PlayStation revealed a look at the inspiration behind their latest VR hardware design. The post was written on the PlayStation Blog by Senior Vice President, Platform Experience, Hideaki Nishino. Here is some information from the blog:
The PS VR2 headset has a similar shape as the PS VR2 Sense controller, taking on a matching “orb” look. The circular orb shape represents the 360-degree view that players feel when they enter the virtual reality world.
The design of the PS VR2 headset was inspired by the look of the PS5 family of products. According to Hideaki Nishino, when the design team created the PS5 console, they also had the next generation VR headset in mind, so there are similarities in the look and feel. The PS5 console has flat edges as it is meant to be displayed on a flat surface, while there was more emphasis on adding roundness to the design of PS VR2 headset since it is meant to have constant human contact.
PlayStation’s goal is to create a headset that will not only become an attractive part of your living room decor, but will also keep you immersed in your game world, to the point where you almost forgot you are using a headset controller. This is why the team paid very close attention to the ergonomics of the headset and conducted extensive testing to ensure a comfortable feel for a variety of head sizes.
Senior Art Director at SIE, Yujin Morisawa, led the headset design for PS VR2. One area he focused on was the idea of creating a vent in the headset to let air our, similar to vents on the PS5 console that allows airflow. Their engineers came up with this idea as a good way to allow ventilation and avoid having the lens fog up while players are immersed in their VR games.
The PlayStation blog does not mention when the PS VR2 will launch. However, it points out that the PS VR2 development kits are already in the hands of game creators. There is absolutely no mention of what the PS VR2 will cost.
The Verge reported that those who want to use the PS VR2 with the PS5 can do that, but it requires a special adapter and “the experience is decidedly last-gen”. According to The Verge, Sony now has to compete with headsets like the computer-free Oculus Quest 2, the finger-tracking Valve Index, and the high-resolution HP Reverb G2.
Personally, VR headsets are not for me because I tend to feel sick after watching movies or games that include what I call “shakey-cam”. My concern is that VR headsets will also make me feel ill.
That said, the PlayStation Blog got several comments from people who desperately want to purchase the PS VR2, and also comments from people who want it to be backwards compatible. If Sony can make the price of the PS VR2 seem reasonable to consumers, it might have a fighting chance against other VR devices.