My PS VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle arrived safely on launch day. Although there was some confusion and frustration about whether the bundle would actually arrive on launch day after PlayStation Direct’s systems seemed to slow down and never sent me and thousands of others in the UK any kind of delivery notification. Many people thought that Sony had ballsed up the deliveries of Call of the Mountain PS VR2 bundles in the UK but it turns out it was just back-end systems taking their time and most people’s bundles did arrive on launch day. Hooray!
PlayStation VR2 Review
Along with the PS VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle, I also got the Sense Controller charging station. So I will review the PS VR2 headset, the Sense controllers and the charging station. For the PS VR2 itself, I won’t go too much into the technical aspects of the headset because I don’t really know too much about all that stuff. I will focus more on the comfort and some features of the PS VR2 and just generally on how the games look and feel on Sony’s next-generation VR headset.
Set up and Comfort
Setting up the PS VR2 is super easy, so much easier than the first PS VR. Whereas the original PS VR had a breakout box and a mass of different numbered cables to plug into the right place, PS VR2 has only one cable. Once you have plugged the PS VR2’s USB C cable into the USB C port on the front of the PS5 you are pretty much good to go.
There are some other set-up things to get done like setting up eye tracking, IPD and your play area but compared to PS VR1 the set-up is an absolute breeze. There is also the fact that PlayStation VR2 has inside-out tracking, tracking is done via cameras on the actual headset, so there is no need to set up an external camera.
The ease of set-up and the plug-and-play nature of the PS VR2 is definitely one of its main strong points for me and one that makes it far superior to its predecessor.
Comfort-wise, after over 2 months of using the PS VR2 I have found it to be pretty comfortable. Initially, I did have some discomfort on my forehead, as if maybe the headset was too tight but it certainly did get more comfortable after using it for longer. It could have been that I was sitting on the cable (I play mostly seated) and that was causing the headset to be pulled into my forehead more.
Like the original PS VR, I have also noticed that my forehead gets sweaty like crazy when playing physically demanding games, like when I was trying to beat the high score on the Horizon Call of the Mountain assault course.
Wearing Glasses with PS VR2 is No Problem
As a glasses wearer, I can confirm that PS VR2 has plenty of room to accommodate glasses without any issues. I have read posts on the PSVR subreddit advising people to not wear glasses while playing in VR because you can scratch or chip the lenses. But I have worn my glasses while playing years of PS VR1 and now over two months of playing PS VR2 without any issues. My glasses aren’t massive or anything, just regular glasses, but I have had no problems whatsoever while wearing specs with PS VR2.
The Sense Controllers
I really like the PS VR2 Sense controllers and they are a far cry from using the outdated PS Move controllers that PS VR1 had. The Sense controllers are basically like a split in half DualSense, you have a thumbstick on each controller and the triangle and square buttons on the left controller and the cross and circle buttons on the right controller.
The Sense controllers are really easy to use and are very intuitive. Couple that with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers and games really do feel far more immersive. Of course, they can be awkward to grab and hold correctly if you are wearing the headset but that is what passthrough mode is for.
The Sense controllers really are a fantastic feat of engineering on Sony’s part. Along with the superior inside-out tracking that the PS VR2 offers the Sense controllers just make VR games so much better.
Sense Controller Charging Station
Although sold separately from the PS VR2 bundles, the Sense controller charging station is an absolute must for anyone who plans on playing on their PS VR2 for lengthy amounts of time. As we can’t yet buy a spare pair of Sense controllers, having the means to charge them up quickly is a must and that’s where the charging station comes in.
The Sense controller charging station will have your PS VR2 controllers charged in a couple of hours and ready for your next trip into the virtual reality world of your choosing. As well as charging the controllers fast, the charging station looks pretty good and has a decent heft to it. It also doesn’t feel plasticky and feels like a premium product. The type of product you would expect from a company like Sony.
At only £40.00 the Sense controller charging station is a must-buy for any PS RV2 owner.
PlayStation VR 2 Review – How do the games look?
The games look fantastic. With the power of the PS5 and all the fancy tech that’s in the PS VR2 headset like OLED panels, 4K resolution and the foveated rendering, games look so much better compared to the PS VR1. You won’t get the same kind of fidelity you will get with a AAA flat game but it is damn close.
While some games do look a lot better than others, of the launch games I played, I noticed a crispness and clearness and just an increase in visual quality over the PS VR1.
PlayStation VR2 Review – Final Thoughts
At £530.00 the price of the base PS VR2 bundle might seem a bit steep but if you take into account the Sense controllers and the tech that is packed into the PlayStation VR2 I honestly don’t think the price is overly expensive. In this Linus Tech Tips video, he states that PS VR2 is better than PC VR and in some ways is better than the Valve Inxex, which is almost double the price of PS VR2. So, value for money-wise the PS VR2 certainly has a lot to offer for the price.
There is not much I can really find at fault with the PlayStation VR2 itself. The headset is a great size and weight, it fits on my face really well and the light shield is brilliant and blocks out pretty much all light. The PS VR1 had a massive gap at the bottom, which is probably why you had to play in a dark room. With the PS VR2 you have to play in a well-lit room so the light shield does a great job of blocking pretty much all light from entering the headset.
Apart from the headset slipping at the back and feeling loose on occasions and a “can;t track surroundings” issue I had recently, which was easily fixed by deleting my previous play area data, I really don’t have any complaints about the PS VR2. Well, I have just one. It doesn’t come with a lens cleaning cloth.
I am not why Sony did not include a lens cleaning cloth, maybe because they included different size earbuds (the audio is great as well on PS VR2) they thought that a lens cloth would make it too expensive, but I’m not sure. It is a minor gripe though and overall I absolutely love my PlayStation VR2.
PlayStation VR2 - The PSF Verdict
At £530.00 the price of the base PS VR2 bundle might seem a bit steep but if you take into account the Sense controllers and the tech that is packed into the PlayStation VR2 I honestly don't think the price is overly expensive. In this Linus Tech Tips video, he states that PS VR2 is better than PC VR and in some ways is better than the Valve Inxex, which is almost double the price of PS VR2. So, value for money-wise the PS VR2 certainly has a lot to offer for the price.
