I've always thought that PSVR 2 is the strongest all-round VR headset for gaming on the shelves. It may not have the standalone power of the Meta's Quest devices, and it may not have been designed for visually lossless PC gaming, but it has always offered high-end, often innovative VR features for its asking price.
Now, Sony has officially dropped its price tag to $399 in the US, and £399 in the UK. This was a move most likely brought on by an increasingly competitive VR market. Since PSVR 2's launch, the Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, Pico 4 Ultra, Apple Vision Pro, and HTC Vive Focus Vision have all launched, following PlayStation's lead of bringing 4K VR devices down below a grand in price. PSVR2's price drop takes effect today, and retailers like the PlayStation Direct store are already showing Sony's second VR headset for its new price of $399.
The new cost for this device brings to a cheaper level than the 512GB Meta Quest 3 ($499), and the Pico 4 Ultra in the UK (£529). The best VR headsets for PC often pull in far more, with the HTC Vive Focus Vision costing $999 / £999. PSVR 2 is plug-and-play compatible with the PS5 and PS5 Pro and, thanks to a handy PC adapter, it can now be used to play SteamVR games for an extra cost of $49.99 / £49.99. That brings you 4K VR gaming on PC with OLED displays for much cheaper than the likes of HTC Vive's headsets, or the Valve Index which doesn't even have integrated room tracking.
With PSVR 2's price now more affordable than the Meta Quest 3, that makes the two clear rivals (if they weren't already), and even makes the argument for buying PSVR 2 over a Meta Quest 3S. Arguably, the two appeal to different sides of the market since the Quest 3 targets the user with standalone aspirations and spatial computing needs with all its mixed-reality goodness. PSVR 2 is a very gaming-coded headset that doesn't have much use besides, but it's always been the case that a big part of Meta Quest's market share comes from gamers who want a convenient headset.
I'd argue that, for gaming, PSVR 2 is the winner. It needs to be tethered to a PC or PS5 to work, but you get OLED displays which make your games punch your eyeballs with incredibly vivid colors, a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, eye tracking and foveated rendering, all with haptic feedback in the headband. Quest 3's gaming is fine, and its pancake lenses do a lot of the hard work, but PlayStation designed its headset for the best gaming experiences, and Meta's more general appeal definitely pulls it back a bit in comparison.
It should be noted that some of those PSVR 2 features won't work if you're planning to play on PC, but I'd argue PSVR 2 is still worth your investment over the Quest 3 thanks to its excellent controllers that tend to track a little more consistently. Of course, if you're on a tight budget, the Meta Quest 3S is the ultimate counter to Sony's price drop tactics. It gives you a lot of the same wins as the full-fat Quest 3 starting at $299 / £299.
Where to buy PSVR 2
For more on VR, check out the best Meta Quest accessories. If you still need a cheaper price, maybe keep an eye out for one of the best PSVR 2 bundles and deals or one of the best Meta Quest deals.
