Playstation VR 2: Where Sony's success could hurt Meta
The most beautiful versions of VR games will be released for Playstation VR 2, and I will buy them for this platform in the future.
Playstation VR 2 will be released next week and will bring a breath of fresh air to the VR landscape.
Meta doesn't have to dither about it because the predominant VR headset will continue to be called Meta Quest, of which it is estimated that there are well over ten million devices in circulation. The price and the simplicity of the standalone device are hard to beat.
The dominance of the budget VR headset could become a problem for Playstation VR 2, as a majority of VR studios are also likely to target Meta's VR platform for the sake of revenue rather than developing VR games from scratch for the much more powerful Playstation VR 2. Sony fans might be served a majority of Quest ports in the worst-case scenario.
Glitzy VR ports
Looking at the list of PSVR 2 games announced so far, that's already the case. Only a handful of titles have been developed exclusively for Playstation VR 2 or have their origins in PC VR, a platform that is on par with the PS5 in terms of performance.
However, this argument also has a flip side. If you take a closer look at the multiplatform games, it becomes clear that some of them have been prepared for Playstation VR 2 with a lot of love and care: with improved textures and effects, but also new features that make use of the unique selling points of the VR headset. I'm thinking of aspects like eye-tracking, the adaptive triggers of the Sense controllers, and headset haptics.
Details that aren't mentioned also come into play, like the higher resolution and frame rate that Playstation VR 2 unlocks for these games. Anyone who has played a VR game natively, first with Meta Quest 2 and then on PC, knows what I'm talking about. The experience is a different one, clearer all around, more beautiful, and more enjoyable.
Playstation VR 2: Make VR nicer, please!
What I'm getting at is this. When a VR game comes out for both VR systems, I will buy it for Playstation VR 2 instead of Meta Quest in the future. And I expect that many VR fans will do the same.
The exceptions will be Meta-exclusive games and titles that benefit greatly from the Meta Quest's cable-free nature or where graphics are absolutely irrelevant. But those will be in the minority.
I've specifically switched to PC VR versions of beloved VR games in the past to experience them in nicer graphics. With Playstation VR 2, the associated annoying procedure (booting up the PC, updating the software, activating Air Link, and dealing with any problems) is no longer necessary. Nothing will stand in the way of the most beautiful version of a VR game in the future.
Sony and Meta mainly earn from sold software. In this respect, Meta could feel the impact when VR enthusiasts increasingly buy their games from the competing Playstation Store for the aforementioned reasons. Of course, this remains to be seen, but it is a circumstance that is worth considering.
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