Sony has confirmed that it is working on a successor to its virtual reality headset, PlayStation VR. The news was shared by Senior Vice President of the Platform Planning & Management division Hideaki Nishino, who published an article on the official PlayStation Blog noting that the next version of PS VR will connect to the PS5 with a single cord. It will also introduce a new VR controller that leverages some of the key features in the DualSense wireless controller.
“Today I’m pleased to share that our next-generation VR system will be coming to PlayStation 5, enabling the ultimate entertainment experience with dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity,” Nishino wrote. “Players will feel an even greater sense of presence and become even more immersed in their game worlds once they put on the new headset.”
“[…] We’re taking what we’ve learned since launching PS VR on PS4 to develop a next-gen VR system that enhances everything from resolution and field of view to tracking and input. It will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use, while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience.”
“One of the innovations we’re excited about is our new VR controller, which will incorporate some of the key features found in the DualSense wireless controller, along with a focus on great ergonomics. That’s just one of the examples of future-proof technology we’re developing to match our vision for a whole new generation of VR games and experiences.”
Nishino admitted that the next version of PS VR would not be launching in 2021 but that development is beginning to gear up. PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan confirmed this in a new interview with GQ Magazine, noting that dev kits are about to go out.
“So this will be a completely new VR format for PS5,” Ryan explained. “PlayStation has considered VR as a strategic opportunity and a big innovation story. We think there are two themes that you’re going to see: us capturing the technological progress that has taken place since the present VR system came to market and a considerable amount of lessons learned. Because the present system was our first one. [Changes will be] things like moving to a very easy single-cord setup with this one and many other similar learnings. Dev kits are about to go out.”