2022 has been a strange and weird year for many, especially as the world is in the middle of an inflation problem the size of Mars. Sony allegedly didn't get the memo about people struggling to eat and pay their electricity bills and mortgages with the announcement of the PSVR 2 Headset.
The price is a lot more than anyone predicted it would be. USD$549.99 / £529.99 / AU$879.95. You're not misreading the amount. That is more than the cost of the Playstation 5 console. And what you get for that price is in the basic PSVR 2 bundle; the headset, the PSVR 2 Sense controllers, and a pair of stereo headphones.
What is inside the headset, copper and gold? Damn.
While the price might seem high, it is an impressive VR headset. Hardware-wise, it goes toe-to-toe with the premium headsets. 4K resolution (2,000 x 2,040 for each eye), 120Hz support, HDR and a 110-degree field of view. It addresses all of the problems people had with the PSVR and then some.
The pending recession that looms is coming for everyone (even the rich can't escape it). So, on one hand, it might seem a little tone-deaf for Sony to release an extravagant virtual reality headset as people struggle to put food on the table. However, given the state of the world and the cost of components (especially metals) that go into electronics, it's no surprise that this headset would have been much cheaper were it released two years ago.
One issue Sony might face is the lack of backwards support for PSVR 1 titles. That is a huge mistake, in my opinion. Sony effectively gave the middle finger to the early adopters of the original PSVR, which was far from a perfect headset.
The PSVR 2 doesn't launch until February 23, 2023. So, you have a few months to save and find a buyer for one of your kidneys.