Sony PlayStation VR2: 419 patents sold to Meta, the end of VR at Sony?

It’s no secret that Sony’s PlayStation VR2 headset has never really benefited from the level of support that virtual reality enthusiasts were entitled to expect. Aside from a handful of major titles at the time of its arrival on the market in February 2023, when it nevertheless offered a cutting-edge hardware experience, big-name releases have been particularly rare. Today, the Japanese firm seems to be taking an even more radical step away from VR, AR and XR development, as it has just transferred an initial batch of 43 U.S. patents to its direct competitor, Meta.

 

419 VR and XR patents transferred from Sony to Meta Revealed by South Korean media outlet ZDNet Korea, the operation shows that the first transfers took place between June and September 2026 (2 in June, 20 in July and 21 in September), as part of a global agreement signed in December 2025. The technologies concerned cover both XR glasses and virtual reality headsets (HMD) as well as associated processing software. In total, no fewer than 419 patents developed by Sony between 2010 and 2022 will pass into Meta’s hands, including 180 filed in the United States and 239 distributed between Europe, Asia (Japan, South Korea, China) and other regions of the world.

 

PlayStation VR2: a software desert despite the PC adapter So far, Sony has bet on only one true showcase exclusive to support the launch of its device, namely Horizon: Call of the Mountain. In practice, this title as well as the VR mode of Gran Turismo 7 remain the two experiences most genuinely embraced by players. Admittedly, the manufacturer tried to rekindle interest in its headset after its PS5 release by marketing a PC adapter allowing users to enjoy a much larger VR game catalog, but releases specifically designed for the PlayStation VR2 are still few and far between.

 

 

A PlayStation Store showcase left abandoned And the situation is not changing... A quick look at the PS VR2 games section announced on the PlayStation Store is enough to see that no major release is on the horizon. The most prominent title highlighted, Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow, has in fact already been released in 2025. The same is true of Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrock, listed with a typo on the online store and also released in 2025. As for Out of Sight VR, it still has no precise launch date even though it is theoretically announced for the end of 2026, knowing that its Steam version has not been heard from in eighteen months. It seems obvious that this PS Store page has not been updated for at least a year, confirming Sony’s gradual disengagement from this segment.

 

The PlayStation VR2 headset (along with its two PS VR2 Sense controllers and stereo earphones) is available. Indicative price: €449.99 (compared with €599.99 at launch).

 

Reminder of the key features of the Sony PlayStation VR2:

• Type: wired virtual reality (VR) headset for PlayStation 5 console (and PC via optional adapter)

• Display system: two OLED HDR screens

• Resolution: 2,000 x 2,040 pixels per eye (4,000 x 2,040 pixels combined)

• Refresh rate: 90 Hz/120 Hz

• Field of view: around 110 degrees

• Lenses: Fresnel type with adjustable interpupillary spacing

• Cameras: 4 front-facing built-in cameras for headset and controller tracking + 2 internal infrared cameras for eye tracking (per-eye Eye Tracking with foveated rendering)

• Sensors: 6-axis motion detection system (3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer), infrared proximity sensor

• Physical feedback: vibration system built into the headset + haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the PS VR2 Sense controllers

• Audio: built-in microphone, 3.5 mm mini-jack output for stereo earphones, Tempest 3D AudioTech compatibility

• Connectivity and communication: single [abc]USB[/abc]-C cable (4.5 m), Bluetooth 5.1 (PS VR2 Sense controllers)

• Dimensions (W x H x D): approximately 212 x 158 x 278 mm

• Weight: approximately 560 g (excluding cable)