The PlayStation VR2 is the great launch of 2023. If nothing changes, they will hit stores in the second half of February, and they will do so with a large catalog of games and great improvements compared to the previous generation. But it seems that none of this are sufficient reasons to win the hearts of the players, at least as far as reservations are concerned.
According to a report From Bloomberg, Sony would have reduced the number of PlayStation VR2 produced after its lukewarm reception, as far as pre-launch reservations are concerned. The exact reasons are not clear, since they have not transcended and surely they will not, for the moment.
The forecasts, according to the aforementioned media, have been reduced by half. About a million units. And it’s a lot for an accessory that has a particularly narrow market niche. Initially, Sony aimed to ship 2 million PlayStation VR2s in the launch quarter and use those months to drive user growth and VR adoption. Some plans that were anticipated quite ambitious.
The price would be a determining factor for the success of the PlayStation VR2
Everything indicates that the price is a determining factor in the face of the fact that part of the consumers have been especially cautious when reserving the device. First of all, it exceeds the price of a PS5 console, necessary to use the glasses, and also the console’s stock is still not as stable as it should be in many regions of the world.
On the other hand, although interest in virtual reality has had its ups and downs, the metaverse and virtual gaming have not grown any further, so there is still a lot of room for growth for Sony’s glasses, especially once they hit the market. or the first reviews of the product begin to appear.
Judging by the spec sheet, the PlayStation VR2 is an improvement on its predecessors in almost every way (except for still working via a cable attached to the console), and thus is a big draw for gamers interested in reality. virtual.
The price is higher, yes, but they are still more interesting than a high-end VR headset and a PC at the same height to play. Bearing in mind, yes, that the public of the console and the PC do not share, on many occasions, the same interests. They are also two ecosystems with different proposals.
With a fairly good specification sheet, a catalog with great launch bombs, it seems that the price, higher than that of the console (even of packs with games) are the key factor that would explain a lukewarm initial reception of the second virtual reality glasses from sony.