While it hasn't gotten much attention at the PS5 events so far, PSVR represents an advantage for PlayStation over the Xbox Series X for VR enthusiasts as it has been made clear that Microsoft has no plans for a VR offering on Xbox.
However, if a new job listing with Sony surfaced by UploadVR is any indication, VR fans on the PS5 may have to make do with the current hardware for quite some time as the company is only now hiring someone to work on "a head-mounted display for next-generation VR" (via TechRadar).
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While there are sure to be more PS5 events before the console is released in November, we have yet to hear anything concrete about a new PSVR headset. It was notably absent from the family photo that Sony shared when it revealed the console and accessories back in June.
Sony has said that the current PSVR headset will be compatible with the PS5, but given the strides that we have seen in the VR realm over the last few years with the likes of the Oculus Rift S or the forthcoming Oculus Quest 2, the PSVR hardware originally released in late 2016 and updated in late 2017 can't really keep pace.
To be clear, at no point does this job listing make any reference to the PSVR or a PSVR 2, and the listing is for Sony Corp rather than Sony Interactive Entertainment, the division that is actually responsible for the PlayStation and thus PSVR. It's entirely possible this is a separate project and the fact that it refers to "development of a head-mounted display for VR with a view to five years from now," would certainly fall at an odd time in the PS5's life cycle if that is to be taken as a release timeframe.
While the PS5 may not be as powerful as Xbox Series X, it would certainly be capable of delivering a superior VR experience than the PS4 Pro and, given the focus on immersive experiences made possible by the PS5, it has just been a bit surprising to see the company not also pressing its VR advantage, particularly when it has high-profile content like the Hitman trilogy coming to VR this year.
For now, the only thing this job listing seems to confirm is that Sony is not giving up on VR, but we will have to wait and see if the company has anything a little more timely for PS5 owners on the VR front.
