In 2016, Sony Interactive Entertainment released the PlayStation VR (PS VR). You can use the VR headset to play games on your PS4 and watch movies. If you have two VR headsets and want to play VR games with your friend, you might be wondering if you can use both headsets on your PS4 console.
So, can you have two VR headsets on PS4? You cannot have two VR headsets on a PS4 console because it does not have enough processing power to sustain two VR headsets. A PS4 console runs at maximum capacity when connected to one VR headset, hence adding another VR headset will not work. If you want to use two VR headsets to play VR games, you have to get another PS4 console.
Many people love to share their VR experiences with their friends by inviting them to watch their VR adventures. But having only one VR headset can be boring if you have to wait for someone to finish gaming or watching a movie.
As much as using your VR headset is fun when you are alone, it gets better when you have people around to watch and play VR games. However, you might be wondering if you can have two headsets connected to your PS4 console.
You cannot have two VR headsets on your PS4 console because it lacks the processing power to run two or more VR headsets. When you connect your VR headset to a PS4 console, its processing system is already running at full capacity.
Adding another VR headset is impossible. Sony has confirmed that their equipment lacks the power to run more than one VR headset. Sony has also informed VR gamers that it does not plan to make the PS4 capable of running two or more VR headsets. If you have two headsets and want to play VR games with another person, you have to get another PS4 console.
A VR headset is a powerful device that requires a lot of processing power to function properly. If you connect your VR to a PS4 and play a VR game that is very demanding graphically, your console’s system will be running at full capacity. It will not have any more room to sustain other devices or features.
The PlayStation VR has a display resolution of 1080p and a 90 to 120 Hz refresh rate. The PlayStation 4 is a powerful gaming system that combines a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphics Processing Units (GPU). Still, even those cannot fulfill the processing requirements of two VR headsets.
Some gamers feel that Sony Interactive Entertainment should release a version of the PS4 console that can support two or more VR headsets. There are many advantages of connecting two VR headsets, and some gamers are looking forward to the day Sony would make it possible.
However, Sony maintains that it is impossible to do so at the moment. Even on the successor of PS4, the PS5, you cannot have two VR headsets. Maybe Sony will develop a power console that can run two VR headsets in the future.
The only option you have is to get another PS4 console for the second VR headset. If you have two VR headsets or your friend has one, you can tell them to bring their PS4 console too. If you cannot find another PS4 console within short notice, you can use one VR headset, and the other person can use a monitor to play the game.
Since the other person can experience the game in VR reality, you can exchange the VR headset at certain intervals to ensure that everyone enjoys the game in virtual reality.
Since you cannot connect two VR headsets to your PS4 console, to save money, purchase only one VR headset and take turns using it with your family or roommates. PlayStation VR headsets are not cheap devices and can cost close to 700 USD. A PS VR system that includes a VR headset, headphones, and cables costs between 400 USD and 550 USD.
If you decide to buy the PlayStation VR launch bundle, it will cost you between 500 USD and 700 USD. Therefore, if you are on a budget and want to play VR games with your friends or relatives on your PS4, you should only buy one VR headset.
Can You Use More Than One VR Headset on PS4?
After Sony released the PlayStation VR in 2016, many gamers bought the headset to play VR games on their PS4 consoles. If you have purchased a VR headset for your PS4 console, you might have numerous questions on how it works. If you want to share your VR adventures with others, you might be asking yourself if you can use more than one VR headset on your PS4 console.
You cannot use more than one VR headset on a PS4 console because it lacks the processing power to run more than two headsets simultaneously. If you have more than one VR headset, you have to acquire a different PS4 console for each headset.
VR games require a lot of processing power to run perfectly, and if you introduce a second or third headset on a PS4 already connected to a VR headset, you will be asking your console to perform on levels it is not designed to reach. If you need to share a VR game with your friends, you can use one VR headset and a monitor to play.
Most VR games are very demanding, and Sony announced that all VR games should run smoothly at 60 fps. The PlayStation VR has a display resolution of 1080p and a refresh rate of 90 – 120 Hz. Since most VR games run at 60 fps, the PS VR has to convert the image output from 60 Hz to 120 Hz.
This feature is called “Reprojection” and ensures that you see images at 120 Hz even though the game runs at 60 fps. However, this technique takes a lot of processing power to ensure that you do not experience any lag, hence the need to run only one VR headset per PS4 console.
If you have multiple VR headsets but only have one PS4 console, you will have to acquire more PS4s to use them with your friends simultaneously. However, this might not be fun because of all the consoles in a single location.
It will be an inconvenience if your friends or relatives live far away, since they will have to travel for hours to collect their consoles and return. It is also very expensive to buy each family member a new PS4 console if they all have a VR headset.
VR headsets offer you great virtual reality adventures, but it is not fun if you have to use them alone while others watch. Since you cannot connect more than one VR headset to your PS4 console, the best thing you can do is share the one connected to the console. You can select a VR game, and each person plays the game for a certain amount of time.
You can compete for high scores to make it fun, ensuring each person enjoys playing the game whenever they want to wear the VR headset. You can connect a monitor to the VR headset for other players to watch as one person plays a VR game using the headset.
You can also play local PS VR games that allow one player to use the VR headsets while another player uses the PS4 console. Some VR game developers usually include a local player mode that enables players to use both the VR headset and console to play the game.
One player will control a certain aspect of the game using the VR Headset while the other player will control another aspect of the game. One great example of a local PS VR game that you can enjoy is Covert. In Covert, the VR player is the thief, and the non-VR player is a hacker, and the objective is to break into high-security areas to steal valuable items. You can change roles by exchanging the VR headset.
Can You Use 2 VR Headsets on PC?
When you buy a VR headset, one of the things that will come to your mind is connecting the device to your PC. After connecting your VR headset to your PC, you will also want some of your friends or relatives to enjoy the VR experience. If you have two VR headsets, you might be wondering if you can use them on your PC.
You cannot use two VR headsets on your PC because you cannot find any applications or programs that support more than one VR headset connected to a PC. VR games require a lot of processing power, and you will need a very powerful computer that can run a VR game on two VR headsets without any issues.
Some gamers have suggested that if you build your PC with Graphics Processing Units (GPU) for each VR headset, you might be able to use two headsets. However, building a PC with several GPUs is very expensive, thus buying a second PC for the second VR headset is economical.
Before connecting a VR headset to a PC, you must first confirm if the PC has the minimum system requirement to connect a VR headset. For example, if you want to connect an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset to your PC, your computer should have at least an Intel i5-4590 or a Ryzen 51500X processor. It should also have a video card such as the GeForce GTX 1650 Super, Nvidia GeForce RTX 20XX, or higher.
If your computer has the AMD graphics card, the card should be a Vega Series or an AMD 400/500/5000 Series. You should also ensure that your PC uses the Windows 10 operating system, has 8GB or more RAM, and has a USB 3 port.
Some gamers have suggested that if you could build your PC with certain hardware, you might use two VR headsets on it. You have to build a computer with two GPUs for each VR headset. Each GPU will run its headset when connecting the two VR headsets on the modified PC.
However, you will not be able to play the same game on the two VR headsets because no VR games can support two VR headsets on the same PC. Therefore, all your effort and money to add a second GPU to your computer will be wasted since you will not use the two VR headsets to do anything on your PC.
There are different types of VR headsets, and each has a different way of connecting to a PC. If you have a VIVE Headset, connect the power adapter cable to the power port on the link box and plug it into an electrical outlet. Insert the HDMI cable on the HDMI port on the link box and connect the HDMI cable to your PC.
Insert the USB cable on the link box and insert the other end on your PC’s USB port. Connect the three-in-one cable (HDMI, USB, and Power) to the link box, and your VIVE head is ready for use with the PC. If you have problems connecting your PC to your VR headset, contact the developer’s support team for help.
How Do You Exit a VR Game?
Virtual reality games are growing immensely, as evident by the increasing sales in VR headsets. Many experts and beginners have found solace in playing these games at home or while traveling. If the experience is new to you and you are delving into it for the first time, you may have questions about some in-game actions.
Use the right-hand controller and press the system button to initiate a VR dashboard to exit a title. On the pop-up screen, you will see two keys in the middle, and you can click “Quit” using the “grip button” to take you to home mode.
You can either switch off the headset in the Oculus home panel or select a different title to play. Otherwise, you can exit a VR game using the title’s in-built exit features if it has that. Therefore, quitting a running video game will depend on whether it has in-game exiting properties or not.
Generally, there are two primary ways to exit a VR game. Initially, you can use the “Oculus” button to quit a game that you are already playing. Hold the right-side controller and click the system button. A new panel will appear with the name of the game you were playing.
Below the board, you will notice two icons, “Resume” and “Quit”; select the quitting key to go to the Oculus home screen. While in the Home tab, you can turn the headset off or pick a new game and continue playing.
On the other hand, the other option will work if the running title has in-built exit options that you can click. Remember, not all games have this feature, but you can check the game’s menu for any button for the exit.
To confirm whether a title has the closing key, click the menu button on your left controller and navigate downwards. If you want to stop the gaming session, you can press the key to close the game. However, if it doesn’t have the feature, you can try the first option.
Rebooting may be your last resort if the above procedures fail; perhaps your system is faulty. When you restart the headset, it will close the active games and take you to the Oculus home panel. It may be a slow process, but it works in the long run.
To restart the device, press the power button and hold it until you see a shutdown menu. On the open screen, click restart, and after a successful reboot, the system will take you to the Oculus home screen.
Wrap Up
You can do many fun activities with your VR headset, such as playing video games that you might want to share with other people. However, if you are looking forward to playing a VR game using multiple VR headsets on a single PS4 or PC, you will be disappointed because it is not possible. Each VR headset requires its PS4 console or PC to function properly.
However, not all hope is lost because you play VR games with other people through the co-op mode. One player can wear the VR headset, and other players can use the monitor to see the game’s images. To ensure that everyone enjoys the game in virtual reality, exchange the VR headset in certain intervals until everyone has had a turn with the headsets.
You should note that not every computer supports the use of VR headsets, hence if you intend to buy a new PC to use with your VR headset, always check if the PC meets the minimum requirement for running your VR headset.
