PlayStation exec suggests full PSVR support could eventually come to PS5

A prominent PlayStation exec has suggested that full PSVR support could come to PS5 in the future.

At launch, the PSVR headset operates as a backwards-compatible device on PS5 and launch window games No Man’s Sky and Hitman 3 will only support VR via their PS4 versions.

PS5’s new camera peripheral won’t work with PlayStation VR either and users will need to request a free adaptor in order to connect it.

However, speaking in a new interview with AV Watch (translated by VGC), PlayStation’s head of platform planning, Hideaki Nishino suggested that the PlayStation VR headset could yet be used for full PS5 VR experiences.

Asked why the device isn’t listed as natively compatible with PS5 at launch, Nishino confirmed PSVR was supported as a backwards-compatible device but said that he did not want to dismiss it as simply a legacy item.

“For those consumers that purchased a PSVR and own a PS5, the idea of not being able to connect a piece of software is ludicrous. And we are thinking there is merit in [PS5’s] performance boost too,” he added.

“However, to answer your question directly, ‘we are looking forward to VR games that truly make the best use of the PS5’ would be my answer. I can’t comment any further than that, but I have high expectations!”

Sony said in January that PlayStation VR sales had topped five million units since the headset launched in October 2016.

In 2019, a patent suggested that Sony could be preparing to release a next-gen PlayStation VR headset. It described a device which includes two front cameras and one rear camera, as well as upgraded Sony Move controllers which could feature a built-in camera too.

However, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan commented on the future of VR in an interview last week, and suggested that that the future of the genre could still be several years away.

“PlayStation believes in VR. Sony believes in VR, and we definitely believe at some point in the future, VR will represent a meaningful component of interactive entertainment,” Ryan said. “Will it be this year? No. Will it be next year? No.

“But will it come at some stage? We believe that. And we’re very pleased with all the experience that we’ve gained with PlayStation VR, and we look forwarding to seeing where that takes us in the future.”

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