10 Predictions For PSVR 2
10 Predictions For PSVR 2
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re giving you our 10 Predictions for the PSVR 2!
The successor to the PlayStation VR is almost upon us, and while we’ve learned more about the specs over the last year, there are still plenty of things we don’t know about. How will it fit into the PlayStation ecosystem as we migrate into the era of the PS5? What games await us that will get more and more folks into VR? Will “Half-Life: Alyx” come to the platform? We’re willing to bet on a handful of hypothetical games to expect from PlayStation Studios and how this new headset will fit into the brand.
“God of War” VR
In January 2022, Sony revealed the first game for PSVR 2, a spin-off of the “Horizon” franchise titled “Call of the Mountain”. Given that both “Forbidden West” and “God of War: Ragnarok” are slated for 2022 releases, we have a hunch that Sony has a VR spin-off in the pipeline for Kratos as well. One may refute by saying Firesprite already has too many projects going on right now between “Star Citizen” and now this new “Horizon” title, but with a staff of more than two hundred sixty, which is more than most of the PlayStation Studios family, they gotta be working on at least two more projects. Besides, “Horizon” and “God of War” hold massive weight in Sony’s portfolio. If they really want to move forward with their trans-media approach and expand beyond games, then the Ghost of Sparta is ripe for VR material. Don’t we all want to throw the Leviathan Axe with our own hands?
“Ratchet & Clank” VR Spin-Off?
The Lombax and warbot are most likely going to get a VR spin-off, too. “Rift Apart” may have come out recently, but between the massive size of Insomniac Games and the aforementioned VR studio Firesprite, it’s possible we’ll see Ratchet and Clank on PSVR 2 at launch. Between Ratchet’s explosive arsenal and Clank’s use of Gadgetbots, Insomniac and Firesprite could create a fairly unique spin for the franchise. Or perhaps the player takes on a more passive role and borrows cues from the likes of “Astro Bot: Rescue Mission” by making the player look around corners for secrets and platforming challenges. Least they could do is place the user in a Gadgetron factory and let them test out the manufacturer’s latest weapons. See? There are possibilities!
Another Marvel Exclusive
In July 2020, PSVR users got to experience “Iron Man VR”, another Sony exclusive that brought about a new experience. Was it the best? That is debatable, but it was still a unique showing. Right now, Sony is very much in bed with Marvel, and it shows in Insomniac’s “Spider-Man” games and the upcoming “Wolverine” project. It’s safe to assume that another Marvel title is in development, and it’s most likely for PSVR 2. Only question is whether it’s a sequel to “Iron Man VR” or if it will focus on another superhero. How about a game where Doctor Strange teaches us how to use magic? Or maybe an X-Men adventure that takes place at the X-Mansion and sets forth the events for Insomniac’s “Wolverine” game? (Personally, I’d buy a “Thanos Simulator” that lets you snap things in and out of existence.)
The Return of Supermassive
In 2015, Supermassive Games launched a PS4 exclusive horror game titled “Until Dawn”. With its campy dialogue and intriguing plot, it quickly became one of the best games to own on PS4, and its success would spawn two VR titles - “Until Dawn: Rush of Blood” and the prequel spin-off, “The Inpatient”. Even though Supermassive has been toiling away at the “Dark Pictures” anthology with Bandai Namco as its publisher, we have a hunch that Sony has hired the studio to develop another game set in the “Until Dawn” franchise. Whether it’s a sequel to “Rush of Blood” or an entirely different story altogether, we’re hoping Supermassive gives us another thrilling horror experience for PSVR 2.
Naughty Dog - The Busy Bee
In January 2022, Naughty Dog had stated that the studio has been working on “multiple projects”. Indeed, Naughty Dog is working on a couple of things we already know such as a remake of “The Last of Us”, a multiplayer game based on the aforementioned game’s Factions Mode, and a rumored director’s cut of “The Last of Us: Part II”. Given that 2023 will mark the ten-year anniversary of the acclaimed franchise, you can almost guarantee a “Last of Us” VR game is in the works, too. Although, if PSVR 2 was to launch by the end of 2022, we could see an “Uncharted” VR game releasing alongside the hardware to celebrate “Uncharted’s” fifteenth anniversary. It could really go either way, but Naughty Dog is definitely doing something VR-related.
“Blood & Truth 2”
Of all the games you could own on the original PSVR, “Blood & Truth” was almost a requirement. Developed by Sony London Studio, “Blood & Truth” took players on a wild rescue mission against a notorious crime lord. Basically, you lived your own action movie, and it was awesome! The only downside was that the porch screen quality of the visuals inside the headset kind of saturated the spectacle. With PSVR 2, Sony London could very well make a bigger spectacle and blow everything out of the water once again. Besides, this was their latest game, and it launched in 2019. Before that, it was “PlayStation VR Worlds” in 2016 and “Singstar Celebration” on PS4 in 2017. Clearly, they’re busy with something, having been away for three years.
A Hefty Tag
Sure, we all got super excited while reading about the specs of the PSVR 2. But with that excitement came a serious question - how much is this going to cost? Sony is certainly talking up a storm about all these neat improvements like 4K resolution, higher framerates, and controllers that match the power of the DualSense. This can’t be as cheap as PSVR was, right? Considering this will most likely require a PS5 to use, we can’t imagine the cost being higher than the console. However, we can see it going for the same price as the digital version of the PS5, if not right between that and the disc version. But don’t expect a price as low as the original PSVR, not with these specs.
New Ways of Marketing
Sony has a notorious reputation for abandoning products that don’t catch on almost immediately. It’s different with the PSVR, though. Even if first-party titles were not frequent, Sony did plenty of marketing for the headset through special sales, sharing numbers, and the like. But with the interest in trans-media, we have a feeling Sony plans to use PSVR 2 in other ways besides games. The conglomerate seems to be making an aggressive push towards TV and movie adaptations of its IP. What if Sony started uploading demos or “interactive trailers” to cross-promote their upcoming products? Several movie and gaming studios did similar things like this throughout the PSVR’s life cycle. We have a feeling you’ll see a lot more of them in the future.
Subscription Integration
Ever since learning about Project Spartacus, the fate of PS Plus seems to be hanging off the ledge. Free game offers have become more contentious in value, and the PS4 will eventually be phased out. Problem is that there aren’t many PS5 games available that aren’t already available on PS4. So, how do you entice folks to invest in your new hardware? Tie it into a subscription service and offer “free” games. Whether the subscription lets you access every PSVR title or redeem only one game per month, you can expect PSVR 2 will have a role in PS Plus’s future…or its death. Whatever Project Spartacus turns out to be, PSVR 2 has a hand in it.
Release Date
As with every product, the main thing everyone wants to know is how soon will we be able to get our hands on the PSVR 2? Surely with the announcement of its first game, “Horizon: Call of the Mountain”, it has to be later in 2022, right? We beg to differ. Sony has been one of many tech companies to fall victim to the ongoing chip shortages, which has most likely slowed down development of the PSVR 2. 2022 is already a stacked year for Sony as we’re about to go full swing into the PS5’s life cycle and PlayStation Productions starts rolling out the trans-media strategy with HBO’s “The Last of Us”, the “Uncharted” movie, and the “Twisted Metal” TV show. There’s simply too much to get through this year, which leads us to believe you won’t see PSVR 2 until early 2023.
