The PlayStation VR 2 isn’t off to a good start, but if it’s any consolation, it’s not alone.
According to industry analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, “there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest that AR/VR headsets can become the next star product in consumer electronics in the foreseeable future.”
Kuo also reported that the low sales have forced Sony to cut down production on the PlayStation VR 2 by as much as 20%. This lines up with earlier reports that the PSVR 2 wasn’t selling well, which many expected due to its exorbitant price point.
With Apple, Meta, and Sony, all struggling in the VR market, analysts are right to feel bearish about VR.
Of course, Sony’s decision-making surrounding the PSVR2 isn’t helping its case either. As we’ve already mentioned, its price point is already higher than the PlayStation 5, which it requires. To make matters worse, the PSVR 2 doesn’t work on the PC. This ate a huge chunk of its potential already-niche market as it would mean that players would have to sink money for two VR headsets.
It’s a perplexing decision considering how Sony has become more open to porting its games to the PC, bugs, and issues be demaned.
On the topic of games, it’s the lackadaiscal a selection of video games at launch that killed the PlayStation VR 2. Now that the novelty of playing PlayStation games in VR has worn off, the PSVR 2 needed to wow its audiences with games that took advantage of its features – it didn’t. Outside of Horizon Call of the Mountain and Gran Turismo 7, the PSVR 2 lineup isn’t all that attractive.
Sure, Resident Evil Village is great on VR but the game isn’t exactly as good nor as terrifying as Resident Evil Biohazard.
The arrival of Resident Evil 4 Remake on the PSVR 2 would’ve convinced a few more to splurge on the flagship VR console by Sony but it’s not exactly coming out anytime soon.
The simple fact of the matter is that Sony created a fantastic product that would have still sold more units even at a $549 price point IF it had more AAA titles at launch. And, unlike the PS5, which suffers from the same issue, the PSVR 2 doesn’t have the same benefit of backwards compatibility with PSVR games with improved performance.
Getting a PSVR 2 right now is kind of like buying a supercar only to get stuck in traffic every day with no race track or open roads anywhere in sight.
Hopefully, Sony can find a way to give the PSVR 2 a chance to let loose sooner rather than later. Otherwise, it might have to chalk the VR headset up to a loss and move on to its next project, which, according to sources, is a handheld console.
