Only a few days into 2022, and Sony is already unveiling new information about the future of PlayStation. Last night during its CES press conference, Sony formally revealed PSVR2, the aptly named follow-up to the first iteration of the virtual reality headset. This new design is a work in progress, but aims to trump its predecessor in nearly every conceivable way. Based on an impressive tech spec breakdown for PSVR2, it seems like Sony has upped its game for the next generation of VR on PlayStation 5.
Words and numbers can only go so far, of course, and sometimes people need to actually see the results to believe the potential. Sony had this covered as well, showing off a brief teaser for Horizon Call of the Mountain, a stunning VR experience set in the world of Horizon: Zero Dawn. While this project is exciting in its own right, it begs the question what other well known PlayStation franchises could also be in the works for PSVR2. Based on genre and style, the following IP's would be a good fit to show off the tech in Sony's new technology.
Killzone
The last time players saw the Killzone franchise was at the launch of the PlayStation 4 way back in 2013. Killzone: Shadow Fall, while a tremendous showcase for the hardware at the time, was met with a mixed reception compared to its predecessors on the PS3. Even so, the franchise still has so much potential, and its more weighted, gritty approach to first-person gunplay has been praised by both critics and fans alike. A VR interpretation would be a thrilling way to breathe life back into this iconic PlayStation franchise.
Resistance
Similar to Killzone above, the Resistance series from Insomniac was at one point in time a killer app for the PS3. However, once that generation of gaming wrapped up, the franchise seemed to fizzle away. Insomniac may be busy with a certain wall crawler nowadays, but development duties could easily be handed off to another studio under Sony's first party banner. The blistering action and even light horror themes of Resistance could make for a truly immersive VR experience.
Tearaway
While first person shooters are the most obvious choice for VR, something a little different is always appreciated. Tearaway has been lauded as a charming, colorful adventure unlike anything else available. Initially an exclusive for the PSVita, Tearaway found creative ways to utilize that handheld's many multimedia functions for an even more engaging experience. Based on this, Media Molecule would likely be able to find a way to shape this IP into a VR game, allowing the player to see a brilliant crafted world unfold before their very eyes.
Marvel's Spider-Man
Insomniac did a fantastic job with nailing the look and feel of what it's like to swing around New York City as the web head. However, PSVR2 shows an opportunity to do it all from an entirely new perspective. The only thing that would be more exhilirating than the base game, would be to see the world through Spider-Man's eyes. Leaping off high rooftops and having to manually shoot out strings of webbing from each hand would be undeniably fun to pull off. Iron Man VR already hinted at the possibility of stepping into the costumes of these larger than life characters, something which can only be improved as technology advances.
Shadow of the Colossus
The teaser for Horizon Call of the Mountain really emphasized the size difference between the player and these huge, mechanical beasts. Gazing up at such towering foes is both an awe inspiring, and intimidating experience. For this reason alone, a VR version of Shadow of the Colossus would be a fresh spin on an already epic adventure. Fighting the giant Colossi aside, simply exploring and gazing at the serene beauty of this fictional world would be dazzling in VR, something which hopefully becomes a reality at some point in the future.