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Sony has confirmed via its US blog that the PlayStation VR unit is getting a minor hardware update. The new unit confirmed in the blog’s ‘Ultimate FAQ’ will feature a refresh of the systems cables and processing unit. Most notable,
Most notably, the processing unit will now allow for HDR pass through, meaning that players can now use the HDR features on their PlayStation system without having to remove the box or unplug the HDMI cables. 4K or UHD content was already supported byt the PSVR’s processor unit.
The new unit will also feature an updated design for headphone which will allow the cables for stereo headphones to be a part of the headset, rather than the current design which has the cable seperately from headset and plugged into volume switch. The cables which connect that to the Processing box will also be slimmer and more streamlined.
The new unit (named CUH-ZVR2) however does not include any update for the processing unit’s power or the capability of the VR hardware. Also, because of the changes in cables for the unit, the old headset will not be compatible with the new processor unit. Which means, if you want to update for HDR pass through and slimmer cables, you’ll have to buy the whole setup again.
The PlayStation VR is an OLED display that displays games at anythign between 90 and 120Hz with a single 1920×1080 5.7" display. However the power of the PlayStation 4 and the processing unit does mean that many games operate at a lower resolution than PC competitors the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
Sony Interactive Enteratinment CEO, Andrew House was recently interviewed about the success of the PSVR and not being entirely comfortable with its success.
