The PlayStation VR2 headset is finally breaking free from its PlayStation 5 exclusivity, thanks to a new $60 adapter from Sony. This handy gadget lets you use your $550 VR headset with any of Sony’s Steam-compatible VR titles. But before you rush to buy it, there are a few compromises you’ll need to consider. Some aspects highly regarded in the PSVR2 are notably compromised in its transition to PC.
To get it up and running, the adapter links your VR2 to a PC through multiple cables. According to the images in PlayStation’s blog post, you’ll need a wired connection between the VR2 and the adapter box, which then hooks up to your PC via USB and DisplayPort. You can also connect a monitor to the setup, which might be useful for anyone watching you tackle the tricky puzzles of Half-Life: Alyx.
However, there’s a catch. Your PC needs to have a DisplayPort 1.4 output alongside a compatible DisplayPort cable. As for the rest of the system requirements, you’re looking at a minimum of an Intel Core i5-7600 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a graphics card like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon RX 5500XT. That said, a more powerful setup will serve you better if you want to take full advantage of the 4K visuals the VR2 can deliver. Additionally, you’ll need a Steam account to access your games. Potential Steam VR stipulations might not stick around for long, especially with the inventive PC VR community constantly pushing boundaries.
In our review of the VR2, we praised its remarkable eye-tracking and controls, all at a pretty good price point. The downside was its limited game library available on PlayStation 5. Sony rolled out this updated headset before Meta’s $500 Meta Quest 3 hit the market, which sports advanced passthrough AR features and a selection of exclusive games. The VR2 impresses with its high-quality lenses that offer 4K resolution per eye and a generous 110-degree field of view.
Yet, the move to PC isn’t without its setbacks. The headset’s eye-tracking simply won’t function on a PC. Other features like HDR and the immersive headset feedback are also unavailable. The controllers miss out on the adaptive triggers and enhanced haptic feedback found in the DualSense controller, leaving you with basic rumble feedback instead. The limited passthrough capabilities do work, essentially helping you avoid bumping into nearby objects.
The adapter will be on the shelves of PlayStation Direct and other retailers this August. Meanwhile, during Sony’s Days of Play sale through June 13, the VR2 sees a $100 price cut on Direct and Best Buy.
Still, even with this discount, the VR2 is quite a pricey investment, especially considering the $60 adapter needed to break it free from Sony’s restrictive PlayStation ecosystem. We’d like to get hands-on with it to determine if it truly makes the VR2 appealing to virtual reality enthusiasts, but the connection challenges and feature limitations might dampen the excitement.
