Playstation VR: Sony may introduce wireless virtual reality

Hideaki Nishino, Sony's Senior Vice President of Platform Experience, made this statement in an interview with the Japanese video game publication Famitsu. When questioned why Sony chose a cable solution, Nishino responds that only a cable will be able to maximise the capabilities of the PS5 and PSVR 2, but he also notes that the business is also taking alternative solutions into consideration. “We also understand that going wireless will give you another experience, so we’re always looking at all possibilities and doing technical research. However, there is still the issue of how far the cable solution can be replaced with a wireless one in terms of performance,” Nishino says.

Sony plays it safe

Wireless PC VR streaming is improving steadily, as anyone who utilises standalone PC VR devices like Meta Quest 2 or Pico 4 knows. In terms of image quality, connection reliability, and latency, wired data transmission still outperforms this type of use, which is secondary. That is what Nishino is referring to: wireless VR is not (yet) sufficient for Sony's VR system, which is ultimately intended to provide an uncompromised high-end VR experience. In addition to these elements, Sony's choice of a wired connection most likely also took the power supply into consideration. Sony would have had to include a battery and extra processors in the VR headgear if there had been a wireless connection, which would have increased the device's weight and cost. Sony was forced to make compromises, but with Playstation VR 3 and new network technologies, things might change again.

PSVR 2: “Suitable for the price”

Nishino expresses excitement at the launch. In his opinion, Playstation VR 2 is well-positioned in terms of both hardware and content quality. A "totally different degree of immersion" would be possible with PSVR 2. Nishino claims that Sony hasn't yet made all of its VR titles public when questioned about the PSVR2's software catalogue. At Sony's CES press presentation in early January, more games might be unveiled. And what about the relatively high price of $550 / 600 euros? Nishino, of course, thinks it’s justified. “We believe that we are able to provide functions and experiences that are suitable for the price, so we hope you will pick it up.”