Lifting the VR veil: How PlayStation 5 works with Sony’s last-gen headset

Enlarge / You probably want to put the PlayStation VR headset on your head, not on top of a new PlayStation 5, for an ideal use case. But, hey: You do you. (credit: Sam Machkovech)

Today's feature-length review of the PlayStation 5 covers a lot of ground, primarily about how it works on your favorite TV set, 4K or otherwise. But what if your preferred PlayStation gaming screen is one you strap to your face?

You'd be a minority, based on PlayStation VR hardware sales since it launched in 2016, but that's still millions of players. And Sony has confirmed that PS5 works with the existing PSVR ecosystem, hardware and software alike, while otherwise not saying anything definitive about future next-gen VR hardware. (Xbox, on the other hand, has thus far ruled out VR entirely.) But how exactly does it work? Are there any benefits to connecting a last-gen headset to a next-gen console? And should existing VR players on PS4 hang onto their older console for any reason?

I've broken this guide out from the PS5 review as a way to answer whatever VR questions you may have ahead of the new console's launch next week.

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