This week, Sony gave the PSVR2 a new lease on life by adding PC VR support. This allows owners of the second-generation headset to play PC VR games like Half-Life: Alyx, provided they buy the $60 PC adapter. However, some users report that they managed to get their headset working on their rig without buying the adapter.
As reported by RoadToVR, several Steam users have reported that they were able to get the PSVR2 running on their gaming PC without the adapter by simply connecting the PSVR2's USB-C cable directly to their graphics card and downloading the PSVR2 Steam App.
That bypass is possible thanks to VirtualLink, a type of USB-C port on some GPUs. This port would have streamlined setting up a VR headset on a gaming PC; instead of using multiple cables, the VirtualLink would power everything on a single USB-C cable.
VirtualLink sadly became obsolete after a few years, despite initial reports in 2018 and 2019 indicating it would become a new standard in graphics cards. Sadly, this means the newer GPUs, such as the GeForce RTX 30 and 40 series, do not have it with the GeForce RTX 20 series, such as the RTX 2060 and its Super variant or the AMD Radeon RX 6000, RX 7000 series, and Radeon VII.
As UploadVR reported in March 2019, when the publication rounded up every desktop GPU and gaming laptop that included the VirtualLink USB-C port, even some of the compatible GPUs may still need to include it. One example is the RTX 2060 series, where only the Founder's Edition and one OEM partner card included the port.
Nevertheless, those with a PSVR2 and a GPU with a VirtualLink port on their GPU, as shown in the illustration above, can save themselves $60 if they intend to use their PSVR2 to play PC VR games. The caveat, however, is that Bluetooth might be finicky if you don't have the adapter. Some users reported that they struggled or could not get the PSVR2's Sense Controllers to pair with their computers.
The PSVR2 launched last year. Despite its impressive technical specs, the headset seemingly lost momentum following its release. In June, Android Central reported that Sony made "deep cuts to funding for VR," with only two first-party PSVR2 games allegedly in development.
While PSVR2 is still waiting on its first-party system-selling exclusive, PC VR support is a nice push for the second-generation PlayStation VR headset. It allows users to play games previously unavailable on PSVR, PSVR2, or even the Meta Quest store, such as Half-Life: Alyx. However, not all of PSVR2's signature features, such as headset feedback and eye tracking, are available when playing on PC.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
