While the PSVR 2 has no official release date, that hasn’t stopped fans from asking the big questions. Such as, will PSVR games be backwards compatible on the PSVR 2? While gamers are hopeful, the reality is unlikely. The two devices will reportedly have stark differences in design which may not support backwards compatibility. The upcoming VR headset will use inside-out tracking to detect PSVR 2 Sense controllers. The original PSVR had a standalone camera and PS Move wands. This difference in design and function would cause a major difficulty when making PSVR games compatible with the new device, especially considering the different number of buttons.
Games journalist, Stephen Totilo recently tweeted, “I asked Sony if PSVR2 would be out in 2022 and if it’ll be backwards compatible with PSVR titles (something many people asked me to ask them yesterday). Neither was addressed yesterday. Sony PR says they have nothing further to announce at the moment. So stay tuned…” While Sony’s response is by no means a denial, it is telling that the company made no mention of it at CES 2022 this week.
There have been reports of Sony “pushing” to get ports of popular PSVR games for the PSVR 2. Games such as Beat Saber and Rec Room should definitely be available on the upcoming VR device. However, games such as Astro Bot Rescue Mission were developed around tracking the position of the DualShock 4 controller, which is not possible on the PS5. Several PSVR would need to be reworked from the ground up to make them playable on the PSVR 2. Perhaps Sony will be able to find a solution but for now, fans shouldn’t expect backwards compatibility on the PSVR 2.
In more exciting news, a game developer recently praised Horizon Call of the Mountain as “amazing,” and that it “will change what AAA means for VR.” This bodes well for the PSVR 2’s capabilities. Hopefully, Sony will reveal a launch date for the VR device soon.