New information makes a 2022 PS VR2 release seem less likely than ever

What you need to know

• Tobii announced that it was in negotiations to be the provider of eye tracking technology in the PlayStation VR2.
• Sony previously announced that the PS VR2 would feature eye tracking, an industry first in a consumer-level VR headset.
• The PS VR2 was expected to debut this year but might miss that target if this announcement is any indication.

Following up last month's huge news at CES that the PlayStation VR2 would feature eye tracking is an announcement from one of the industry's biggest providers of eye tracking technology. In the announcement, Tobii — the same company responsible for providing eye tracking technology in headsets like the HTC Vive Pro Eye and Pico Neo 2 Eye — says the company is currently in negotiation with Sony to become the provider of the PS VR2's eye tracking technology.

This could be a huge opportunity for Tobii, which has traditionally seen its tech only debut on enterprise-grade headsets in the past. Given that the original PSVR is one of the best VR headsets on the market and has gone on to sell more than 6 million units in its life span, inking this kind of deal could mean Tobii becomes the provider of eye tracking tech for additional headsets in the future.

That also means that Sony is still negotiating with hardware vendors to build the PS VR2's headset, which certainly would explain why we've seen the new PS VR2 controllers and heard about games like Horizon Call of the Mountain but have yet to see the headset itself.

Tobii's announcement also casts a shadow on whether or not Sony can finalize the design and get the PS VR2 manufactured and on to store shelves by the end of this year. It was previously surmised that Sony would be aiming for a Holiday 2022 release window, based on previous leaks and the generally glacial pace of PS VR2-related announcements.

In short, PS5 VR experiences might be relegated to the original PSVR headset for the remainder of 2022, if this announcement is anything to go by.