PS VR2 launched earlier this year as a high-end virtual reality headset tailormade for the PlayStation 5 console. The hardware was praised as one of the best ways to experience VR games. In Wccftech's review, Kai Powell wrote:
The hands-on test confirms that this is how next-gen should look and play in virtual reality with an experience unlike anything else in the HMD space. Every aspect of the first PlayStation VR has been improved (aside from Cinematic Mode largely remaining as is) with no expense spared for comfort and design. This is the sort of revolution in virtual reality that can showcase not just the experiences that are fun to play but also those that can take advantage of the next-generation console’s power.
However, between its high launch price of $599 (much more than the PS5 itself, which starts at $399 if you purchase the digital edition), and the relatively low amount of launch exclusive games, PS VR2 largely failed to gain traction in the market so far.
One way to open up to new consumers would be for PS VR2 to be compatible with PC. So far, there's no indication of that happening in an official capacity despite Sony's increased effort in the PC games market. Unofficially, the first PlayStation VR was made compatible thanks to software like the iVRy driver for SteamVR.
The author of that driver initially didn't really believe the same could be feasible with PS VR2. However, in the span of just a few months, iVRy managed to crack the hardware authentication, igniting the hopes of the VR modding community.
A couple of weeks ago, iVRy relayed another promising update. The modder said PS VR2 on PC could happen, but only with some additional hardware that still needs to be built and produced.
- PSVR2 was blocking VR modes by saying it couldn't do DSC
- We modified an AMD Open Source Linux GPU driver to force DSC
- Now we know how to put the PSVR2 into VR mode, so we can design some hardware to do it on Windows
- "Can PSVR2 be used on PC?" - Yes
- No, Sony is not actively trying to block it (or at least, they're not trying very hard)
- It will need additional hardware, though, due to Sony's design choices
Just a few hours ago, iVRy provided yet another intriguing update: PS VR2's built-in tracking now works correctly on PC.
PSVR2 tracking is 'done'. We now have full 6DOF headset tracking in SteamVR, with 2000Hz IMU and 60Hz SLAM, like PS5.
Of course, there's still much more to do before the VR headset is fully ready for PC usage. That said, iVRy also revealed he'd like to add eye tracking at a later time.
Would you buy a PS VR2 if it was fully compatible with PC? Let us know in the comments.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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