A new report suggests that initially Game console VR2 In the first month of the hardware’s launch, the numbers aren’t looking great.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, PSVR2 sold less than 300,000 units just one month after its release. That comes from research firm IDC, who told Bloomberg that the headset is expected to sell just 270,000 units in the first month, a far cry from the 2 million that Sony apparently hopes to produce by March of this year. Francisco Jeronimmo, vice president of data and analytics at IDC, told Bloomberg that he suspects that “PSVR2 needs to drop in price to keep their new product from being a complete failure.”
Sony announced the price of the PSVR2 in November last year, retailing for an eye-popping £529.99. For comparison, it’s more expensive than the PS5 itself, which usually has an MSRP of £479.99. This is obviously a slightly moot point for many, as simply playing a form of the game that hasn’t really proven itself to many players is a costly barrier to entry. “Consumers around the world are facing rising costs of living, rising interest rates and increased layoffs,” Jeronimo said. “In the current economic environment, VR headsets are not the first choice for most consumers.”
That’s not to say the PSVR2 isn’t a great headset—our own Tom Orry thinks the accessory is the best VR experience he’s had in terms of hardware, but does point out that it’s “not a cheap toy you can take a gamble with, ” in his PlayStation VR2 review.
Another issue is that, aside from Horizon Call of the Mountain, PSVR2 doesn’t have any big-name titles, though the bonus VR modes of games like Gran Turismo 7 and Resident Evil 4 and Village might appeal to some. The original PSVR did go on to sell 5 million units, so time will tell how its follow-up deals.