The PSVR2 continues to look very promising every time Sony reveals more new details about it, but whether or not it will be backward compatible with the original PSVR headset is a question that’s been asked more than a few times at this point. Earlier this year, Sony was reluctant to comment on the matter, but the company has now confirmed that the upcoming virtual reality headset is not going to be backward compatible.
In a recent podcast published on the official PlayStation Blog, when asked about the topic, SVP of platform experience Hideaki Nishino confirmed that the PlayStation VR2 will not be able to run games that were released for the original PSVR.
“PSVR games are not compatible with PSVR2, because PSVR 2 is designed to deliver a truly next generation VR experience,” Nishino said. “PSVR2 has much more advanced features, like all-new controllers with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, inside-out tracking, eye tracking in the headset, 3D audio, all coming together. This means developing [for] PSVR2 requires a whole different approach from the original PSVR.”
Given the significant differences between the hardware of the two headset, from major features being introduced with PSVR2 that weren’t present in the original to how radically different even the input methods of both headsets are, the lack of backward compatibility doesn’t come as a massive shock- though it is surely going to be a disappointment for many.
Of course, fans will be hoping that the original PSVR’s best titles – including the likes of Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Moss, and more – will eventually get native launches on the PSVR2 as well- but as things stand right now, those games will not be playable on the upcoming headset.