In a new headset talk, Sony revealed that PlayStation VR2 has been designed to make it easier for developers to create VR versions of PS5 games, as well as port games to PSVR 2 from other VR platforms.
Speaking during a CEDEC 2022 event, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Yasuo Takahashi and Kenjo Akiyama discussed the hardware’s features, from its base specs to its new drivers, to its new user experience, including a “transparent” mode. Much of this covered information already announced, but the talk also included new details about the development of the headset ahead of its launch in early 2023.
Broadly speaking, it should be easier for developers to port their games to PSVR, whether from existing PS5 development or other VR systems. PSVR 2 game development uses the same SDK that is used to develop PS5 games. Through this close link to the PS5 SDK, it should be easy to create PSVR 2 compatible titles.
The PSVR2 production environment also supports games created with Unity and the Unreal Engine. With a standardized control interface and button placement similar to other VR platforms, it should be much simpler than before for developed games to be compatible with PSVR 2.
The talk also covered a number of other features designed to make life easier for developers when working with the headset. One feature developers will appreciate is its GPU’s Flexible Scaling Rasterization (FSR), which combines PSVR 2’s tracking cameras and foveated rendering to freely alter pixel density based on where the player is looking, further optimizing the rendering.
A number of sample programs are provided in the development environment for headphone force feedback that vibrates based on what is seen or heard, allowing developers to test sample vibrations based on gunshots, steps, jumps, and more .
Development environment tools were also presented during the session. VR Trace allows developers to diagnose problems with their applications through capture and playback. Not only can it automatically detect and highlight issues, it can also replace eye and tracking results with dummy data to make VR game development possible without the need for a connected VR headset.
Another tool, PlayStation VR2 Comfort Sample, allows developers to learn about the various implementation issues that can occur when developing virtual reality games. For example, it allows developers to experience for themselves issues that can occur with an in-game horizon that doesn’t match the real world or comfort issues created by incorrect FOV. It even contains quizzes that allow developers to learn about these bugs in a fun way. From a quiz where you need to identify the issues occurring on a screen to a quiz where you need to identify which bugs are causing a problem, the tool is seemingly full of ways to teach developers about the unique issues that can occur on a screen. VR in an easy way. understood way.
The general message seems to be that while the technology has gotten more advanced in this second generation headset, it has gotten simpler to build. If that’s true, we’re hoping to see more games, both original and ported, on PSVR this time around.
We don’t know a huge number of PSVR 2 games yet, but we do know there will be a Horizon spin-off called Call of the Mountain, as well as VR versions of Resident Evil Village, No Man’s Sky, and Ghostbusters. RV.
This article is based on an IGN Japan report by Ryohei Ueda. Translation by Ko Ransom, editing by Joe Skrebels.
