If you’ve got a PS5 and PlayStation VR2 headset and already set it up there’s no need to have your TV on or even connected to the system, Sony confirmed.
A TV is only required “to setup the PS VR2 unit for the first time” an official Q&A page for the new system explains.
The page also confirms that the full PS5 system and user interface is viewable in a “Cinematic Mode” which displays “1920×1080 HDR video format with 24/60Hz and also 120Hz frame rate” and no output to the TV. According to Sony:
“Once you complete the set up, a TV is not required for general PS VR2 game play.”
The flexibility to leave the TV off or disconnected entirely could lead to more flexible use cases than some have expected from Sony’s next-generation VR system. PSVR 2 is still a fundamentally wired experience that requires the use of USB-C port on the front of a PS5, but privately watching a movie with earbuds in or jumping into VR quickly may be far simpler than PC VR where most people use a traditional display to boot up the system, log in, and activate VR mode. The PS VR2 Sense controller can also operate the PS5 user interface and media application with or without the headset being in use, though the VR2 controllers can’t be used for “non-PS VR2 supported games.”
