PlayStation VR is often overshadowed in conversations about mixed reality. As of late, all the buzz revolves around Apple Vision Pro versus Meta Quest. Yet, Sony has been an unwavering presence in VR for years, enduring through the industry’s many highs and lows (if we’re being frank here, mostly lows).
The Japanese electronics giant has recently announced plans to reignite the life of PS VR2 by beginning testing for PC compatibility. The news was discreetly buried within a PlayStation.Blog post that also showcased a number of new titles for the platform.
“Also, we’re thrilled to announce that we are currently experimenting with the ability for PS VR2 players to access a wider range of games on PC. This will provide even more diverse gaming options in addition to the PS VR2 titles already available on PS5. We anticipate making this support available in 2024, so stay tuned for further updates.”
Phrases like “we hope to make” do not inspire much confidence regarding the timeline or even the possibility of cross-platform compatibility. Given that we are only in late-February, this leaves a considerable window of time, assuming Sony meets its 2024 target.
It speaks volumes that this feature was casually mentioned in a post about upcoming titles. Content has always been a hurdle for mixed reality, but opening up the headset to Windows titles would immediately introduce a flood of new experiences.
One of the main reasons PS VR is often excluded from the wider mixed reality conversation is its exclusivity to PlayStation. Additionally, the peripheral is primarily geared towards gaming, while Apple, Meta, and even HTC are aiming for a broader scope that also includes spatial computing, productivity, enterprise applications, and other forms of entertainment.
Of course, gaming in itself is a vast category. It has been the driving force behind VR technologies for decades, and there is still plenty of room for growth and advancement within the field. Opening up to PC titles will undoubtedly benefit PS VR on both of those fronts.
