Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
The next generation of PlayStation VR will be released today, and gamers are keen to know – can PSVR 2 be used as a screen?
Using your PSVR 2 headset to display things that haven’t been designed for VR such as PlayStation 5 games or movies could be really useful and the good news is that it is possible, thanks to its cinematic mode.
The cinematic mode on the PSVR 2 functions similarly to how it did on the first PSVR headset, but with a few key differences. The overall function is the same, it allows you to display the visuals of your PS5 on the headset, meaning you can enjoy PS5 games on your PSVR 2, or, as the name suggests watch films on it too.
The feature has been given a lot of improvements including an upgraded resolution of 1920x1080p in HDR and a refresh rate as high as 120Hz. While this is a step up, it is of course not nearly the resolutions that the best monitors for PS5, can reach so the feature may not make sense for you, depending on your set-up.
If you’d like to know whether PSVR 2’s cinematic mode amongst other features are worth the hype, check out our comprehensive review of PlayStation’s latest VR headset.
Why isn’t PSVR 2 cinematic mode higher resolution?
PSVR 2 has a really impressive 2000 x 2040 pixels per eye making for a crisp 4K resolution, this prompts the question of why then is cinematic mode limited to 1920x1080p?
The problem is that, because non-VR games and movies are made for rectangular screens, it is impossible to make them fill the full field of view of the headset, without cutting off large chunks of each image. To get around this the cinematic mode doesn’t use all the pixels, instead showing a screen at the centre of the display.
Frequently asked questions
How do I put PSVR 2 in cinematic mode?
If you plug your headset into your PS5, the menu should appear on the screen in cinematic mode.
Is PSVR 2 higher resolution than Oculus Quest 2?
Yes, the Oculus Quest 2 have 1832 × 1920 pixels per eye, while PSVR 2 has 2000 x 2040.
