Enlarge / The overall color and design scheme means there’s no mistaking that this is a PlayStation 5 accessory.

Consumer-grade virtual reality was still in its infancy in 2016 when Sony decided it should be on the leading edge of the charge. The first PlayStation VR headset sold relatively well compared to its early PC VR competition and quite well compared to other console accessories. But over the last six years, Sony has largely let its first console VR experiment wither on the vine, allowing competitors to advance the state of the art with frequent hardware and software updates.

Now that we’re firmly in the PS5 era, Sony is back to prove it hasn’t completely forgotten about its virtual reality market. The PlayStation VR2 headset shows all the refinements you’d expect from years of technological advancement and throws in a few nice features that aren’t standard among the competition, to boot. Despite those improvements, though, the PSVR2 still feels like a by-the-numbers, too-little-too-late attempt by Sony to keep its foot in a niche it might not be fully committed to.

Ready, get set…

Anyone else getting American Horror Story vibes from this front view?

The PSVR2 does away with the ludicrous mess of wires, junction boxes, power plugs, and cameras that came to define the original PSVR. As we discussed in our unboxing impressions, the newer headset features a single USB-C cable that plugs directly into the front of a PS5. That means you’re not left with a clutter of equipment by your entertainment center if you leave the headset plugged in, and it’s not a major hassle to get connected if you want to put the PSVR2 back in the box between sessions.