PSVR 2 isn't selling as well as Sony hoped despite the success of PS5
Update: Sony denies Bloomberg's report
Update: Sony has refuted Bloomberg’s report and says it hasn’t cut PSVR 2 production. Sony said it’s “seeing enthusiasm from PlayStation fans for the upcoming launch, which includes more than 30 titles such as Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Call of the Mountain, and Resident Evil Village.”
Original story: Sony has slashed the predicted number of PSVR 2 launch sales after pre-orders for the next-gen headset were disappointingly low.
As Bloomberg reports, Sony had initially projected to ship around two million units of PSVR 2 when it launches on February 22, but now forecasts shipments of about half that.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: PSVR 2 sales
👎 Fewer people have pre-ordered PSVR 2 than Sony had expected
📉 The company’s slashed its PSVR 2 sales projections by half
💰 The high price of the device may have put off some people
🥽 It’ll face plenty of competition from rival VR headsets in the coming year
Sony reportedly expects to now ship about 1.5 million units between this April and next March but is prepared to adjust that figure if demand fails to materialize.
Although Matt was impressed when he tried out PSVR 2 earlier this year, its price may understandably put off many would-be users. The headset costs $549, on top of the $499 you’d have to shell out for a PS5 with which to use it. At a time when the global economy is slowing down and a cost of living crisis is forcing consumers to watch the money in their pocket, shelling out hundreds of dollars on a PS5 accessory won’t look very appealing to many.
The headset’s full launch line-up has been revealed and there are certainly a few prime picks among the many PSVR 2 games. Horizon Call of the Mountain is pitched as the headset’s big launch title, although Resident Evil Village and Gran Turismo 7’s VR ports have also stirred a lot of excitement. But if the poor pre-order numbers are anything to go by, gamers will need something extra to convince them that PSVR 2 is worth the investment.
Sony’s new headset will face stiff competition in the year ahead. Meta is expected to release the Meta Quest 3 later this year, and Apple looks to be gearing up to finally announce its super expensive premium mixed-reality headset. The market is still dominated by Meta, whose Quest headsets accounted for 85% of all VR/AR device sales in 2022, according to data from IDC, while Sony’s original PSVR secured less than 1%.
At least Sony won’t have to worry about scarcity for much longer. Although you’ll need to pick up a PS5 restock if you want to use the PSVR 2, that should now be easier than ever as the company has just announced that the PS5 stock shortage has come to an end.
Its flagship console has been performing commercially well, too. At the top of this year, Sony announced PS5 sales had exceeded 30 million units, despite hiking the price in select markets several months ago. The PS5 games 2023 list shows why so many excited gamers are flocking to the console and the growing list of best PS5 games will only attract more users to Sony’s console.
First published: January 31, 2023
Updated: February 1, 2023