This month has been awash with rumours regarding PlayStation hardware. Initially, this started with a court filing from Microsoft saying it expected Sony to release a PS5 Slim in 2023. Furthermore, it expected a PS5 Pro on the horizon. Further rumours began to emerge regarding the PS5 Pro, with a new report suggesting the mid-gen console is in development and it’s codenamed ‘Trinity’. That made us wonder, if PS5 Pro is real could PSVR 2 benefit?
At this current stage that is a big ‘if’. But not entirely unfounded. PlayStation 5 is almost three years old and a mid-gen refresh is almost industry standard nowadays. Considering the size of PS5 a ‘slim’ model is surely needed but is a more powerful ‘Pro’ model really required? If it can enhance the graphics on PSVR 2 then quite possibly.
PS5 Pro Rumours
Firstly, those PS5 Pro rumours in more detail. The ‘Trinity’ codename is an interesting one because Sony has previously used The Matrix codenames. For example, PlayStation VR went by ‘Morpheus’ whilst PlayStation 4 Pro was codenamed ‘Neo’.
Secondly, the project has reportedly been in development since 2022, boasting 30 Workgroup Processors (WGP) and 18MT/s (Megatransfers per second). To put that in perspective, the current PS5 model has 18 WGP. The Pro will also aim to maintain a consistent FPS at 4K resolution, provide a new ‘performance mode’ for 8K resolution as well as accelerated ray tracing. Sony is also supposedly targeting a November 2024 release date.
All sound good so far, if the rumours are true.
What about PSVR 2?
So where does that leave Sony’s VR headset? In our minds, it comes down to image sharpness and the smoothness of the gameplay. All that extra compute power would theoretically allow PSVR 2 games to look even better, especially in combination with the eye-tracked foveated rendering. This could allow for improved resolution where you’re looking or for the entire image to be upscaled.
A common complaint from PSVR 2 owners is that the graphics on some games lack sharpness. Although new titles like Hubris and Red Matter 2 have been lauded for their graphical fidelity.
The other big boon for PSVR 2 could be to its 120hz projection mode. This is a rendering technique whereby 60 frames per second (FPS) are doubled to 120 by generating intermediate frames. Sony developed the process to make VR more comfortable, as it needs a high FPS to ensure players don’t feel nauseated. However, some players can still feel discomfort from 120hz and notice motion blur. Some people actively avoid it, looking for native 90hz games instead.
If PS5 Pro could offer players native 120hz then that could be a huge selling point. How much customers would be willing to pay for these incremental improvements is another question.
Do you own a PSVR 2 and would you buy a PS5 Pro for additional graphical benefits? Let us know in the comments below.