Which PSVR do I have?

There are two versions of the Sony PlayStation Virtual Reality (PSVR) headset, but the second-generation version slipped out with next to no fanfare in 2017. The trouble is that they look almost identical, so which version of PSVR do you have? Here’s how to find out.

What’s the difference between Sony PSVR versions?

There’s not a great deal of difference between the two versions of PlayStation Virtual Reality, and while the newer version is unquestionably better in terms of comfort and convenience, there’s no improvement to performance.

The main improvement is that the newer version – CUH-ZVR2 to its friends – supports high dynamic range (HDR) passthrough. To be clear, the headset itself still doesn’t support HDR, but it means you can enjoy HDR supported games on your PS4 without needing to swap out HDMI cables – something which can also lead to tedious flickering problems, as I discovered earlier.

The second generation headset also includes a set of headphones in the box, rather than needing you to plug in your own pair via an in-line remote, generally reducing clutter. You can see the slight reduction in wires in the picture below, via Sony Japan.

Finally, as you might also be able to spot from the picture above, the breakout box looks a bit different. Version two is curved, and more like the PS4 Slim and Pro designs, while the original has a line splitting it down the middle.

(If you haven’t bought a Sony VR headset yet, they cost £299 from Amazon for the “Mega Pack” – or you can buy a Starter Pack with only one game for £259.99. We’d go for the Mega Pack.)

Which virtual reality headset do I have?

The easiest way of checking which PSVR you have is to look at the packaging. The model number is on there somewhere: CUH-ZVR1 for the original hardware, or CUH-ZVR2 for the second generation.

But most people don’t keep hardware boxes for obvious reasons, so how can you tell what version you’ve got without? The answer is to look for a triangular hole in a circle at the back, where the built-in headphones are stored when not in use. It looks like this:

Sony’s first-generation headset, meanwhile, doesn’t have this, and you’ll just find a little curved indent instead.

Another way of telling: the first generation of PSVR headset had the volume controls on an in-line remote, which has been removed. You’ll now find them on the bottom of the headset instead.