In January, Sony confirmed that the PSVR 2 would be coming in the near future. During the CES 2022 conference, the company showed off the system’s unique new Sense controllers, HDR OLED display with 2000 x 2040 pixels per eye, and improved hardware. Four cameras in the headset will track a player’s space without an external webcam, and the inclusion of haptic feedback will allow players to “feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward.” Now, a newly published Sony patent is pointing towards another incredible addition.
On Friday, the company published a “Positional Haptics via Head-Mounted Peripheral” patent, based around building a system of haptic sensors in the headset. While the PSVR 2 is not mentioned specifically, the original PSVR headset is shown as an example device in the paperwork.
The patent describes using these haptic sensors to measure the player’s head relation to objects putting out sound in a game. The distance of a player to this object, the frequency, and specific audio data would then be used to determine how the haptic feedback would respond. In an ideal scenario, this technology would be able to tease the feeling of wind running through your hair while you’re exploring a vast open world and the like.
Another recently filed patent by Sony implies that the PSVR 2 will use gaze tracking to position the HUD rather than head movements as previously hinted.
According to the YouTube channel ‘PSVR without Parole,’ the PSVR 2 could potentially release during Q1 of 2023, though this has not been confirmed by Sony. This is likely due to the many shortages continuing to impact the electronics industry. Without more PlayStation 5 owners, the headset may suffer lost sales and further alienate those who still haven’t managed to purchase one of the elusive Sony consoles.
