Before the rise of generative AI, friendslop games, NFTs, and the metaverse, the biggest trend in video games was virtual reality. The PlayStation VR 2 already felt a little bit late to the party when it launched in 2023. The late 2010s proved there were only so many people eager to embrace wearable tech, let alone spend thousands of dollars on a high-spec desktop PC to play various iterations on Job Simulator and Beat Saber.
If you’re a collector, now’s a great time to consider adding the PSVR 2 to your assemblage of retro oddities. Best Buy is currently selling open-box PSVR 2 units from as low as $159 for “fair” condition and $199 for “excellent” condition. That’s 50% — or more — off the going rate of $399 for the headset. (Be sure to enter your zip code in order to see accurate availability information for shipping and pickup options.)
The PSVR 2 has a couple of things its pricier and clunkier competitors lack — a simpler, if not quite plug-and-play setup, and access to PlayStation’s stable of IP. Horizon: Call of the Mountain is a super-cool spinoff of the open-world series that sees you clambering up cliffs amid majestic scenery and taking down mechanized dinosaurs with your trusty bow and arrow.
Though it’s only a few years old at this point, Call of the Mountain offers an intriguing glimpse at an alternate gaming future that didn’t pan out. I could imagine myself wiling away the hours, chopping logs and catching fish, in a VR version of the rebooted God of War series. The Last of Us Part 2 was just begging for a good golf simulator and an arcade shooter. And 2024’s The Game Awards GOTY winner Astro Bot might have had a delightful VR mode too. That said, the PSVR 2 did get a handful of truly great games, like Moss and Moss Book 2, Tetris Effect, and The Last Clockwinder. You can even experience 360 glorious degrees of Lady Dimitrescu stepping on your neck in Resident Evil Village.
While it’s unlikely the PSVR 2 is going to see a ton of new additions to its library in the future, this Best Buy sale is a nice opportunity for retro collectors. In a few years’ time, these headsets will be far tougher to find — and far more expensive.
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