Technologies

The Best PSVR Games That Still Aren’t on PSVR 2

There are still some great original PSVR games that work on the PlayStation 5, if you have the right gear. Hope these get PSVR 2 updates soon.

The PlayStation VR 2 has turned the PlayStation 5 into a great VR gaming destination, but for some reason it doesn’t play a lot of the PlayStation’s best VR games.

If that sounds like an unlikely statement, I’ll explain: the PSVR 2 isn’t backwards compatible with the original PSVR game library, which means a lot of older and still great VR games are stranded on the PlayStation platform. Oddly enough, the original 2016 PlayStation VR does work on a PlayStation 5, and those games will play. Hopefully they’ll all be updated for PSVR 2 support over time, but there are no guarantees this will ever happen.

This means that yes, you can skip the PSVR 2 and use the original PSVR, hook it up to the PS5, and enjoy VR games. Some of them even benefit from better load times and graphics, too. And, frankly, if you have an older PSVR lying around and don’t want to spend more money for a PSVR 2, this is a valid way to go.

ps5-psvr — The PlayStation VR lives on with the PS5… and a few extra accessories.

Scott Stein/CNET

Just know this: The PSVR headset is older tech that requires a complex, cabled box and an older PS4 camera, which will plug into the PS5 with an extra dongle adapter you’ll have to get from Sony. Also, most PSVR games won’t work with the new PS5 DualSense controller (with a few exceptions, like Star Wars Squadrons). For most gamepad games, you’ll need to dig up an older PS4-era DualShock 4.

Sony’s PSVR has other optional gear, too: wand-like PS Move controllers (which you need for some games) and a light-gun-like VR Aim controller. For the sake of keeping this list simple, I left off games that only work with those; below are some excellent titles that just need a DualShock 4 to work.

Also, a lot of these games also can work without a PSVR headset. They’re VR optional, but the headset adds a different level of immersion that’s often really compelling, with the downside of a lower-res display than you’d get on a 4K TV.

But these games are so good, they’re still worth your attention. And hey, Sony: let’s get some PSVR 2 versions of these soon.

And if you do go for a PSVR2, here’s a list of our favorite PSVR 2 games.

Editor’s note: This article was originally written in 2019, and updated after the PSVR 2 launch as a reminder of how good these games still are.

Media Molecule

Dreams

Media Molecule’s browsable world of user-created things is impossible to explain, but you could build your own VR dreamscape here. Or explore others. Dreams will function without a VR headset, but VR just adds a whole new dimension to discover.

$20 at Best Buy

$18 at Amazon

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EA/Screenshot by Sean Keane/CNET

Star Wars Squadrons

A pretty great Star Wars dogfighting game without a VR headset becomes even better with one. You can use your DualSense controller, since this game doesn’t track the controller’s motion in space.

$20 at Amazon

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Sony Interactive Entertainment

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission

The best Sony VR exclusive game, and a must-play if you get a PSVR headset. The same team that made Astro’s Playroom — the game that’s baked into your PS5 that shows off the amazing tricks of the DualSense controller — also made this showcase for the PSVR headset. It plays like a wonderful VR version of a Mario-type platformer. I like it even more than Astro’s Playroom.

$17 at Amazon

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PlayStation

Paper Beast

An art piece exploration puzzle game involving fantastic alien worlds, impossibly strange creatures and a simple interface that will have you exploring what to do. It’s a great game to soak in some atmosphere. And really, it’s so strange — and beautiful.

See at PlayStation Store

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Wipeout Omega Collection

Sony’s PS4 edition of the classic hovercar racing franchise works beautifully in VR, and it won’t make you too nauseous. The benefit of VR ends up being mainly about focus. (Sony’s Driveclub is another option.)

$28 at Amazon

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What a Ban Would Actually Mean for DJI Drone Owners and Holiday Shoppers

What’s the secret to a very un-merry shopping season? A brand new, unusable drone.

With Thanksgiving wrapped up and the Black Friday shopping sales here, if a DJI drone is on your holiday wish list, you might want to hit «buy» immediately. The company has issued a stark warning: Its drones could be banned from sale in the US, and the deadline is looming.

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 at the end of October to «close loopholes» that allow tech deemed a «national security risk» to be sold in the US. In plain English, the US government is clearing the path to give DJI the same treatment it gave Chinese phone-maker Huawei, effectively banning its products from the American market.

The US government has deemed DJI, which is based in China, a security risk. It’s also considering a separate ban on TP-Link routers.

DJI is already sounding the alarm, posting on Instagram that a «deadline that could decide DJI’s fate in the US is just 43 days away» (now 19 days away). The company is warning that without an audit, its products could face an «automatic ban.» The US government has long labeled the Chinese drone maker a security risk, and it looks like the hammer might finally be coming down right before the holidays.

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The vote isn’t the end of the road, however. Future bans would need to target specific products and would require a period of public consultation. But it appears the groundwork is being set for the FCC to block sales of future and some existing DJI drones from US shores, as well as products that use DJI technology.

The government has called for a DJI audit by the end of the year, but if that doesn’t happen, DJI drone products could be banned for sale by default under a national security law.

DJI asks for a security audit before any ban

A representative for DJI told CNET that while the FCC vote references a rule change that doesn’t currently apply to DJI specifically, the National Defense Authorization Act deadline in December would put Chinese companies like it on the FCC’s ban list, «without any evidence of wrongdoing or the right to appeal.»

Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said the company has repeatedly said it would be open to audit, but that «more than 10 months have now passed with no sign that the process has begun.»

«The US government has every right to strengthen national security measures, but this must go hand in hand with due process, fairness, and transparency,» Welsh said.

Welsh said DJI is urging the government to start the audit process or grant an extension.

Will DJI drone owners need to give them up?

Because the ban would apply to new sales, not drones that have already been sold, a DJI drone you already own would still be legal to use — at least under current rules.

Government agencies, however, are prohibited from purchasing or using drones from Chinese companies, including DJI.

DJI’s drones consistently rank high in their product category. In January, they dominated CNET’s list of best drones for 2025. But some of the company’s newest products, such as the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, haven’t been available for sale in the United States.

Even DJI products that are not yet banned may be hard to find. The website UAV Coach has posted a guide to the bans and reports that, due to inventory issues, most DJI drone models are sold out at retailers regardless of future FCC action.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 29 #636

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Nov. 29, No. 636.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a real puzzler. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: What a piece of work!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: You can build it in a shop.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

CREW, REAM, LANE, WHEE, DELL, CANE, PULL, REVEL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

WHEEL, AXLE, LEVER, WEDGE, PLANE, PULLEY, SCREW

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is SIMPLEMACHINE. To find it, start with the S that’s three letters to the right on the top row, and wind over and down.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 29, #902

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 29, #902.

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

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is tough. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Middle of the body.

Green group hint: Fill-in.

Blue group hint: Nice place to hang out.

Purple group hint: Card game.