Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

Can you play PSVR games on PSVR2?

By

Backward compatibility was a bit rocky for Sony with the PlayStation 3 generation going into the PS4. Thankfully, that was resolved moving from PS4 to PS5, but that wasn’t the only new piece of hardware Sony released. The PlayStation VR2 is, as the name implies, the second generation of the dedicated PlayStation virtual reality headset. Despite taking many design and features from other popular headsets, such as the Meta Quest 2, PSVR2 is made only to work with your PS5. You might assume that this new, more powerful headset would be backward compatible with all the original PSVR titles, but that may not be a safe bet. If you have a library of original PSVR games you want to play on PSVR2, here’s what you need to know.

Is PSVR2 backward compatible with PSVR?

Walmart PSVR Playstation VR bundle deal

No, Sony confirmed prior to the PSVR2’s launch that it would not be able to play any of your PSVR games, saying the disparity between the two headset’s power and technical differences made this impossible. Whatever the reason, this was a big disappointment to those who supported the PSVR and accumulated a library of titles for it they wanted to bring forward.

Recommended Videos

However, there is some good news. While you can’t use your PSVR games on the PSVR2, some developers will be offering free upgrades and cross-buy options for certain titles.

Related

How cross-buy works

The PSVR2 headset and controllers in space.
Sony

Cross-buy is a system in which you get a “free” version of a game you already purchased that has a PSVR2 version available. A similar system was implemented with the PS3 and Vita, where buying a copy for one system also gave you a version on the other.

If you own a PSVR game either digitally or physically that supports cross-buy, once you boot it up on your PS5, you will be notified that you have the option to download the new version. Simply do so and you’re all set to run it on the PSVR2.

The downside is that only games that developers have made a dedicated PSVR2 version for can be eligible for cross-buy, and even then it is up to the individual developer if they want to offer a free upgrade. Unfortunately, there’s no real simple way to see what games do or do not offer cross-buy. Thankfully, we’ve done the work for you and listed them all here.

All cross-buy games

These are all the games currently offering cross-buy for the PSVR2. More titles have been announced to be coming to PSVR2 that are on other VR platforms, so if they end up having a cross-buy option, we will update this list.

  • After the Fall
  • Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder
  • D-Day Enhanced
  • Job Simulator
  • Kill It With Fire VR
  • Last Labyrinth
  • The Light Brigade
  • NFL Pro Era
  • No Man’s Sky
  • Pistol Whip VR
  • Puzzling Places
  • RC Airplane Challenge
  • Resident Evil VIII: Village
  • Song in the Smoke
  • Startenders
  • Suicide Guy VR Deluxe
  • Synthriders
  • The Tale of Onogoro
  • Vacation Simulator
  • The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners 1
  • Windlands 2
  • Zenith: The Last City

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
The best games on PlayStation Plus, Extra, and Premium
A person plays Crash Bandicoot using a PS5 DualSense controller.

PlayStation Plus has gone through several iterations and changes since it was first introduced. Originally, the service wasn't required for online play at all and rewarded subscribers with extra discounts and free monthly games. Once the PlayStation 4 generation began, it was required for online play, but still offered those same benefits.

Now, PS Plus is divided into three different tiers of subscriptions. The basic tier, PS Plus Essential, still gets three games per month added, while the Extra and Premium tiers will have a varying number of games added to their catalogs. With hundreds of games already and more coming and going all the time, even the most dedicated gamer won't be able to play everything on offer. To help you get the most bang for your buck, and so that no hidden gems go under your radar, here are all the best games to play on PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium right now.
Best PS Plus Essential games
As is usually the case, everyone with the lowest tier of PS Plus gets three games this month, two with PlayStation 5 versions and one with a PS4 version. Here's what you can play this month:

Read more
You can get Call of Duty and Alan Wake with PS Plus in July

Sony has confirmed the three PS4 and PS5 games PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers will receive this July, and it's actually the best lineup the service has seen in a while. It features one of the best Call of Duty games from recent years, a cult classic that needs to be played before its sequel launches next year, and an overlooked 2022 indie.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was first released in 2020 and, as its title suggests, is set in the 1980s during the Cold War. It features one of the most creative Call of Duty campaigns since Modern Warfare 2 and makes excellent use of DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The multiplayer and zombie modes are good fun too. Next up is Alan Wake Remastered, a remaster of an excellent 2010 horror-thriller from Control developer Remedy Entertainment. It's an experience best played unspoiled, so I'll simply recommend you go and play this. Its PS Plus addition is timed well, too, as Alan Wake II is set to release and continue the story this October.
Finally, Endling - Extinction is Forever is available this month. This 2022 indie game follows a mother fox as she tries to protect her cubs in a forest continuously getting ravaged by humans. It's a chilling, staunchly harrowing adventure that clearly displays the negative effects of deforestation, pollution, and environmental exploitation. You might have missed this game last year, as it came out on the same day as Stray, so definitely give it a shot now if you haven't yet.
This lineup of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Cross-Gen Bundle, Alan Wake Remastered, and Endling - Extinction is Forever is one of the best lineups PS Plus Essential has seen in months, so definitely pick up these games when they are available between July 4 and July 31. Make sure you download June's titles before July 4 as well. 

Read more
All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Two squads of heroes clash in an Overwatch 2 trailer.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most AAA multiplayer games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.

Read more