It’s official: Starting in August, PSVR 2 owners will be able to access thousands of VR games on Steam with the help of a PC adapter. Sony lists all the requirements and limitations.
Sony has announced in a blog post that the Playstation VR 2 can be used on a PC via an adapter starting August 7, 2024. The adapter will be available separately for around $60. To use the PSVR 2 on a PC, you will need a DisplayPort 1.4 cable, which will also be sold separately, as well as a Steam account and a PC that meets the minimum requirements (see table below).
According to Sony, the setup is simple: Connect the PSVR 2 to your PC using the adapter and DisplayPort cable. You then download the Playstation VR 2 app and the SteamVR app from Steam. This allows you to set up Sony’s VR headset on your PC, adjust the settings and play area, and buy and play VR games on Steam.
PSVR 2 on PC: The most important features are missing
Sony notes that the following key features of PSVR 2 will not be available when used on a PC:
According to Sony, these features are optimized for the PS5 and are still only available there. However, other features such as 4K resolution per eye, 110-degree field of view, finger tracking, and fixed-foveated rendering (without eye tracking) are supported.
Minimum requirements for PSVR 2 on PC
The following table shows the minimum system requirements of Playstation VR 2 for use on a PC according to Sony.
Sony opens PSVR 2 to PC VR market
Sony’s move to open up the PSVR 2 to SteamVR is a response to sluggish sales of the VR headset. Since its launch in February 2023, sales have fallen short of expectations and Sony has even reportedly cut back on production. With access to thousands of PC VR games on Steam, the PSVR 2 could appeal to a broader audience.
Sony first teased PC compatibility in a blog post on PSVR 2’s first birthday in February 2024, but remained vague about what it would look like at the time.
Too bad Sony isn’t going all-in
It’s a bit of a downer that the big unique selling points of Sony’s VR headset are still reserved for the PS5 and its thin VR game offering. However, even without the PS5-exclusive features, the PSVR 2 still offers some features that make it an interesting PC VR headset. These include the high-contrast OLED displays and the high resolution. With a regular price of $600, currently on sale for $500 (see link below), the PSVR 2 is also quite affordable compared to other PC VR headsets — even though I find the PC-VR adapter a bit too expensive.
For die-hard PS5 owners who were hoping for more VR games for their console, the move may be less welcome. While the PSVR 2 now has over 100 VR games available, there are hardly any major system sellers among them, and this announcement is unlikely to change that any time soon. SteamVR, on the other hand, offers thousands of titles across all genres.
Source: Mixed News
