Missing the mark

(Image credit: Sony)

It seems that PSVR 2 isn't exactly on track to meet its sales targets, at least according to one notable VR analyst.

PSVR 2 looks like it'll sell just shy of 300,000 units by the end of March 2023, according to IDC VR analyst Francisco Jeronimo. In a quote (opens in new tab) to Bloomberg's Takashi Mochizuki, Jeronimo gave an explaination as to why the PS5 headset might be underperforming.

"Consumers around the world are facing rising costs of living, rising interest rates and rising layoffs," says Jeronimo, "VR headsets are not top of mind for most consumers under the current economic climate."

Jeronimo also states that a PSVR 2 price cut may be in order if Sony wants to "avoid a complete disaster."

The report comes not long after Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki expressed confidence in PSVR 2 exceeding the five million units the company achieved with the original PlayStation VR headset.

Now, it may be premature to cast doom and gloom on PSVR 2 when it's been on store shelves for a little over a month. However, PS4's PlayStation VR managed to sell close to a million units (opens in new tab) in its first four months on sale. Granted, the original headset was at a much lower price point and thus easier to obtain esppecially when compared to the eye-watering $549 / £529 / AU$879 it costs to net Sony's latest VR headset.

Does PSVR 2 have a future?

I'm a big fan of PSVR 2, but I can't help but be concerned for its future if the above sales forecast is accurate. When the PS Vita similarly underperformed a decade ago, Sony was quick to pull the plug on a genuinely fantastic handheld device. I hope the PSVR 2 will not meet the same fate. 

But it's so easy to see why PSVR 2 wouldn't meet Sony's sales expectations. I've said it before, to the point of sounding like a broken record, but it's always going to be a tough sell when your VR headset costs even more than the console you're buying it for. At the retail level, many consumers are going to see that and simply turn away.

I agree that PSVR 2 could use a price cut. It is a fantastic headset, but one that needs a better chance to grow. Currently, outside of a few exclusive experiences like Horizon: Call of the Mountainand Gran Turismo 7's VR component, PSVR 2's library is lacking. At least compared to cheaper, standalone headsets like Meta Quest 2 and Pico 4.

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