PSVR 2 could get a game changing update to rival the Meta Quest 3

(Credit: Matt Swider/The Shortcut)

• 🤲 Sony has added hand tracking to PSVR 2

• 🤔 However, it’s unclear when the feature will launch

• 👏 Developers seemingly already have access to hand tracking in the PS5 SDK

• 🆚 Hand tracking is available on rival VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3

Sony’s PSVR 2 headset could get a game changing feature that Meta Quest 3 users currently enjoy: hand tracking.

Sony showed off a hand tracking demo for PlayStation VR2 at the Siggraph Asia 2024 computer graphics conference in Tokyo, suggesting we could see the feature arrive in the coming months.

The demo sees users pointing and opening their hands to clean flying objects, and it appears to be working well. The booth also included a detailed overview of PSVR 2 hand tracking, which said:

• Tracks the position and posture of the PSVR 2 user’s hands

• The library is available with the latest SDK of PlayStation 5

• No additional devices required

• Recognizes at 60fps with low latency and displays the hands smoothly

• Information provided

  • Position, posture, velocity and bounding box for each joint

  • Hand scale and hand mesh

  • 12 types of gesture detection

PSVR 2 hand tracking overview. (Credit: Zuby_Tech)

Perhaps the most interesting bullet point is that hand tracking is available in the latest SDK of PS5, which means developers could implement it into their titles. Sony has made no announcement about the feature, nor has it appeared in any games, but the prospect of being able to play games (and hopefully navigate menus) without having to pick up the PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers is certainly appealing.

The PSVR 2 already has an advantage over the Meta Quest 3 and 3S thanks to eye-tracking, but hand tracking would be a great addition to Sony’s virtual reality headset. It could lead to more games coming to the platform, and hopefully some more media-focused experiences, like being able to play 3D movies.

The biggest issue facing the PSVR 2 is that some developers might not see the benefit in adding hand tracking to their games if sales of Sony’s headset continue to struggle. Two recent price cuts have helped its fortunes, but there’s still a lack of must-play software.

Meta also recently released the Meta Quest 3S, a $299 headset that keeps almost all the features of the Meta Quest 3 and offers far more value and versatility than Sony’s PSVR 2.

Still, it’s encouraging to see that Sony is still trying to improve the PSVR 2, even if it isn’t producing any software. Sony recently added PC support, though many of the PSVR 2’s best features remain unavailable on PC.

• Up next: PS5 Pro continues to fall short with more games exhibiting issues

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.