PSVR 2 Is Almost Out, Here’s What’s in the Box

Sony’s PlayStation VR 2 headset arrives on February 22, turning the PlayStation 5 into your own virtual reality gaming system for your home. Our full review is coming, but in the meantime, we unpack the gadget and set up the hardware. After our initial hands-on with the PSVR 2 headset back in the fall, we really wanted to know what was in the box.

To our pleasant surprise, the $550 (£530, AU$880) PSVR 2 feels less cluttered than the first PlayStation VR, and it’s kind of shocking when you unbox it. There’s the headset with a single USB-C cable, a pair of PlayStation Sense controllers, a USB charging cable for the controllers, a pair of earbuds – and that’s it.

Here’s what comes in the package: controllers, headphones, earbuds, and an extra USB-C to A cable.

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You probably wouldn’t expect much more than that if you bought a modern VR headset like the Meta Quest 2, but it’s so much better than the mess of breakout boxes and cables that the first PSVR required. The original 2016 PSVR required a webcam-like PlayStation camera to connect to the TV for tracking, a breakout box with its own power supply, and cables you’d run between the PS4, the headset, and the box.

Forget it now: All you need here is that one built-in USB-C cable.

Headphone: Self-contained

The PlayStation VR 2 headset is lightweight and not all that different from the original. It slips easily over glasses and has a rubber eye mask, but this time you can adjust how far apart the lenses are for different eye needs, in addition to sliding closer or further away for comfort. There are four cameras on the outside of the headset that handle all the room tracking, similar to how VR headsets like the Quest 2 work. There is nothing else you need to join.

The PlayStation VR 2 (left) next to the original PlayStation VR — a similar headband-type one-size-fits-all visor with improved lenses and design on the PSVR 2.

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The visor design tightens in the back and stretches to fit heads, making it less constricting than elastic facebands like the Quest 2 has. But that also means a larger design that feels bulky, and you might want to make sure you find a place to store it safely (and away from sunlight so the screens don’t get damaged).

The PSVR 2 (left) has a similar visor-type design, but is more compact and packed with more technology.

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There’s a small headphone jack along the top edge of the headphones, where a custom pair of earbuds on a plastic rail plug right in. The buds can pop down and pop into your ears, and pop into little containers on the side when not in use. . There are no surround speakers here like the Quest 2, so you’ll need headphones. You can also plug in another pair, like Sony’s over-ear Pulse headset. There are a few extra knobs included for different earpieces.

The included earbuds plug into the headset and have a plastic strap that snaps into place (there are also storage holes in the headset for the buttons!).

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The USB-C cable is permanently attached to the PSVR 2, but it is long. Long enough that I can at least easily sling it across a living room. Is it long enough to feel out of the way, or too restrictive? Stay tuned.

The new PSVR 2 Sense controllers look great and have a very similar design language to the DualSense PS5 controller (shown for comparison).

Scott Stein/CNET Controllers: Slim and light

The controllers are super lightweight, as I mentioned in the fall. Their ring design is elegant. And they almost feel like spheres into which I lower my hands. The controls and triggers are much like the DualSense controller, but split into two. They have USB-C charging ports and rechargeable batteries, and adjustable wrist straps to stay tight for active gaming.

Sony also sells a separate controller charging dock that was sent with the headset for us to check out.

The Sense controllers in Sony’s charging dock are sold separately, which seems like a useful upgrade.

Scott Stein/CNET

The dock is simple and flat, and comes with small dongles for the USB-C ports that add charging pins to attach to the charging base. This makes charging feel almost contactless, and looks like a useful addition. However, the little dongles look like something you better keep in the controllers or you might lose them.

Review to come

We’ll have more impressions soon, so stay tuned for a full review. But we can at least say that the PSVR 2 package already feels a lot less of a headache than the original was in 2016.