Should I buy PSVR 2 today now pre-orders are open?

US and UK PlayStation VR 2 orders are now open to everybody, but should I take the PSVR 2 plunge?

Sony PlayStation VR2 box
(Image credit: Sony)

If you've been frustrated by Sony's invite-only PSVR 2 ordering process, we've got good news: the invitation requirement is gone, with ordering now live on the PlayStation Direct store in the US and in the UK too.

The UK PSVR 2 price is £529.99 and the US price is $549.99. Deliveries will take place between 22nd and 28th February 2023 and orders are limited to one per household.

As we've previously reported, the PSVR 2 is only compatible with the PS5 because of its high specification.

But, now any gamer can order PSVR 2, the question that raises its head to me, a PS5 owner, is "well, should I?" Let's take a look.

Sony PSVR 2: what are you getting for over 500 notes?

The most obvious difference between the PSVR 2 and its processor is its visual quality, which is 2,000 x 2,040 pixels per eye and has refresh rates of up to 120Hz for smooth motion. That helps explain why the headset costs more than the PlayStation you connect it to.

There's no doubt that the PSVR 2 is expensive. But from what we've seen so far the PSVR 2 games are starting to look like they will blow minds and possibly make you crash into the furniture. And it's going to be considerably cheaper than the Apple AR/VR headset that's expected later in 2023 with a four-figure price tag. And it's a lot less than the Meta Quest Pro too.

So, really, from a cost point of view providing you already have a PS5, it's not too bad. I'm not sure how many gamers will buy both a PS5 and PSVR 2 at once just to play virtual reality games, but I guess it could happen.

I'm in two minds about the PSVR 2. I've got the first-gen PSVR as well as an Oculus Quest, but while I'm very excited about VR I don't find either headset particularly compelling: once the novelty wore off there wasn't very much I wanted to do. I'm optimistic that that won't be the case with PSVR 2 and that we'll see some must-play experiences in 2023, but I don't think I'll be joining the pre-order queue today, as dropping the money required to do so requires a stronger level of faith than I've currently got for the system.

Maybe if Sony shows me more of the awesome virtual reality experiences I'll be able to enjoy on the system then I'll be persuaded, though, so here's hoping for some standout trailers and first looks in the new year.

Carrie Marshall

Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series. When she’s not scribbling, she’s the singer in Glaswegian rock band HAVR (havrmusic.com).