On February 22,  the enhanced version of Pistol Whip relaunches on PlayStation VR2. This Day one title — intensified by exclusive haptic feedback — will define just how physical a physical action rhythm game can be.

PS VR2 users will benefit from internal upgrades like SSD optimization, which reduces load times and scene transitions; however, the focus today is Pistol Whip’s iconic gameplay, made more immersive than ever, thanks to haptic feedback.

The reimagined PlayStation VR2 Sense Controllers, equipped with finger touch detection and a six-axis motion sensing system, create a more realistic firing experience: discover unique reload SFX for different weapons and changing resistance, including a haptic for dry fire. Additionally, three kinds of melee SFX provide varying sensations when Pistol Whipping different enemies.

“When implementing the adaptive triggers, we found a number of ways to provide controller feedback,” Explains Mike L., lead haptics engineer for PS VR2. “Now players will feel an increasing resistance as they pull the trigger, flattening out shortly before drawing it far enough that the weapon fires, at which point resistance drops to zero.”

The PS VR2 headset’s native vibrations work in conjunction with controller feedback and 3D audio, which respond to in-game impact – or near misses. By dynamically adjusting sound positioning, players will hear and feel bullets whizz by their heads.

With a roadmap that suggests plenty of new Pistol Whip content coming this year, lucky PlayStation VR2 users can download this shiny new edition right away; just in time to practice for the upcoming releases.

While Gran Turismo Sport offered a tantalizing taste of the GT experience using the original PlayStation VR, letting users don the headset for a limited slice of the game, Gran Turismo 7 supports PS VR2 with no such compromises. The cars, tracks, races, and license tests are all here (with the exception of split-screen support), and playing the game again with the new headset and DualSense controller is nothing short of revelatory—even as someone who logged more than 200 hours on the track throughout 2022. 

Here are four reasons to be excited about buckling up for GT7 in PlayStation VR2.

Big surprise—it looks amazing

Gran Turismo 7 is a stunner, but I assumed the conversion to PS VR 2 might entail some obvious (but understandable) compromises. That said, I’m pleased to report that my concerns were unfounded, as the game looks marvelous in its VR conversion. Image quality and clarity are dramatically improved over those of GT Sport, and I never felt myself weighing the pros and cons of the visuals compared to simply playing on a “flat” TV display. In short, the game looks great and really highlights the virtues of PS VR2.

Ogle your all-time favorite cars in the VR Showroom

Players can now look around any of the 450+ cars in the game using the VR Showroom, which is accessible from your Garage. This feels like the natural culmination of Polyphony’s incredible efforts in bringing each car to life; the plastics, wood paneling, leather, vinyl, and plastics are now viewable at your leisure. Getting up close and personal with various stereo systems, dashboards, and dials is (weirdly) one of the things I’m most looking forward to once I have a PS VR2 at home. The novelty of peering around the back seats of each car can’t be understated.

Head tracking is a game changer

While it may sound unremarkable on paper, being able to freely look around during a race—with your view untethered from the front of your car—provides tangible benefits, both in terms of performance and presence within the virtual world. For example, while driving into a sharp corner, it’s possible to look beyond the immediate turn to the rest of the track and plan your next move. This is one of those intuitive “real life” driving behaviors that feels somewhat uncanny to experience in a game.