I was just about to buy a PS VR headset when I realised I wasn’t sure if the PS VR was compatible with my PS4 Pro.
Instead of wasting money I did my homework.
Here’s what I found out.
Is PS VR compatible with the PS4 Pro? The PS VR was designed to be compatible with the PS 4 Pro. However, there are 2 versions of the PS VR. The older of which does have some compatibility quirks. We’ll look at these in this article.
Ok, now you know the PS VR is compatible with the PS4 Pro, let’s take a look in more detail what extras you need and what games are PS VR compatible that take advantage of the PS4 Pro’s extra power.
Do I need any extras to use the PS VR on the PS4 Pro?
When you buy the PS VR headset you will get all of these items in the box: the headset, the processor unit, earbuds, an HDMI cable, a USB cable, an AC adaptor and cord, a PS VR headset connection adaptor, and finally a PS camera.
The VR headset can be used immediately with just the contents of the box and a game.
You might like to consider buying PlayStation Move Controllers to improve your VR experience but these controllers are completely optional.
The Move Controllers enhance your VR experience by allowing you to interact with the game in a natural way using hand and arm movements. The Move Controller is light and has great accuracy when being used in a game.
Check out the Move Controllers here on Amazon.
Limitations of using a PS VR on a PS4 pro.
There are two models of the PS VR: The original launch model: PSVR CUH-ZVR1 and the revised model: PSVR CUH-ZVR2.
The original model headset was not created with 4k or HDR color depth in mind. This has caused problems for 4K TV owners, including myself.
For starters, the PSVR’s base station, the cute little black box that looks like a mini PS4, won’t pass through a 4K HDR image.
What does this mean in English?
Well, it means that all those awesome looking HDR-enabled games, such as Horizon Zero Dawn, can’t be played in HDR (Basically means more colors) while your PSVR is plugged in. So, every time you fancy playing with those HDR extra colorful colors (Yes that’s a technical term, don’t laugh), you need to dive in amongst your PS4 cables to unhook the PSVR base station.
As you can imagine this caused me a bit of a headache, and I’m sure it’ll do the same for you.
Sadly, the original model raises another ugly and unwanted problem:
When the PSVR CUH-ZVR1 model is hooked up to a 4K TV, it doesn’t always shake hands well with the HDCP. The HTCP, or High bandwidth digital content protection, acts as an anti-piracy system.
The problem is the PSVR’s incompatibility with HDCP makes the screen blackout on both PSVR and the TV intermittently and without warning.
So what’s the answer to these game destroying problems I hear you cry?
It’s remarkably simple:
Buy the newer model.
It’s completely compatible with the PS4 Pro in every way. And you’ll experience none of the problems above.
What games can I play to get the most out of my PS VR experience on my PS4 Pro?
Here’s a list of great VR games for the PS4 Pro, that you seriously should consider playing.
● SuperHot VR
● Beat Saber
● FarPoint
● Resident Evil 7
● Firewall Zero Hour
● Tetris Effect
● Astro Bot Rescue Mission
SuperHot VR – is said to be one of the best experiences in VR gaming in this modern gaming era. Why? It’s known for its responsiveness and quick gameplay. If you’ve played SuperHot then you definitely know what I’m talking about, just imagine it on VR. Other than being a frantic shooter, it’s also more like a puzzle game, which makes a very interesting combination. Get the game here.
Beat Saber – Lightsabers and heavy electronic dance music in a Tron legacy world, is basically how you would describe Beat Saber. Doesn’t that already sound fun? Imagine all of that in VR, yeah now we’re talking. Fast and responsive are the principal features of Beat Saber. Buy Beat Saber from the PSN Network here.
FarPoint – Impulse Gear have done a great job with FarPoint, the action elements are fantastic in this first-person shooter. Set on an alien antagonistic world, you’ve been sent on a mission to rescue a group of scientists who have been studying a mysterious anomaly near Jupiter. Go to Jupiter with your VR headset! Get the game here.
Resident Evil 7 – There’s not much to describe in this one, we’ve all played the RE series and know exactly what it’s like, it’s great to experience all of that on a VR setup, especially the 7th edition and newest horror simulation in this already beloved franchise. Fancy a go? Buy it here.
Firewall Zero Hour – is another shooter that must be experienced on a VR setup at least once because of its vast online capabilities. This game is said to be the best online VR experience and quite notably so, it’s a modern-day army buff shooter that resembles Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege on PC. This will be an experience you won’t forget. Give it a buy here.
Tetris Effect – based on the legendary classic game Tetris, this VR addition is basically a standard game of Tetris with a plethora of effects running in the background. A must-have VR game: buy it here.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission – Noted as one of the best games of 2018, Astro Bot Rescue Mission is one of the best platformers around. It plays like Super Mario 3D World, but with a completely different premise and play style. All of its first-class features are amplified in the VR edition. Get it here.
How will the PS5 Effect the PS VR?
The next-gen PlayStation is expected to be released in November 2020, with some killer features that are going to turn heads.
With an 8-core AMD chipset based on third-generation Ryzen architecture, a GPU taking the best bits of the Radeon Navi GPU family, a built-for-purpose SSD storage system, 3D audio backwards compatibility with PS4 games, and 8K TV support, we can only expect great things from this machine.
Not much has been confirmed, but there is reason to believe that the PS5 could be compatible with the VR. There are also rumours of a PS VR 2 in the pipeline, as well as big upgrades for the current VR.
Quick Reminder
So now since you have a better idea about the compatibility of the PS VR and the PS4 Pro, let’s look back at a few things we talked about.
● The PS VR is just an add on for the PS4, therefore it is compatible.
● The CUH-ZVR1, is a standard definition experience (SD), whilst the CUH-ZVR2 is an improved version.
● I’ve noted some great games to play on the PSVR – SuperHot VR, Beat Saber, FarPoint, Resident Evil 7, Firewall Zero Hour, Tetris Effect and Astro Bot Rescue Mission.
● The next-gen Playstation5 is expected to be released in November 2020.
Now that you’ve had a good read and you know more about PS VR, let’s check out what you can do next…
What next?
How do I keep my VR lenses clean? Keeping your VR lenses clean is really simple, all you need is a decent microfibre cloth. Now see our article on how to clean your lenses correctly here.
Can I extend my VR cable? Unfortunately, you can’t extend it, but we have a great article here that’ll show you how to make the best of the current cable’s length. See it here.
Can I steam while on VR? Yes. Check out this article from IGN that’ll get you started.