They say it’s the thought that counts, but that doesn’t apply very well to expensive gaming devices. From a hardware perspective, the $550 PS VR2 is a pricey yet worthy successor to the original, but there’s a very small list of unique, interesting games to run on it.
The PS VR2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) features impressive eye-tracking, which stands out in games like Horizon Call of the Mountain. In this title, you can highlight menu items just by looking at them. The Sense VR controllers boast best-in-class haptic feedback, making it feel like you’re grabbing something when you’re interacting with objects in VR. It’s one of the nicest VR headsets I’ve played with, but I’m a big believer in buying things based on what they are, not what they promise to be.
Right now, the PS VR2 is a comfortable, capable headset with quite a few VR games you could get elsewhere and a couple you can’t. You can hop into a VR environment in No Man’s Sky or play a few rounds of Beat Saber, but Horizon Call of the Mountain is still at the top of the pile a year and a half later. After being delayed for months, the highly anticipated horror game Phasmophobia is finally here this Halloween, but that’s about it.
If all you want is Beat Saber, then you might be better off getting a Quest 3S, but if you also want to try the unique Horizon Call of the Mountain (and I do think that’s worthwhile!), then go for it. Just don’t buy it expecting a flood of new content in the future. If you do buy the PS VR2, I highly suggest snagging the Sense Controller Charging Station, as it makes recharging the controllers a breeze.
