Technologies

PSVR 2: Price, Games and Everything You Need to Know

The Sony PSVR 2 headset is on sale now for $550. We’ve reviewed it and played its games. Here’s what you need to know.

Sony’s first big accessory for the PlayStation 5, the PlayStation VR 2 headset, is here. We just reviewed it: It’s one of the best immersive gaming experiences we’ve ever had, and has some great games already, but it also costs more than the PlayStation 5 itself. Yeah, you read that right: The PSVR 2 costs $550. It’s expensive, but if you’re OK with tethering to a PlayStation 5 with a long cable, this could be the hardware for you, as opposed to waiting for the Meta Quest 3 or Apple’s expected VR headset.

The PSVR 2 isn’t wireless, but its higher-res HDR OLED display and advanced vibrating controllers, along with perks like eye tracking and in-headset rumble, give it a lot of hardware advantages. But its game library feels a little incomplete at the moment. If you’re interested in one, you might want to wait and see what other games arrive throughout the year.

Also, if you’re interested in comparing it to the Quest 2 (the most popular VR headset of the last few years), we’ve got you covered there too.

Sony has a whole FAQ library for tips and advice on the PSVR 2, which you should reference and dive into. Below are additional observations based on our time with it so far.

Sony PlayStation VR2 headset and cables, controllers on a wooden table — This is what comes inside the package: controllers, headset, earbuds and an extra USB-C-to-A cable.

Scott Stein/CNET

What’s in the box?

The PSVR 2 retail package has a cabled headset, a pair of Sense controllers, a pair of earbuds that connect to a headphone jack on the headset and a USB-C-to-A cable for charging the controllers and to initially pair to the PS5. A $50 charging dock, which can optionally charge up both your controllers at once, is sold separately.

You need a PS5 to use it

The PSVR 2 isn’t a stand-alone, self-contained headset like Meta’s Quest 2 (also known as the Oculus Quest 2) or Quest Pro. That means you’ll need to tether it to a PlayStation 5 (and own a PS5) to use it.

The PlayStation VR 2 looks, in a lot of ways, like the headset we wanted for the PS5 all along. It’s a long-awaited update to the PlayStation VR that Sony released for the PlayStation 4 back in 2016: A new design with a color scheme that matches the PS5, and a headband-type visor that’s similar to but smaller than Sony’s first PSVR. The high-res, vibrating, camera-equipped, eye-tracking capabilities of Sony’s second-gen PlayStation headset look like they fit the top-end specs anyone would dream of. However, the new PSVR 2 isn’t automatically backward-compatible with all the older PSVR games — the games will need to be updated by their developer in order to work.

A PSVR 2 headset next to the PlayStation 5 on a wooden table — The PSVR 2 needs a PS5. It’s cabled to it. But once you’ve set it up, you don’t need a TV.

Scott Stein/CNET

The PSVR 2 works much like other VR headsets, but with greatly improved display technology, eye tracking and advanced vibrating haptics and triggers in the controllers and headset that make virtual objects feel more convincing.

The VR headset’s eye tracking also enables foveated rendering, a technology that focuses only on where the fovea of the eye is looking to maximize resolution, getting more graphics punch with fewer pixels. (Dominic Mallinson, Sony’s PlayStation head of R&D, suggested eye tracking could be likely back in a 2019 conversation with CNET.)

PSVR 2 can scan your room, live-broadcast VR gaming

Passthrough cameras on the headset work like cameras on the Quest 2 and other VR headsets, showing the real world in your headset. The headset will also «mesh» your physical space, scanning walls, floors and obstacles like chairs and desks to get a clear sense of play space. It can create a boundary you can play in.

The meshing part is particularly interesting, because it’s something AR headsets and mixed-reality headsets do. It means the PSVR 2 could, theoretically, also have some mixed reality experiences like the Quest 2 is already playing with, although Sony hasn’t announced anything on that front yet.

One unique feature is a live broadcast mode, which will use the PS5’s TV-mounted camera to record yourself overlaid with footage from your live gameplay into a single stream. Mixed reality livecasting tools have been emerging for Quest 2, but no game console has ever had this feature before.

There’s a cinematic mode plus a VR mode

Sony also details two display modes for the headset: one, for VR, will display at 2,000×2,040 pixels per eye in HDR, at 90Hz or 120Hz. A 2D «cinematic mode,» much like what the original PSVR can do, plays movies and 2D games at 1,920×1,080 resolution in HDR at either 24Hz, 60Hz or 120Hz.

Playing 2D games on the PSVR 2 does feel better than you’d think, but movies and TV shows don’t look as good as a large, nice TV (to our eyes). However, this means you could use the PSVR 2 as a self-contained gaming display for the PS5 to play games on while the TV is off or playing something else (or if there’s no TV at all, provided you already set up the PSVR 2 with a TV the first time).

PlayStation VR 2 headset and hand holds in white against a peach background — The PSVR 2 has a cable. You have to learn to live with it.

Scott Stein/CNET

Headset specs

OLED displays, with 2,000×2,040-pixel resolution per eye, 90Hz and 120Hz frame rates
110-degree field of view
Eye tracking and foveated rendering
Adjustable lens separation
In-headset vibration
3D audio
Built-in microphone and audio-out headset jack
Four external cameras for tracking
Single USB-C connection
Sense controllers with USB-C ports, Bluetooth 5.1, rechargeable batteries, 6DoF tracking, finger tracking using capacitive touch buttons and infrared, haptics and specialized haptic triggers like the DualSense controller

Sony PSVR 2 headset on a wood table — Eye tracking comes built in, via infrared cameras around the lenses.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Headset design: Vibrations, eye tracking, moving lenses

Even if Sony’s PSVR 2 headset looks bulky in the photos, it’s actually a lot more comfortable than the Quest 2. An adjustable headband, similar to the PSVR’s original design, means it’ll tighten around the head like a visor instead of using an elastic strap to squeeze your face. The headset can move closer to your face, and lens distance can be adjusted for different IPD levels (interpupillary distance, or the space between eyes). The headset also works really well for my glasses, fitting over my wide frames easily with soft rubberized sides to block out light, and the hardware feels comfortable over longer game sessions.

The headset supports headphones with a standard headphone jack, and has one cable that tethers to the PS5 via USB-C, via a jack that seems to come out of one side of the headband. That’s a lot fewer wires than the breakout box needed for the original PSVR. Included earbuds are fine, but there aren’t any ambient speakers like the Quest 2 has. You can connect Sony’s wireless Pulse headset, too, which sounds better.

Built-in eye tracking promises to deliver better graphics, and possibly allow eye control and eye contact in VR games. Eye tracking isn’t common in consumer VR headsets yet, but the technology should be arriving on other mainstream headsets, and possibly Apple’s as well. It worked well enough with my glasses.

The headset’s four tracking cameras allow movement in VR to be tracked without using a TV-connected camera bar. The tracking should work in a similar way to other VR headsets. It’s possible that the cameras could allow some pass-through mixed reality, too, blending VR with what the cameras see onto the headset’s display.

Some people have reported that the headset has a limited «sweet spot» to make things look good with their eyes, and I’ve seen it take some adjustment to get my eye/head fit just right. However, the headset still feels better over my glasses than other VR headsets with the exception of the Quest Pro.

The PlayStation VR 2 headset and controllers seen from above on a wooden table — A look at the hardware from above.

Scott Stein/CNET

How long is the cable?

The USB-C cable attached to the PSVR 2 headset is about 15 feet long, long enough for us to comfortably move around a roughly 7-by-7-foot play space, which is about what Sony recommends for full-motion VR gaming. There are ways to play standing or sitting down, too, but much like other tethered VR headsets, that heavy cable can sometimes get tangled under your feet or around your legs.

Is the PSVR 2 eyeglasses-friendly?

Yes, very. I wear chunky glasses, and the wide headset fits over my glasses just fine. Your mileage may vary, but it felt like the best over-glasses fit of any VR headset around. Unlike the Quest 2 (which doesn’t accommodate all glasses sizes), the Quest Pro (which fits over wide glasses but can can be a bit stiff to take on and off), and some headsets like the Vive XR Elite that don’t work with glasses at all and use prescription adjustment instead, the easy-to-adjust visor design here was welcome.

Horizon Call of the Mountain is one of the most eye-catching launch games, but its climbing and bow-and-arrow action might not be for everyone.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Launch games: Lots of options

Sony’s own exclusive, Horizon Call of the Mountain, remains the PSVR 2’s splashiest game, but other games have been announced as well. No Man’s Sky, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners — Chapter 2: Retribution, Resident Evil Village, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Demeo and Gran Turismo 7 are some of the early standouts.

For more, check out CNET’s favorite PSVR 2 games so far.

However, some bad news for original PSVR owners: Sony confirmed that original PSVR games aren’t necessarily PSVR 2-compatible unless the games are specifically updated.

The games that are already here, or are announced already as coming in the future:

Horizon Call of the Mountain
Gran Turismo 7
Resident Evil Village
Puzzling Places
What the Bat?
Demeo
Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge Enhanced Edition
Moss and Moss Book II
Firewall Ultra
Creed: Rise to Glory
Beat Saber
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord
Among Us VR
Vacation Simulator
Job Simulator
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
Pavlov
Fantavision 202x
Kayak VR: Mirage
Rez Infinite
Synth Riders: Remastered Edition
The Last Clockwinder
Tetris Effect Connected
Townsmen VR
Thumper
Crossfire: Sierra Squad
The Light Brigade
Cities VR
Cosmonius High
Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue
Jurassic World Aftermath Collection
Pistol Whip
Zenith: The Last City
After The Fall
Tentacular
NFL Pro Era
No Man’s Sky
Before Your Eyes
Song in the Smoke: Rekindled
The Tale of Onogoro
Kizuna AI: Touch the Beat
Dyschronia: Chronos Ultimate
Altair Breaker
2MD VR Football

PSVR 2 FAQs

Are there any bundled discounts?

The price of the PSVR 2 and PS5 together is over $1,000, and that’s not including games. We don’t know yet if Sony will package these together into a more affordable set, but anything would help. Sony is bundling Horizon Call of the Mountain with the PSVR 2, but the added $50 cost doesn’t really mean a discount per se.

What exclusive games will it have in the future?

There are a ton of launch games already coming, but many of these games are ports of existing VR hits. Sony has a few exclusives (Horizon and Gran Turismo, notably). We’ll see how many more exclusives, or updates to older exclusive PSVR games, end up emerging.

Is it backward-compatible with all the old PSVR games?

No, at least not without an update. Sony confirmed that older games will not be automatically compatible. Some older games are getting PSVR 2 updates, which are either free or for an added cost. Hopefully this trend continues, because there are hundreds of still-good games that even work on the PS5 with older PSVR hardware that will otherwise be stranded.

Is there any chance it could be wireless in the future?

Not right now. This PSVR 2 headset is tethered with a USB-C cable, and doesn’t have its own battery. It’s hard to imagine a 360-degree Beat Saber with that USB-C cable attached, but PC VR headsets are cable-tethered, too.

Technologies

The Duskbloods Is New FromSoftware Gaming Action Coming to Switch 2 in 2026

Talk about a surprise for the new Switch.

FromSoftware had a big day with the Switch 2 Direct. The company revealed a new game called The Duskbloods and confirmed that its smash-hit action RPG Elden Ring is coming to the new console, which launches on June 5 for $450.

The Duskbloods is exclusive to the Switch 2, which was a surprise announcement during the Switch 2 Direct. According to FromSoftware, the game is a player vs. player vs. enemy, or PvPvE, online multiplayer game similar to the developer’s upcoming Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Players will be part of the Bloodsworn, which is a group that has «transcended human strength thanks to their special blood.» Each individual will be playing against each other as well as taking on other foes.

The game features some mainstays for FromSoftware games, with a gothic tone and a focus on gore, like its popular Bloodborne game for the PS4. It does appear that characters have a few more abilities than seen in previous games from the cult developer.

The Duskbloods will release sometime in It will be released in 2026.

The Switch 2 will launch on June 5 and preorders will start on April 9 at retailers. The new console will feature plenty of third-party support, with major games like Borderlands 4, Madden and Civilization 7 coming from other publishers.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, April 3

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 3.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword has two similar clues, 5-Across and 6-Across. They both play off the same idea — using the first part of two words to make one, all food-related. I didn’t get that at first, so I struggled with those two clues. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Hit the ___ (go to bed)
Answer: SACK

5A clue: Misleading name for a sub/shish kebab restaurant?
Answer: SUSHI

6A clue: Misleading name for a taco/pasta restaurant?
Answer: TAPAS

7A clue: Certain sports bets
Answer: OVERS

8A clue: Cooped (up)
Answer: PENT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Almost *too* sophisticated and charming
Answer: SUAVE

2D clue: Upscale Colorado skiing destination
Answer: ASPEN

3D clue: Word after bar or pie
Answer: CHART

4D clue: Smooch
Answer: KISS

5D clue: Word on an eight-sided traffic sign
Answer: STOP

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Everything We Know About the Console, New Games, Release Date

The $450 console will get Mario Kart World at launch, 4K gaming when docked, Switch 2 Edition game enhancements and new mouse controls.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday morning as part of the company’s Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs, and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.