When looking at VR headsets, many people look first at headsets such as the Meta Quest 3, but there are definitely other good options. The PlayStation VR2 is one alternative that works on both PCs and PlayStation consoles, and now Sony has given it a much-appreciated price cut.
Sony’s PlayStation VR2 (PS VR2) virtual reality headset is receiving a significant price cut. Starting in March, the recommended retail price (RRP) of the PS VR2 will drop to $399.99 in the United States, with corresponding reductions in other major markets, including Europe (£399.99/€449.99) and Japan (¥66,980). This represents a $150 price cut from its launch price. The price reduction applies to both the standalone headset and the bundle that includes the popular VR title, Horizon Call of the Mountain, which is now also $399.99 (so it’s basically the same thing, except you get a free game).
This brings the Sony-made headset roughly in line with the price of competitors such as the Meta Quest 3. As a reminder, while the headset is primarily meant for use with Sony’s PlayStation 5 console, it can also be used on PC, so if you like that one better, it’s not that hard for you to set up the headset with your computer and play some VR games on it. Of course, if you do happen to own a PS5, there’s a ton of games that you can play with the headset. Some notable releases on the console highlighted by Sony include Alien: Rogue Incursion, Skydance’s Behemoth, and Metro Awakening VR, and upcoming titles that are also in development include Aces of Thunder, Dreams of Another, Hitman World of Assassination, and The Midnight Walk.
Beyond the price reduction, Sony is also enhancing the capabilities of the PS VR2. A recent update introduced low-latency hand tracking, which uses the cameras embedded in the PS VR2 headset to track the player’s hand position and movement. This hand-tracking feature allows game developers to create experiences where players can interact with virtual objects and environments using their hands directly, without relying solely on the PS VR2 Sense controllers. This adds a pretty cool layer of immersion and realism that was previously unavailable.
The game Waltz of the Wizard is an early example of a title that supports the new hand-tracking feature, according to Sony. We remain to see how exactly most of our PS5 games will improve with this technology, if they’ll even adopt it (you still want controllers in a lot of other games), but we’ve seen tons of VR games with hand tracking on other platforms.
Curiously, Sony tends to start dropping its prices when it’s getting ready to launch a successor. We’re at that part of the PlayStation 5 life cycle where we start seeing rumors about the upcoming PlayStation 6, but there aren’t really any rumors about a successor to the PS VR2—if anything, there’s rumors saying we might not see a successor for several years. Instead, as we alluded to before, this price drop could be a result of Sony wanting to make its headset more competitive against other VR headsets on the market. The Meta Quest 3 is currently available at an MSRP of $499.99, which is higher than what the PS VR2 currently costs. But then again, the PS VR2 got $150 slashed off its price, so that one was actually more expensive than Meta’s offering.
The new prices will take effect starting in March, so you might want to wait an extra week to buy yours. The Amazon listing currently only has stock from third-party retailers at a higher price, and Best Buy is sold out.
Source: Sony
