PSVR 2 could have a far more impressive display than Oculus Quest 2

PSVR 2 will reportedly have one of the most pixel-dense displays of any VR headset to date with over 800 PPI (pixel-per-inch) per eye, double that of Oculus Quest 2.

According to Ross Young of Display Chain Consultants (thanks, Android Central), the PSVR 2’s display will provide “state of the art” resolution, and the bump in pixel-density means the PSVR 2 would provide more than four times the PPI per eye than that of the original PSVR headset.

Young said that the PSVR 2 will also apparently use “direct view RGB OLED” screens as opposed to the microdisplays Sony recently showed off during its Sony Technology Day in December 2021.

But what is pixel density, and why does it matter? In short, the more pixels a display includes in a given area, the more difficult it is to distinguish individual pixels with the naked eye. Pixel density is particularly important for devices that are viewed up close, like a smartphone. The iPhone 12, for example, has a pixel density of around 460 PPI, which means that for every square inch of the display there are 460 pixels present. 

Compare that to the pixel density of something like a 55-inch 4K TV, which is intended to be viewed from a few meters away, it’s much lower at 80.11 PPI. That’s why even though 4K TVs often look razor-sharp from a distance, it’s easy to see individual pixels the closer you get to the display.

With VR headsets, the display rests only a few inches away from your eyes, which means that pixel density is extremely important and must be high. The last thing you want when you’re immersed in a virtual world is to notice individual pixels which could pull you out of the experience.

Analysis: PSVR 2’s super sharp display would be welcome

If the PSVR 2 does provide users with an 800 PPI per eye, it will make it one of the best VR displays on the market, and offers a massive leap over the original PSVR. To put it into perspective, the PSVR had a pixel density of 193 PPI per eye, which wasn’t exactly sharp.

Even though Sony has revealed the majority of the PSVR 2’s specs, the promise of using such a pixel-dense display is certainly exciting. However, we’re still waiting to see what Sony’s new VR headset actually looks like, as the company has slowly drip-fed information surrounding the new PS5 peripheral, which began by showing off the PSVR 2 controllers. 

Sony has also confirmed its first PSVR 2 game is in development, Horizon Call of the Mountain. The VR game is a spin-off set of Guerilla’s open-world adventures starring Aloy of Horizon Forbidden West fame.

Supply issues aside, Sony has said it expects PSVR 2 to launch at the end of 2022. We still don’t have a price point. Judging by its impressive specs, the PSVR 2 probably won’t be cheap

PSVR 2 vs Oculus Quest 2: how do they compare?