Latest news with #PlayStationVR2
Digital Trends
2 days ago
- Business
- Digital Trends
PS5 gamers, this PlayStation VR2 bundle is on sale for $349
If you're looking for ways to get even more out of your PlayStation 5, you may want to use the console for virtual reality gaming by buying this PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle from Amazon. From its original price of $400, it's down to just $349 following a 13% discount. That's $51 in savings that you'll be able to put towards more games for the VR headset, but you're going to have to be quick with your purchase if you want to take advantage of this limited-time offer. Why you should buy the PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle The PlayStation VR2 is a huge technical upgrade to the PlayStation VR, beginning with the change into a one-wire system from a setup that required a processing unit and multiple cables. You just need to plug the PSVR2 into the PlayStation 5's USB-C port, and you're ready to go. The VR headset is extremely comfortable to wear so you can play for hours without having to take a break, and the PSVR2 Sense controllers that come with it are accurate and enjoyable to use. The bundle comes with a digital copy of Horizon Call of the Mountain, which was the big launch title for the PSVR2 but is still included in our list of the best PSVR2 games. The game showcases the capabilities of the VR headset by giving you a great look at gorgeous landscapes while you battle massive machines. It's a visual masterpiece that provides an excellent sense of scale, and using the bow and arrow is just so fun. Gamers know that PlayStation deals for the console and its accessories rarely last long, which means you need to act fast if you don't want to miss out on this chance to buy the PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle at 13% off from Amazon. Instead of its sticker price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349 for a $51 discount. It may be back to its regular price as soon as tomorrow though, so we highly recommend completing this transaction for the PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle as soon as you can.
Engadget
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
The PS5 Pro is $50 off in Sony's Days of Play sale
The Sony Days of Play sale is underway, and it includes the first official price cut for the PS5 Pro. The console has dropped by $50 to $650 in the US for the sale, which runs from May 28 to June 11. This is the first time Sony has discounted its Pro-level console. Retail partners like Amazon are matching the discount as well. If you don't have a PS5 already and can afford the Pro model, it's definitely the way to go to get the best PlayStation experience. It earned a score of 88 in our review, and it might have scored even higher if not for the price and the lack of a built-in disc drive. There are other discounts on consoles in the US and Canada as part of the sale. A bundle of either the standard PS5 or Digital Edition with a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 starts at $400/$510 CAD (for the Digital Edition). Sony says that will save you $120/$160 CAD compared with buying them separately. The PS5 standard and digital versions will be on sale in Europe and Asia too, starting at €400/£340/¥65,980. It's worth noting that Sony has considered raising the prices of PS5 hardware to offset the cost of tariffs. Microsoft this month jacked up the prices of Xbox consoles recently for that reason. So if you've been on the fence about getting a PS5 or PS5 Pro, now might be the time to snap one up. Elsewhere in the Days of Play sale, accessories are getting discounts. You can save on the PlayStation VR2 ($50 off), PlayStation VR2 and Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle ($50 off), Pulse Explore earbuds ($30 off), DualSense Edge controller ($30 off), PlayStation Access controller ($20 off) and the DualSense controller ($20 off). Things like PS5 console covers and external storage drives will get price cuts as well. You will, of course, be able to snap up PS5 games for fewer dollars than usual. MLB The Show 25 , the brilliant Astro Bot and Lego Horizon Adventures are among the many first-party games getting discounts. If you haven't played The Last of Us Part II and don't want to wait a year or two before finding out where the story of HBO's adaptation will go after that (somewhat unsatisfying) season finale on Sunday, you might like to snap up the remastered edition of the misery simulator, which will be included in the sale. Hundreds of other games will be featured. The list includes several Assassin's Creed titles, Grand Theft Auto V , Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth , Indiana Jones and the Great Circle , Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Balatro . On top of that, movies will be on sale through Sony Pictures Core Elsewhere, some PlayStation Plus plans are 33 percent off for new subscribers. Upgrading to the Extra or Premium tiers may cost you a third less than usual as well. That stinks for long-term PS Plus members who'd like to add another year or two (especially after recent price increases in several regions), but that's standard practice for plans such as these as companies try to boost subscriber numbers. Speaking of which, Sony is adding an extra few games to the PS Plus Game Catalog for Extra, Premium and Deluxe members. They are: Another Crab's Treasure (PS5, May 29) Skull and Bones (PS5, June 2) Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (PS5 and PS4, June 4) Grand Theft Auto III (PS5 and PS4, June 10) Another Crab's Treasure is a delightful Soulslike that was one of my favorite games of 2024. One of the best things about it is an accessibility option that gives you a giant pistol that can one-shot any enemy. Skull and Bones landed last year after years of delays and I'd say that "at no extra cost" is the best way to try it. Destiny 2: Legacy Collection includes hundreds of hours of gameplay with all of the expansions from the game's Light and Darkness Saga, except for the last chapter, The Final Shape . As it happens, the latest batch of monthly PS Plus games (which all PS Plus subscribers can claim and keep in their libraries as long as they maintain the membership) includes Destiny 2: The Final Shape , which will be available on May 30 for PS4 and PS5. The other titles, which you can claim starting on June 3, are NBA 2K25 (PS5 and PS4), last year's remake of Alone in the Dark (PS5) and the Jet Set Radio -esque Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS5 and PS4). That's a solid lineup! In addition, two bona fide all-timers are joining the Classics Catalog on June 5 for PS Plus Premium/Deluxe subscribers. Myst and its sequel Riven will be available to members on PS4 and PS5 at no extra cost. Premium/Deluxe subscribers will have access to two more game trials from May 28: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (PS5) and Sid Meier's Civilization VII (PS5 and PS4). Update, May 28, 12:53PM ET: Sony pushed back the date that it's adding Destiny 2: The Final Shape to the PS Plus Monthly games list from May 28 to May 30. This story has been updated accordingly.
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
The PlayStation VR2 Bundle With Horizon Call of the Mountain Has Never Been Priced Lower Than Now
If you've been putting off your first venture into the world of Virtual Reality gaming — probably because the costs have been known to be on the steep side — your excuse just left the building. Amazon has bundled the PlayStation VR2 headset and controllers with the great VR game Horizon Call of the Mountain and for a limited time it's at its lowest price ever, just $349. See at Amazon To give you an idea of just what a massive deal this is, it's been almost exactly 2 years since this bundle was first released, and its original price was $600. We can see maybe taking a pass on it at that point, but now that it's just $349, it's probably time to join the ranks of the VR gaming enthusiasts. Huge Improvement The original PlayStation VR headset was revolutionary, to be sure. But it was also a little on the heavy side, with some reviewers complaining of neck fatigue from wearing the headset. The first VR headsets also took some critical knocks for inducing motion sickness and having less than stellar graphics. The PlayStation VR2 addressed those concerns and more — it has four times the resolution of the original, with two OLED displays delivering 4K images at a crisp 120 frames per second to help ward off any motion issues. There's also 3D Audio Immersion with dynamic adjustment, so even small sounds move with the motion of your head. (It's similar to music delivered with Spatial Audio.) The VR2 headset also uses intelligent eye tracking that takes your real-life expressions and facial movements and transfers them onto your VR avatar during game play. All told, it's by far the most immersive VR gaming experience to date. Feel the Difference You'll see and hear the improvements of the PlayStation VR2 in the headset, but you'll feel it most in the new, updated VR2 Sense hand controllers. These upgraded controllers have haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, precision tracking, and finger-touch detection. They're also lightweight to keep you from wearing out during a long gaming sessions, and the sensations linking what you see in VR with what you feel from the controllers creates incredible realism. Your first foray into ultra-realistic PlayStation VR2 gaming will come in the form of Horizon Call of the Mountain when you use the download code that comes bundled with the headset and controllers. Once you get a feel for coordinating your headset images with your hand controllers, it's a safe bet you'll be going back to the PlayStation library for more incredible VR gaming. So if you've been eyeing the PS VR2, this is the lowest price we've seen—don't miss it. See at Amazon
Digital Trends
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
I've been using the wrong gaming VR headset for years
As a long-time VR gamer, I've always found myself in an awkward position. I'm certainly not a casual player at this point, but I'm also not quite a full-blown techie. I don't spend my time studying the ins and outs of lens shapes or obsessing over resolution. I'm just happy to use whatever headset lets me play games comfortably and conveniently. That's meant that for the past few years, my Meta Quest 3 (and Quest 3S) have been my go-to choice for gaming. That said, they haven't always been a perfect fit for my needs. I've struggled to get the comfort level exactly where I need it and I often find that its visual barriers butt into my experiences more than I'd like. I've learned to live with those quirks over the years because it felt like there wasn't any other option. That is, until I dusted off my PlayStation VR2 for the first time in over a year. After sitting down to play The Midnight Walk on my forgotten headset, I'm now wondering why I ever stopped using it in the first place. It's a reminder that just because something is the shiny new toy doesn't mean that it's inherently the best choice for your needs. Recommended Videos The right choice Allow me to explain how I got in this mess first. Ever since I became interested in VR games, I've decided to stick to two ecosystems: Meta and PSVR. There was a simple logistical reason for that, as my PC is a little too outdated to properly power PC headsets. The plug and play nature of the PSVR and the wireless freedom of the Quest both fit my specific needs. I figured I'd keep up with Sony's device to play its exclusives and use Meta's devices for more general use. The reality, though, was that I started falling into the habit of just using whatever was newest for everything. That's the sort of pitfall you can easily run into when you review tech for a living. At the end of 2022, I was happily using the Meta Quest 2. When the PlayStation VR2 rolled around in early 2023, I instinctively jumped ship — and for good reason. Sony's second generation headset was impressive at the time, offering high resolution visuals and excellent eye-tracking. I was happy with that as my primary platform even if the promise of first-party support fell apart immediately after Horizon: Call of the Mountain. Then came the Meta Quest 3 later that year. I switched over to it in an instant, welcoming back a life of wireless play. Only one year later, I'd switch again to the Meta Quest 3S, which I use to this day because I appreciate its passthrough tech. My PSVR2 hadn't been used in over a year as of last weekend. That's not because the Quest is a better headset that solves all of my problems. In fact, I've had two major gripes with it over the past few years. The first is that I've struggled with its virtual boundaries. I live in a fairly compact apartment, so I don't have a full room I can freely move around when I play. When I'm standing, I have to use a sliver of floor space in my bedroom. I've found that I'm constantly hitting the barrier grid when I try to play, as it triggers if I so much as brush up against it. The same is true for seated play, where I always find myself breaking out. My bigger gripe is with comfort. To this day, I can not get a Meta headset to fit my head right. It always squeezes my skull tighter than I'd like, which means that I need to play in shorter bursts. Loosening it to the point of comfort generally means that I have to live withy a blurrier image. I'm willing to make those compromises on both ends for a great game, but it makes it hard for me to get too invested in long games like Asgard's Wrath 2. And hey, what is my other option? It turns out that I had one all along and just didn't realize it. I received a review code for The Midnight Walk on PSVR2, which was incentive enough to bring it out of storage for another ride. As soon as I put it on, I couldn't believe I had ever ditched it in the first place. For one, I find it far more comfortable that I'd remembered. Perhaps it's just because I'd grown so accustomed to the Quest, but it rests so well on my head that I could sit for over two hours without even thinking about it. I also never found my game interrupted by the virtual boundaries I constantly see on Quest. PSVR2 feels less sensitive overall, allowing me to more easily immerse myself in its digital worlds (and I only punched a wall once while doing it!). In my head, I had convinced myself that the reason I dropped it was due to the Quest 3 being more technically impressive, but now I'm even questioning that. Yes, the Quest 3 is better on paper with higher resolution per eye, but the PSVR2 bridges that gap with its OLED display that creates a higher contrast image. As part of the tradeoff, I also get access to some incredibly impressive eye tracking, something I'd almost forgotten about entirely in the switch to Quest. In The Midnight Walk, I was able to close my eyes to control parts of the game, which the headset tracked with pinpoint accuracy. Going back to the PSVR2 felt like using it for the first time. I had taken so many of its great qualities for granted because I had convinced myself that new always meant better. It doesn't, though that's not to throw shade at the Quest 3 or 3S. Both are great gaming headsets and their wireless play can't be beat. I still imagine that I'll play a chunk of my VR games there so I have the freedom to move. But I've also come away having learned a valuable lesson about tech: Sometimes the device that suits you best is the one you already own.
WIRED
10-03-2025
- WIRED
Can Gaming Save the Apple Vision Pro?
A new patent could suggest that Apple may be ready to take VR gaming more seriously on the Apple Vision Pro—which is exactly what's needed to turn the device's fortunes around. Photo-Illustration: Apple/Getty Images If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED Apple Vision Pro is not a virtual reality headset. Not officially, anyway—instead, Apple uses the term "spatial computing" to describe the device's core function. While it's capable of placing users in fully immersive virtual spaces, it focuses more on the passthrough experience, where external cameras let users see the world around them. Most notably, many of its apps and features are tailored to entertainment and productivity purposes, rather than prioritizing the VR gaming market as the likes of Meta's Quest 3 or Sony's dedicated PlayStation VR 2 do. But maybe that's where it's been going wrong all along. While gaming does have a presence on Apple Vision Pro, the headset's use of eye and hand tracking for users to interact with the current visionOS means many games on the platform emphasize the mixed and augmented reality approaches of the hardware instead. There are plenty of cozy puzzlers or board game recreations, where players can use their own hands to manipulate digital objects that appear to float in their living rooms, but fewer that warrant placing them in all-encompassing digital environments. That could be about to change though, as a recent patent suggests Vision Pro may be about to get the one thing holding back some of VR gaming's biggest hits from coming to Apple's mixed-use headset—dedicated controllers. Alongside rumors of considerable updates coming to visionOS, per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a lot could be about to change for Apple's mixed-use headset. Chess is one of the native games you can play on your Apple Vision Pro. Courtesy of Apple The patent, published February 2025, is for 'handheld input devices.' While it isn't expressly, overtly connected to the Apple Vision Pro, the summary describes it as potentially controlling 'an electronic device such as a head-mounted device,' which 'may have a display configured to display virtual content that is overlaid onto real-world content.' That sure sounds like what the Apple Vision Pro does (Apple declined to comment for this article). Of course, it's important to note that the unearthed patent may come to nothing at all—tech companies patent ideas that never reach consumers all the time. Using a controller with the AVP is also technically already possible—you can pair a conventional gaming controller to Apple Vision Pro using Bluetooth, for games where a regular joypad will suffice. There are even dedicated third-party VR controllers for AVP such as the Surreal Touch, which has its own pairing app, and ALVR which allows other controllers, even the motion-sensitive Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, to be used with Apple's headset. The catch is that these are all primarily ways to allow SteamVR games (or any title built around Valve's OpenVR) to be played through Apple Vision Pro. That means that on top of the $3500 AVP headset, users have to have a powerful gaming PC to run games in the first place, and a fast enough local network to stream them to the headset—ALVR suggests no other network activity and that the streaming computer be physically connected to the router by ethernet cable. It's a hack—a workaround—and far from the elegant, integrated solution for controlling Vision-native games that Apple might want. Which brings us back to the mysterious patent. The document also describes a lanyard that can be tracked by external cameras, and shows a few possible uses for the technology, including being held vertically, somewhat like the grip-type controllers found on other headset platforms. Crucially though, the patent doesn't appear to show any buttons, triggers, or thumbsticks on the handheld input device. That could still pose problems in expanding the Vision Pro's gaming offerings—it's hard to imagine how the award-winning likes of Batman: Arkham Shadow or shooters such as Arizona Sunshine II function without those sorts of inputs. However, the patent does suggest that 'the handheld input device may may include a haptic output device to provide the user's hands with haptic output,' and haptics—vibration—alone can dramatically improve gameplay in VR. Playing the Game The game Synth Riders is a great example of this. Developed by Kluge Interactive and available on both Apple Vision Pro and more conventionally gaming-focused VR platforms, it's a rhythm action title, similar to the likes of Beat Saber . Orbs representing musical beats fly towards the player, who has to match the orbs' position with their hands, hitting individual notes or following arcing trails of them. On platforms such as Quest or PlayStation VR, the haptics of the controllers subtly pulse as you catch each beat and gently vibrate as you trace the rails, that sense of feedback instantly telling you when you've hit or missed a beat. This helps you gauge where to position your hands, and how to move your arms through the game's space. On Apple Vision Pro, your hands glide untouched through the air, tracked only by the headset's external sensors, no tactile response to guide your performance. As a result, the same game feels far less accurate and harder to play—in this writer's experience—on Apple's hardware. Controllers with haptics could help alleviate that, even if they wouldn't allow Batman to fiddle with his utility belt. Some game creators are perfectly happy without controllers on Apple Vision Pro though, including Andrew Eiche, CEO of developer Owlchemy Labs. The studio is one of the longest standing VR developers—its breakthrough title Job Simulator was the first game announced for SteamVR a decade ago, and has since been ported to everything from the HTC Vive to PSVR 2 and, as of May 2024, the Vision Pro. Set in a future where robots have replaced all labor, the game sees players recreating the mundane jobs of the present, usually to comedic effect. Even on platforms with controllers, Job Simulator's gameplay is centered on the player interacting with objects around offices or kitchens using virtualized hands, so it was a natural fit for the Vision Pro. "Right now, it feels like the industry is being 'held back' by not including controllers, but I contend this is a necessary growth step," Eiche tells WIRED. "I would like to see VR—or XR, MR, Spatial, Immersive, whatever we call it—become mainstream." "Hand tracking is accessible to almost everyone. It's something natural that you don't have to peek out of a headset to remember what button 'B' is," Eiche adds. "That's not to say controllers should be eliminated. I think [they'll be] similar to [how] smartphone controllers are an add-on for power users who want that specific precise control with discrete inputs." Apple's patent shows a handheld controller with wrist strap. Apple Others aren't so optimistic though. House of Da Vinci VR developer Blue Brain Games isn't developing for Apple Vision Pro—partly because Apple has yet to release the Vision Pro in its native Slovakia, but also because studio co-founder and creative director Peter Kubek thinks 'the lack of controllers puts it at a significant disadvantage compared to its competitors.' Parts of House of Da Vinci VR could, like Job Simulator , work well with hand tracking alone—it's an adventure game akin to The Room , much of its gameplay involving grabbing and twisting 3D objects to solve puzzles left by the eponymous inventor. However, physical controllers could allow for more nuanced controls and allow for movement around the game's immersive Renaissance Italy setting. That degree of control is something Kubek thinks players expect. 'Players are accustomed to the controllers offered by devices like the Meta Quest 2/3 or PSVR, which raises doubts about the viability of Apple's handheld input device [patent] for gaming,' he says. Apple's other hurdle in expanding gaming experiences on Apple Vision Pro may be in bringing over creators. While Eiche says the hardware 'is a very powerful device—we had to do little work to optimize Job Simulator for the headset,' there is a learning curve in getting game development engines to play nice with Apple's systems. "VR has two primary distinct camps, PC and Android derivatives," Eiche explains. "Apple uses a different software and hardware architecture—PlayStation VR also does this. There is a learning curve to figure out how to build a file that runs on the hardware, and then the nuanced differences between how the operating systems structure their applications." "We use Unity, and that creates a second level of complexity," he continues. "So some functions may be simple to use on Apple, but Unity also has to support it, or we will have to create it ourselves. Since we have released Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator for AVP, the maturity of the developer ecosystem has increased." However, Blue Brain's Kubek is also unconvinced by Apple's current direction for the headset, saying "I have significant doubts about the viability of a headset as a productivity tool. VR simply will never be as comfortable as using a mobile device or PC—even for gaming. In my opinion, even if the Apple Vision Pro were priced at half its current cost, it would still struggle to compete with the high-quality and well-established competition in the VR gaming space. "The reality is that those interested in this type of device have already acquired it, and I do not anticipate any dramatic surge in sales." Kubek may have a point, and you only need to look at Apple rival Microsoft to see a recent real world comparison. Microsoft launched its own mixed reality headset HoloLens in 2016, and its successor HoloLens 2 in 2019. Both were priced comparably to what Apple Vision Pro is now, and similarly eschewed gaming in favor of a productivity focus. Despite pitching more to businesses and even landing the odd defense contract, the devices never took off, and Microsoft recently announced it was discontinuing HoloLens headsets entirely. It's perhaps a cautionary tale. Can Apple Take Control? If Apple's patented gadget does turn out to be a way to better facilitate gaming on Vision Pro, it could also be seen as a rare about-face for the company. Despite its ambition to widen use case scenarios for mixed reality headsets, they remain a niche tech category, with games arguably the largest segment of that niche. Given the AVP may have already hit a baked-in user cap based on its current utility—WIRED previously dubbed the Vision Pro's launch one of the biggest hardware flops of 2024—extending a hand to gamers could be one of the few options it has to expand its install base. While the Vision Pro's exorbitant price (it starts at $3,499/£3,499 for the smallest 256GB storage model) may be a major deterrent for some, hardcore gamers are no strangers to paying top dollar for premium experiences—even double the price of an AVP at the extremes of that particular market. The players willing to drop those sorts of prices are the ones Apple needs to get on board. Rumors emerged at the end of 2024 that Apple would be partnering with Sony to integrate PlayStation VR2 control grips with the Vision Pro, which could be a much quicker route to solving the headset's controller woes than Apple releasing its own peripheral (it's probably coincidental that Sony recently slashed the price of PSVR2, too). There's also a chance that even if Apple's patent is connected to Vision Pro, it may not end up being anything to do with gaming at all. Figure 2 in the document shows the proposed device being used as a pen of some kind, which could fit with Apple's productivity and creative uses of the headset, maybe allowing users to draw directly into a virtual space like an enhanced Apple Pencil. Yet the Apple Pencil itself once seemed antithetical to Apple's identity, just as embracing gaming may do now. In that light, a shift to dedicated gaming controller may not be so strange after all.
