PSVR 2 reportedly packs the most pixel-dense VR headset yet

PSVR 2
(Image credit: Sony)

The PSVR 2 screen reportedly packs upwards of 800 pixels per inch (PPI) in each eye, giving it more than twice the pixel density of the Oculus Quest 2 and over four times the density of the original PSVR headset.

That's according to analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants. In a recent tweet (spotted by Android Central), Young explained that the PSVR 2 headset delivers "over 800 PPI resolution per eye … up from 386 PPI in the PSVR for both eyes." In a reply, he clarified that the headset uses "direct view RGB OLED" screens rather than microdisplays, which rules out the fancy OLED microdisplays that Sony's R&D division showed off last December. 

Sony confirmed the 2000 x 2040 resolution of the PSVR 2 when the headset was officially announced, but this is the first we've heard of its pixel density. This is a separate and exceedingly important metric for VR headsets as PPI contributes to how smooth images appear and how visible individual pixels are. 

By design, VR headsets place screens extremely close to the user's eyes, which can cause even high-resolution images to appear pixelated in the most literal sense – that is, your eyes can perceive the outline of each pixel. The higher the PPI, the harder it is to see individual pixels. This makes PPI another good way to measure image quality, and if the PSVR 2 really is packing 800+ pixels per inch per eye, it ought to be the sharpest VR headset yet. 

Horizon: Call of the Mountain, a VR spinoff to Guerilla's open-world series, was the first game confirmed for PSVR 2. Surprisingly, the second confirmed game is an extremely realistic table tennis sim

PSVR 2 could start shipping as early as April 2022, according to analyst predictions. 

Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.