PlayStation VR2: Very powerful, too expensive, Sony’s mistake in virtual reality?

news hardware PlayStation VR2: Very powerful, too expensive, Sony’s mistake in virtual reality?

PSVR 2, one price, one date

That’s it ! PlayStation has chosen to reveal the price of its PSVR 2 and say so much that it hurts the wallet. $599.99 from us, or $50 more than the original price of the PS5 Standard Edition, with disc drive. In total, the new virtual re ality headset from Sony and two “PSVR 2 Sense” controllers are included. Everything will be available on February 22, 2023, accompanied by 20 games at release, the Japanese company says. We don’t know the exact list yet, but bet on a Horizon Call of the Mountain – VR game from the famous PlayStation license – already bundled with the device! At the same time, the brand unveiled 11 new PSVR 2 titles, including The Dark Pictures: Switchback, without necessarily revealing their release date.

The PSVR 2 is its two “sense” controllers

From the start, Sony wants to demonstrate its investment for this second test in virtual reality. Because to hear it, the Japanese company dreams of being the new leader of VR … at least on console. On the stage at CES 2022 Jim Ryan, president of Sony’s video game industry, says he wants to “pave the way for new entertainment experiences” and that virtual reality is “at the heart” of that philosophy! Yes, Ambitions are announcedfor a technology whose sale is almost double last year, thanks in particular to Facebook and its autonomous headset Meta Quest 2 (15 million copies sold as of October 2020). Sales of Sony’s first PSVR, released in 2016, are currently around 6 million.

First lackluster success

The fact is, the “PlayStation VR 1” is no longer the best-selling virtual reality mask, as we liked to write a few years ago. With a solid catalog of games based on an easy-to-use and not very expensive product (starting price $449 without PC or console), Meta Quest 2 attracts everyone’s attention. It’s simple: it’s now the most affordable and practical solution for trying out VR, in a market that’s slowly but surely catching on with the general public. In 2016, Sony has undoubtedly arrived ahead of the battle! His PSVR cost 399 dollars at the time – the price of a new PS4 Pro – without the essential controllers and camera. So yes, it’s “nothing” compared to the 700-900$ of the competition, but the success doesn’t take off.

While six million PSVRs since 2016 sounds like a comfortable figure, Sony isn’t exactly happy with that. In a financial report published in 2018, the Japanese company states that the virtual reality market “Not growing fast enough”, reports an article by Julien Tellouck. Knowing that there are over 114 million PS4s worldwide today means this only 5% of these players on the previous virtual reality headset – a number that speaks for itself. For its part, the PS5 has just surpassed 25 million copies sold, creating a user base that’s poised to grow faster while the shortage finally settles down. Enough to generate solid revenue for PSVR 2? Sony seems to think so. According to Bloomberg, the company plans to manufacture 2 million headsets when it launches by March 2023.

Famous question of price

With a PS5 increasingly available for sale | a stash of well-stocked PSVR 2, PlayStation sees things big! Virtual reality fans are more numerous than before, but they now have to be persuaded to pay an additional 600 dollars. A price that also seems “justified” in view of the on-board technologies (4K HDR; 2000 x 2040 per eye; frame rate 90 to 120 Hz; eye tracking; etc). The challenge is to prove to them that quality games are worth buying, no longer a series of enjoyable but expendable experiences, as was the case with the release of the first PSVR. This is where Resident Evil Village VR and Horizon Call of the Mountain will be crucial.

Horizon Call of the Mountain will be one of the first “big games” for PSVR 2

“I think using one of our biggest licenses (Horizon, ed.) shows our commitment to VR fans and those who expect next-gen experiences on PSVR 2,” said Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios, in one interview alongside Julien Chièze. Above all, Horizon Call of the Mountain presents itself as a complete adventure, with plot, narrative, even craft. Looking at Sony’s impressive portfolio (Uncharted, The Last of Us, God of War, Ratchet & Clank), we think more than one series could be adapted into virtual reality. So all that remains for the Japanese company is to do whatever it takes to justify the price of the PSVR 2.