It looks like PSVR 2 isn't exactly on track to hit its sales targets, at least according to one prominent VR analyst.
The PSVR 2 appears to be selling just under 300.000 units by the end of March 2023, according to IDC VR analyst Francisco Jeronimo. In a quote (opens in a new tab) to Bloomberg's Takashi Mochizuki, Jeronimo explained why the PS5 headset might underperform.
"Consumers around the world are facing rising costs of living, rising interest rates and increasing layoffs," says Jeronimo, "VR headsets are not a priority for most consumers in the current economic climate.
Jeronimo also says that a PSVR 2 price drop could be in order if Sony wants to "avoid total disaster."
Exclusive: Sony's PSVR2 is not working well. IDC's @fjeronimo predicts sales of just 270,000 units by the end of March. “I suspect a price drop on PSVR2 will be necessary to avoid a total disaster,” he says. https://t.co/pzmNKsnTjIMMarch 30, 2023
Read more
The report comes shortly after Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki expressed confidence that PSVR 2 would surpass the five million units the company made of the original PlayStation VR headset.
Now, it may be premature to cast pessimism on the PSVR 2 when it's been on store shelves for just over a month. However, PS4's PlayStation VR managed to sell nearly a million units (opens in a new tab) in its first four months on sale. Granted, the original headset was much lower in price and therefore easier to come by, especially compared to the $549 / £529 / AU$879 that Sony's latest VR headset costs.
Does PSVR 2 have a future?
I'm a huge fan of PSVR 2, but I can't help but worry about its future if past sales predictions are accurate. When the PS Vita also underperformed a decade ago, Sony was quick to pull the plug on a truly fantastic handheld. I hope PSVR 2 doesn't suffer the same fate.
But it's so easy to see why the PSVR 2 wouldn't meet Sony's commercial expectations. I've said it before, to the point of sounding like a broken record, but it's still going to be a hard sell when your VR headset costs even more than the console you're buying it for. At the retail level, many consumers will see this and just turn away.
I agree that the PSVR 2 could use a price drop. It's a fantastic helmet, but it needs a better opportunity to develop. Currently, apart from a few exclusive experiences like Horizon: Call of the Mountain and the VR component of Gran Turismo 7, the PSVR 2 library is missing. At least compared to cheaper standalone headsets like Meta Quest 2 and Pico 4.