjørnøya storm variant. Headset haptic feedback also kicks in during collisions, creating immersion in unexpected ways. It’s all complemented by realistic sound effects using 3D audio and an atmospheric soundtrack.

Kayak VR: Mirage - Antarctica screenshot

I’ve rarely felt this relaxed in VR and free roam is where I spent most of my time, exploring at a comfortable pace to see what each location has to offer. If you prefer something even more casual, Kayak VR now includes a controller-less ‘Tour Mode’ that takes care of movement for you – a great way to de-stress. With headphones on, I sat back on my sofa and let Kayak VR take me down a predetermined route. I could sit in this mode for hours; it’s very therapeutic.

By comparison, races feel out of place. If you prefer something more competitive, each location lets you race other players’ ghost data through asynchronous multiplayer, using their previous best times as you rank for position on an online leaderboard. This offers a challenge for high-score chasers, though I personally didn’t find the mode very appealing.

Kayak VR: Mirage Review – Comfort

This isn’t an intense experience, so there aren’t many comfort options. Movement vignettes are available for turning, during collisions or as a permanent feature. There are also stability options to keep your kayak at a comfortable angle. For those after realism, you can choose ‘simulation’ controls instead of the standard ‘arcade’ option. Haptic feedback intensity is also adjustable.

You don’t need long to see everything that each level offers, but that’s fine. Kayak VR is a game best experienced in smaller sessions; there’s no end goal or objectives. You’ll gradually earn in-game currency as you explore — no microtransactions here — which unlock new items like kayak designs, headwear and paddles for extra customization.

Kayak VR: Mirage - Swimming Pool

Kayak VR: Mirage Review – Final Verdict

Kayak VR: Mirage is a quiet highlight of the PSVR 2 launch window and thrives in its free roam mode. The competitive multiplayer won’t suit everyone and seeing everything doesn’t take long, but the realistic physics and stunning presentation will keep me coming back for a long time. This is easily one of the most relaxing games I’ve ever experienced.

Upload VR Review Recommended

UploadVR focuses on a label system for reviews, rather than a numeric score. Our reviews fall into one of four categories: Essential, Recommended, Avoid and reviews that we leave unlabeled. You can read more about our review guidelines here.

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Tencent Reportedly in Talks with Meta to Bring Quest 2 to China

Chinese tech giant Tencent is reportedly shuttering its XR development team, ostensibly putting a hold on its home-grown VR ambitions. That may not mean Tencent is hanging up the XR towel for good though.

As reported by Chinese language publication 36Kr, WeChat developer Tencent is set to promote Meta Quest 2 in mainland China. At the time of this writing, Meta officially supports the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and most countries in Europe.

Using headsets from Meta would provide Tencent with a ready-made hardware platform so it could focus on creating a game library and its own software, but more importantly it could soon counter ByteDance’s Pico Interactive, the VR headset creator most recently known for its Quest 2 competitor, Pico 4.

ByteDance allegedly won a fierce bidding war against Tencent in early 2021 to acquire Pico, which then went on to release Pico 4 to consumers in Europe and Asia. It also looked like Pico was also eyeing the US as well, as it opened a headquarters on Meta’s home turf in June 2022, however it was reported late last week that ByteDance, parent company of TikTok, is actually laying off hundreds at Pico Interactive.

This isn’t the first time Meta hardware has found its way into mainland China. Meta (then Facebook) released the 3DOF standalone Oculus Go in 2018 in China thanks to a manufacturing partnership with Xiaomi, branding the headset as the ‘Mi VR Standalone’.

As 36Kr points out, Tencent partnered with Nintendo in 2019 to sell a version of Switch, which provides access to localized games and online services. The report maintains the partnership with Meta will also follow a similar distribution model.

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Tencent Reportedly Scraps VR Headset Development

Tencent is allegedly scrapping development for a new VR headset due to profitability concerns and high investment costs.

After setting up an internal XR unit to create VR software and hardware last June, Reuters reports that’s been scrapped and the unit’s 300 staff members are being told to seek other employment opportunities. Citing anonymous sources, it’s said Tencent’s internal economic forecasts suggested this venture wouldn’t be profitable until 2027. It’s also claimed that the unnamed VR headset lacked promising games and non-gaming applications.

It doesn’t sound like development got particularly far, either. The report suggests Tencent got as far as creating a “ring-like hand-held game controller” concept, though short-term profitability worries, high investment costs and a “sobering economic outlook” within China saw the multinational conglomerate reconsider this approach. “Under the company’s new strategy as a whole, it no longer quite fit in,” one source is quoted as saying.

Tencent aren’t strangers to virtual reality and investments go as far back as 2015, later live-streaming VR concerts for music artists. Reportedly, Tencent’s renewed interest in VR came in 2021, following new developments with pancake lenses and improved displays, which was further encouraged by high Meta Quest 2 sales.

This doesn’t signal an end to Tencent’s investment in VR, however, with stakes in both Epic Games and Skydance Media, whose gaming division Skydance Interactive developed Archangel: Hellfire, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and Chapter 2: Retribution, alongside upcoming action RPG Behemoth. More recently, Tencent participated in Skydance’s $400 million strategic investment round last October.

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PSVR 2 Review – Sony Takes Several Steps Forward for Consumer VR

More than six years after its VR debut, Sony is ready to bring next-gen VR to PS5 with PSVR 2. Does PlayStation VR 2 make a substantial improvement over its predecessor? And how does it stack up to other VR headsets on the market? Read on to find out.

With PSVR 2, Sony is not just improving on the prior headset, it’s also raising some bars for consumer headsets overall as the first device in its class to bring eye-tracking, HDR, and new haptic capabilities to the market. Let’s start out with a look at PSVR 2’s specs and how they compare to the original PSVR:

PSVR 2 vs. PSVR Specs
PSVR 2 PSVR
Resolution 2,000 x 2,040 (4.1MP) per-eye, OLED, HDR 960 x 1,080 (1.0MP) per-eye, RGB OLED
Refresh Rate 90Hz, 120Hz 90Hz, 120Hz
Lenses Fresnel Single element non-Fresnel
Field-of-view (claimed) 110° (diagonal presumed) 100° (diagonal presumed)
Optical Adjustments IPD, eye-relief Eye-relief
Connectors USB-C (no breakout box) USB, HDMI (breakout box)
Cable Length 4.5m 4.4m
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons) Outside-in (external camera)
On-board cameras 4x IR (external), 2x IR (internal) None
Pass-through View Yes No
Input PSVR 2 Sense controllers (rechargable), DualShock 5 (rechargable) eye-tracking DualShock 4 (rechargeable), PS Move (rechargeable), PS Aim (rechargeable), voice
Audio 3.5mm aux output 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Yes Yes
Haptics Controllers, headset Controllers
Weight 560g 600g
Release Date February 22nd, 2023 October 13th, 2016
Console Compatibility PS5 PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5 (with adapter, only PS4 compatible VR games)

PSVR 2 Review

One of the most important parts of a VR headset is how things look when you peer through the lenses, so that’s where we’re going to start.

Clarity

Photo by Road to VR

How good things look inside of a VR headset depends on much more than just resolution, so we like to boil things down to the point of talking about ‘clarity’, ie: how clear does the virtual world look inside the headset.

PSVR 2 gets a big jump in clarity over its predecessor thanks first and foremost to a big leap in resolution (from 1.0MP per-eye to 4.1MP per-eye). From a resolution standpoint, that puts PSVR 2 on par with other headsets on the market like Quest 2.

While the image through PSVR 2’s lenses certainly looks much better than the original PSVR, it’s hampered a bit by two notable issues: sweet spot and motion blur.

PSVR 2’s Fresnel lenses actually have fairly good edge-to-edge clarity, but only if you can get your eyes in the headset’s rather small eye-box (AKA sweet spot). Unfortunately not everyone will be able to get their eyes into the ideal position because the sweet spot seems to be designed at a distance that makes it so you’d have to cram the headset uncomfortably against your face in order to keep the lenses in the perfect spot. Thanks to an eye-relief adjustment it’s easy to move the lenses far enough away that they aren’t crushing your nose, but for every little bit that you do you give up some sharpness on the edges and some field-of-view.

The small eye-box also means that if you don’t dial the headsets ergonomic adjustments in just right you’ll see things like chromatic aberration and more blur around the edges than you would otherwise.

Thankfully Sony has included a guided calibration step (which makes use of the headset’s eye-tracking) and helps users find that ideal spot by guiding them toward the correct IPD and lens alignment. This definitely helps reduce the issue of having a small sweet spot, and I find myself running calibration every few times that I pick up the headset just to be sure things haven’t jostled out of place. Luckily Sony has made it easy to run the calibration step at any point—even in the middle of a game.

I also mentioned motion blur as something that’s holding back the clarity on PSVR 2. I still don’t know exactly why I’m seeing a fair bit of motion blur on PSVR 2—whether its persistence blur, ghosting, reprojection, or something else—but it somwhat reduces the sharpness of the image whenever your head is in motion (which in VR is most of the time). It’s a shame because you can see just how sharp everything is when you head is still, and then as soon as you go to look at something else, the world around you becomes a bit more blurry.

And unfortunately PSVR 2’s Fresnel lenses aren’t an exception to the rule: its still easy to spot god rays and some glare in high contrast scenes.

Displays & HDR

Photo by Road to VR

Sweet spot issues aside, PSVR 2 is packing a pair of impressive OLED displays that make colors feel more rich and saturated while allowing dark parts of the scene to get truly dark instead of just dark grey.

This makes a big difference when it comes to content like Horizon Call of the Mountain which aims to immerse players in a world full of lush scenery.

While it’s great to have OLED black levels on a modern headset, PSVR 2’s displays do suffer from more mura than seen on its contemporaries, which manifests as a bit of speckling on the screen that’s more visible when seen against certain colors.

But that’s the price you pay for those deep blacks and purported ‘HDR’ capabilities, though I’ve yet to hear Sony confirm key parts of that capability, like peak brightness.

In my experience with the headset I can’t say I’ve felt like its showing significantly more peak brightness than other headsets, but it feels like the HDR is paying off more in the mid and lower tones.

Field-of-view

Photo by Road to VR

Similar to the small sweet spot, PSVR 2’s field-of-view is technically quite large—at times feeling like it meets even Valve’s Index—but that’s only if you can push the lenses exceptionally (and for me, uncomfortably) close to your eyes; so close that the lenses are putting a lot of pressure on your nose. Between where it’s actually comfortable for me to have the lenses sit and where I would get the maximum field-of-view, it feels like I’m leaving a non-trivial amount of FoV on the table. That said, even the comfortable position leaves me with a fairly sizable field-of-view that exceeds something like Quest 2.

IPD & Eye-tracking

Photo by Road to VR

PSVR 2 is the first consumer VR headset to ship with eye-tracking. While this has the potential to be very useful across a range of applications, I’ve yet to see any game that’s putting it to seriously good use. So far the closest any game has come is Horizon Call of the Mountain which uses eye-tracking to improve the accuracy of the game’s subtle auto-aim.

For its part, Sony is making use of the eye-tracking to help users set their correct IPD (which is very useful, especially considering the headset’s small sweet spot), and even adjust the tilt of the headset on the user’s head.

While I appreciate that smart touch, I wish the calibration step would actually provide a number to accompany the IPD setting; that way you could simply remember your number and dial it in every time. Instead, the guided calibration just shows a visual indicator of how close your eyes are to the center of the lenses. It works well, but without a number to go by you need to dial things in visually every time.

Continue on Page 2: Audio, Tracking & Controllers, Haptics »

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VR Veteran Studio Behind ‘Bigscreen’ Unveils Thin & Light PC VR Headset ‘Beyond’

The team behind social VR viewing app Bigscreen today unveiled a thin and light PC VR headset that not only promises a few intriguing enthusiast-grade specs, but also a custom-made fit based on a 3D scan of your face. In short, it’s a big first for the VR veterans, who are responsible for one of the most beloved VR content viewing platforms.

Called Bigscreen Beyond, the $999 headset presents an interesting set of features which are squarely aimed at PC VR enthusiasts: dual OLED microdisplays offering 2,560 × 2,560 per-eye resolution, pancake optics, and 6DOF SteamVR tracking support.

The company is billing the tethered PC VR headset as the smallest and lightest of its kind, weighing in at just 127 grams and measuring less than 1-inch at its thinnest point.

Image courtesy Bigscreen

Bigscreen Beyond starts pre-orders today, priced at $999. Ostensibly, Beyond is targeting PC VR users who likely already in the SteamVR ecosystem but want something thinner and lighter than the last generation of headsets, such as Valve Index. Notably, the headset doesn’t include the requiste SteamVR tracking base stations or SteamVR-compatible controllers like the Valve Index controller or HTC Vive wand—you’ll have to purchase those separately.

The reasoning: Bigscreen founder and CEO Darshan Shankar says the VR software studio wanted to build “the VR headset we wanted for ourselves.”

“Today’s leading VR headsets have doubled in weight compared to headsets from 2016. We built Beyond because we felt VR was too heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable,” Shankar says. “We invented new technologies to increase comfort, and developed ultra-high-end components like OLED microdisplays and pancake optics to increase immersion. To deliver the best software experience for watching movies in Bigscreen, we also had to build the best hardware with Bigscreen Beyond.”

Image courtesy Bigscreen

Like many forthcoming VR headsets, Beyond is able to slim down thanks to the inclusion of pancake lenses, which Bigscreen says are a three-element optical design composed of glass, plastic polymers, films, and coatings.

Paired with two OLED microdisplays, each with a resolution of 2,560 × 2,560 pixels, Beyond boasts a high fill-factor with its 7.2-μm wide pixels and RGB stripe subpixels, resulting in what the company says eliminates the screen door effect—when the non-illuminated spaces between pixels make it seem like you’re viewing VR content through a screen door.

Resolution alone doesn’t tell the whole story, although for reference Valve Index is 1,440 × 1,600 per-eye, Meta Quest Pro is 1,920 × 1,800 pixels per-eye, and Pico 4 is 2,160 × 2,160 pixels per-eye.

Another one of Beyond’s big enthusiast-grade features is owed to Bigscreen’s ability to customize the fit of the headset to each user, which will be done by doing a one-time scan of the user’s face using an iPhone XR or more recent Apple mobile device. The dedicated Bigscreen scanning app is said to measure the shape of the user’s face and the position of their eyes, which allows the company to form a facial interface a unique to the individual and determine interpupillar distance.

The hand-washable facial interface is said to provide “even weight distribution, zero light leakage, and aligns the eyes and optics correctly.” Additionally, glasses wearers will have to spring for custom prescription lenses that magnetically fit into Beyond, as glasses do not fit inside the small form factor.

Although it ships with a soft strap, users can also spring for the optional audiostrap. We haven’t confirmed pricing for that yet, however we’ll update once we do.

Image courtesy Bigscreen

Granted, some things we’d consider ‘nex-gen’ are notably missing from Beyond, such as eye-tracking, face-tracking, optical 6DOF tracking, and the ability to use it wirelessly. As the first VR headset from a long-time VR veteran though, Beyond does check a lot of boxes for users such as simulator fans, and anyone looking for a better long-term VR media viewer.

Bigscreen Beyond is slate to ship in waves based on region. Preorders, which are fully cancellable and refundable up until shipping, are set to ship in the United States sometime in Q3 2023.

Second wave shipments will begin in Q4 2023 in Canada and Europe including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium. A third wave of will come sometime in late 2023, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand. The company says Beyond will be available in more countries and regions in 2024.

Check out the spec sheet below:

Bigscreen Beyond Specs

Display Resolution 5120 x 2560 pixels (2560 x 2560 per eye) cloed at max 90Hz
Field Of View (FOV) 93° HFOV x 90° VFOV
Pixels Per Degree (PPD) 28°
Interpupillary Distance (IPD)
56mm-74mm accommodated (fixed IPD per device, 58mm-72mm)
Optics Type Custom Pancake Optics
6DOF Tracking SteamVR Tracking (aka Lighthouse)
Version V1.0 or V2.0 Base Stations. Not included.
Controllers SteamVR controllers (ex. Valve Index, HTC Vive). Not included.
Full-Body Tracking
SteamVR trackers (ex. HTC Vive Tracker, Tundra Tracker). Not included.
Audio Not built-in (USB C port for Audio), or optional Audio Strap
Ports USB-C accessory port (USB 2.0)
Microphone Input Stereo microphones
PC Connection DisplayPort 1.4 (video) and dual USB 3.0 ports (power, data)
Accessory ports USB-C (USB 2.0 speed)
Cable 5-meter custom fiber optic cable and Link Box
PC Requirements
CPU Quad Core Intel or AMD
GPU
Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 XT or newer (DisplayPort 1.4 and DSC required)
Ports 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x USB 3.0 ports
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PSVR 2 Unboxing – Close-up with the Final Version of Sony’s New VR Headset

Ahead of the launch of PSVR 2, we’ve got a close-up look at the finished version of the headset and what you can expect to find when you crack open the box.

It’s just two weeks until Sony’s newest VR headset hits the streets, and while we’re not yet allowed to go into detail, today we’ve got a close-up look at the production hardware and Sony’s official controller dock. Stay tuned for our full PSVR 2 review.

Photo by Road to VR

The very first thing to notice about PSVR 2 compared to the original is the simplicity of setup… this is everything you’ll see in the box.

PSVR 2 | Photo by Road to VR

Compare that to the original PSVR which had a breakout box requiring extra cables and its own power adapter—not to mention the PS Eye camera that was required for the headset (and the photo below doesn’t even include the Move controllers).

PSVR 1 | Photo by Road to VR

Compared to the original, PSVR 2’s single-cable operation and inside-out tracking makes it so much easier to use.

Getting closer to the headset itself, we get a good look at its range of adjustments. On the top there’s an IPD dial for dialing in the distance between the lenses. Also on top is a button to adjust eye-relief (the range of which is pretty impressive). And on the back is the crank to tighten the headstrap, with the center of the crank acting as a button which releases the springy tension.

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Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR

As we learned in our early preview of PSVR 2, the headset has an assisted calibration step which helps the user hone in their individual headset orientation and IPD settings, thanks to the in-built eye-tracking.

On the bottom of the headset is the power button and a button to activate PSVR 2’s passthrough view. Alongside those is the built-in microphone.

Photo by Road to VR

While PSVR 2 doesn’t have directly integrated audio, it comes with a pair of custom earbuds which attached to the underside of the rear headstrap and stow in little holes at the sides of the headset. You can use your own 3.5mm headphones instead if you’d like to.

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Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR

And then there’s the PSVR 2 ‘Sense’ controllers, which have a particularly interesting shape to them. Inside the circular strut is hidden infrared LEDs which can be seen by the headset to track the controllers.

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Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR

Compared to something like Quest 2, the unique shape and placement of the ring does a good job of reducing the likelihood that you’ll bump the controllers into each other during hand-to-hand interactions. However, the design has a somewhat off-kilter balance to it.

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Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR

The wrist-straps are mounted on the inside of the tracking ring and can be removed if desired.

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Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR

The PSVR 2 controllers are rechargeable via USB-C, but Sony is also selling a purpose-built PSVR 2 controller charging dock to make it easy to charge your controllers without fiddling with cables. While its existence is appreciated, and it generally gets the job done, it’s a bit funky to sit the controllers in just the right spot to initiate the charge. Still, I’d rather this than plugging in two cables every time I’m done playing.

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Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR
Photo by Road to VR

We’re looking forward to sharing our full PSVR 2 review in the near future—if you’ve got questions for us, drop them in the comments below!

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Developer Tweets Apparent Photo Of PSVR 2 In The Wild

Ultrawings 2 developer Bit Planet Games tweeted an apparent photo of a PSVR 2 headset in the wild yesterday, before removing the tweet and re-posting it with a generic promotional shot.

A screenshot of the now-deleted tweet, captured by UploadVR, can be seen above. It shows a supposed PSVR 2 unit, with two Sense controllers, sitting on an office chair, as part of a hint that Ultrawings 2 will be coming to PSVR 2.

In the new version of the tweet, embedded above, Bit Planet Games replaced the image with one of the well known PSVR 2 promotional images.

If real, the original image was likely of a early unit or developer kit sent out to Bit Planet Games to assist with development. That being said, dev kits usually feature a different, unfinished design to the final release units, as the final design is usually not finalized and production yet to begin. According to supply chain analyst Kuo, mass production of PSVR 2 is set to begin in the second half of this year. 

Responding to a reply featuring the original image, Bit Planet Games gave a coy response: “Looks fake to us. Chair is badass though.”

We still don’t have a release date for PSVR 2, but it’s likely that many developers have their hands on dev kits already, to prepare for its eventual release.

The latest indications seem to point to an early 2023 release — the PlayStation Blog recently hinted as much, and supply chain analysts suggest the headset was initially slated for a late 2022 launch but has now been pushed back to 2023.

No matter when it launches, it looks like Ultrawings 2 will fly its way onto Sony’s new headset at some point in the future — you can check out our list of every other rumored and confirmed game coming to PSVR 2 here.

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Little Cities Now Has Hand Tracking Support On Quest

Little Cities now supports hand tracking on Oculus Quest and Meta Quest 2. 

We recently spoke to James Howard, one half of the Purple Yonder duo responsible for Little Cities, shortly after the game’s launch, and we reconnected last week to discuss the game’s ‘Big Hands in Little Cities’ update. The update allows you to ditch the controllers and use only your hands for the entire Little Cities campaign.

 

After some discussions internally and a few requests from fans, Purple Yonder decided hand tracking support would be the game’s first big piece of post-launch content.

“We really wanted to jump in at the deep end and see what we could do and if we could make it playable with hands and that’s what we’ve managed to do,” he told me. “It was a lot of work to get to that stage, a lot of challenges, but we’re there and it’s working really well.”

To place objects and build roads, you’ll point at an area of the map and use the familiar pinch gesture, found in many other hand tracking apps. However, movement with your hands is a bit unique in Little Cities — you close and drag your hands in a fist to move laterally, while moving fists closer or further apart will let you zoom. Moving fists in a steering wheel motion will rotate the map.

Apart from that, a lot of the remaining buttons and actions transferred from controllers to hands without much modification. The wristwatch mechanic, for example, works almost exactly the same as it does with controllers. “That just works really well with hand tracking because you just naturally look at your hand and that all still works the same way.”

“When you’re selecting things, if you haven’t played Little Cities, the way it works is you have like a build bubble and you pop that with your finger. And then you get a section of other bubbles which shows different options you can build. And that just works really well,” he explains. “We didn’t really have to change much to get that working with hand tracking and it just feels really good, this kind of tactile feeling. Cause it’s not only you kind of popping these bubbles to select things, but it feels like your real hands when you’re doing it.”

The Big Hands in Little Cities update is out now on the Quest platform. Both Quest 2 and the original Quest will support hand tracking, with players on the newer headset being able to take advantage of Hand Tracking 2.0.

You can watch our full interview and check out some gameplay linked here and also embedded above.

This article originally published on June 27, but it was updated and republished with release of the hand tracking update on June 30.