When the PSVR 2 was announced all those months ago the VR community was thrown into a flurry of speculation, with PSVR 2 backwards compatibility being one of the most common queries.

Sony PSVR 2

Weight

560g/19.8oz

Cameras

4 embedded cameras for headset and controller tracking IR camera for eye tracking per eye

Sensors

Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer) Attachment Sensor: IR Proximity sensor

Display resolution

2000 x 2040 per eye OLED panels

FOV (field of view)

Approx. 110 degrees

Refresh rate

90Hz, 120Hz

How We Review

In the months since the announcement, we’ve received clarification on a lot of the previously unknown aspects of the PSVR, we know the price, release date, and pre order information. We’ve even managed to learn a lot about the PSVR 2 controllers.

NOW READ: PSVR 2 Review: Captivating, comfortable, costly.

We’ve already covered a lot of stuff about the PSVR 2, here’s a quick list if you’re eager to find out more:[

So, let’s talk about the lack of backwards compatibility for the PSVR 2 and why we don’t think that it’s a bad thing.

NOW READ: PSVR 2 unboxing and first impressions

Does the PSVR 2 work on PS4?

Aside from issues of internal hardware incompatibilities, there is the issue of raw power. both the original PSVR and PSVR 2 are not standalone headsets, meaning that they need a PS4 or PS5 to power them, respectively.

So, even if the PSVR 2 worked with the PS4, it wouldn’t be able to perform nearly as well as it will be able to with the PS5, as the PS5 is nearly 8 times more powerful than the PS4.

Will the PSVR 2 be backwards compatible?

Short answer: No, the PSVR 2 is not backwards compatible as Sony’s approach to VR this time around is too different from the original PSVR for backwards compatibility to work.

The official announcement concerning PSVR 2 backward compatibility was made on September 16th during episode 439 of the Official PlayStation Podcast, by the Senior Vice-president of Platform Experience, Hideaki Nishino.

In an unsurprisingly media-trained statement, Nishino states that the “PSVR2 is designed to deliver a truly next-generation VR experience”.

This, therefore, disqualifies it from being backwards compatible, we don’t have a super concrete specific answer, but it’s likely something to do with inherent hardware differences between the PSVR and PSVR 2.

If this sounds like a familiar story, you’re right, Sony has had some ups and downs with regard to backwards compatibility. The original PS3 console could play PS2 games by virtue of including the literal guts of a PS2 inside, which was phased out in later revisions.

Then the PS4 was never backwards compatible with PS3 games as Sony made the wise decision to move away from Cell Architecture.

We think that the PSVR 2 lacks backward compatibility as a result of being too different from the original PSVR, Unfortunately, we aren’t privy to Sony’s design paperwork so we can’t say for sure, but it’s a fair bet nonetheless.

PSVR 2 backward compatibility: The controllers

Another reason why making the PSV2 backward compatible would be tricky is the difference between the old and new controllers. The previous PSVR controllers are so inherently different from the PSVR 2 controllers they wouldn’t work with the PSVR 2.

Remember that the previous PSVR worked via a camera mounted near the TV, like the Nintendo Wii sensor bar of old, whereas the PSVR 2 uses cameras integrated in the headset itself. This difference probably means that making it backward-compatible would be more work than it’s worth.

FAQs

Does the PSVR 2 work on PS4?

No, unfortunately the PSVR 2 is not backwards compatible with the PS4.

Can you use the original PSVR with the PS5?

Yes, Sony provides you with an adapter to use the camera on the PS5.

PSVR 2 FAQs!

If you’re eager to know everything about the PSVR 2, you’re in luck, as we’ve written a lot of pages about the PSVR 2. For your convenience, we’ve listed it all below!