OPINION : ThePlayStation VR 2is only a matter of weeks away from launching , and looks to be an exciting extension to thePS5for those who revel virtual realness .
However , it await like Sony is dialling down outlook in terms of gross sales , withBloomberg reportingthat the PlayStation Creator has “ halved its prognosis for shipments of the PSVR2 ” following an underwhelming act of pre - Holy Order for the gadget .
So why is the PlayStation VR 2 struggle with pre - rules of order , particularly since the PS5 console has been selling like hotcakes ? Here are the top five reason as to why I cogitate the PSVR 2 is n’t selling as well as Sony had hope .
The incredibly high price
The PlayStation VR 2 has a retail price of $ 549.99 in the US and £ 529.99 in the UK . You ’re able-bodied to buy a PS5 console for far less than that .
That ’s a magnanimous price hiking on the original PlayStation VR , which was usable for $ 399 in the US and £ 349 in the UK at launch .
You could debate that the PlayStation VR 2 is actually pretty cheap compared to the competition . TheMeta Quest Prooffers alike engineering such as center tracking , but was price at an eye - watering $ 1499.99 / £ 1499.99 at launching . This headset was avowedly direct at prosumers and businesses , but it still boast interchangeable specs to the PSVR 2 .
That still does n’t transfer the fact that PlayStation VR 2 involve a meaning disbursal , which may well put off those who have yet to sink their toe into virtual reality . The fact it expect a PS5 to officiate also increase the total cost of the set - up .
Lack of backwards compatibility
Convincing VR starter to grease one’s palms an expensive headset is decease to be a tough undertaking . rather , it makes far more sensory faculty for Sony to essay and invoke to those who purchased the original PlayStation VR headset .
To that end , Sony is doing a poor chore at winning over the existing fanbase after confirming that the PSVR 2 will not offer any backwards compatibility . That means you ’re going to be forced to build your plot library up from scratch , making all of those existing PSVR purchase effectively redundant .
To itch common salt into the wound , the PSVR 2 launch line - up includes intimate games such asMoss , No Man ’s SkyandRez Infinite . All of these title were available on the original headset so there ’s a good chance PSVR owner have already purchased them but for experience these games on the PSVR 2 , you ’ll have to spend money on a refreshful purchase .
As a result , the only major launch titles that were n’t available on the preceding headset are Horizon Call of the Mountain , Gran Turismo 7andResident Evil Village . Sony will need to bulk up that offering to make the PSVR 2 a worthwhile rise .
Being a pre-order exclusive to PlayStation Direct
Last class , Sony launch its new on-line store called PlayStation Direct . This allowed the society to sell its computer hardware directly to fans , without have got to give a slice of the Proto-Indo European to third - party retailers such as Amazon and Game .
so as to boost the visibility of its young online store , Sony has made the PSVR 2 a pre - order exclusive for PlayStation Direct . That stand for you ’re ineffective to buy it anywhere else ahead of launch .
While I can understand Sony ’s motive for increasing publicity for its on-line stock , it ’s hardly a surprise to see this have a prejudicious impression on PSVR 2 sale . Potential customers are far less likely to stumble upon the PSVR 2 online and make an impulse bargain .
Sony also has to remember that a becoming chunk of PS5 possessor are casual gamers , and are less potential to keep up with the news show round . Some people may not even know the PSVR 2 is launching on 22nd February , specially since retailers such as Amazon are n’t advertising the merchandise ahead of launch .
Poor time to launch a new VR headset
February is a very strange time to plunge a young expensive VR headset . secret plan consoles ordinarily strike entrepot just before Christmas , with November having host the release of both the PS5 andXbox Series X. This is a cunning tactic , as they become good choice for gift , while people are also more likely to drop heavy amounts of money around that sentence of twelvemonth .
In February however , people are likely to be more frugal with their money . The likes of smartphones and laptops are different , as people will be expect to advance if their contract is come to an end or their superannuated ironware is begin to become a nuisance . The PlayStation VR 2 is a luxury leverage , and is toilsome to free a substantial outlay for .
There are a few games consoles that see winner from plunge in the first half of the twelvemonth . The originalNintendo Switchis a good representative , but the intercrossed console has more mass marketplace appeal and launched with a massive hit inBreath of the Wild .
We ’ve also seen a big declivity in bountiful - money purchases in world-wide over the past year or so . That ’s in all probability down to the fiscal climate , with energy , petrol and rent all figure an increase in monetary value . With many people struggling to make ends gather , a PSVR 2 leverage is probable the last affair they want to think about . This is out of Sony ’s dominance , but it may well explain why the society need to scale back its prognosis .
The original PSVR had an underwhelming lineup of games
You ’ll often find oneself that the reputation of the preceding variation of a games console table will have a substantial shock on the sales of the successor . For example , the popularity of thePS4will no doubt have been a major influence on the impressive sale figure of the PS5 . It ’s highly likely that VR headsets could see a similar pattern .
Unfortunately for the PSVR 2 , most gamers do n’t believe about the precedingPSVRheadset all too fondly . There are legion reasons for this : its controllers felt outdated very quickly compare to rival headsets and it was always a pain to set up with multiple line . The large issue of all however was the lusterless game program library .
Astro Bot Rescue Missionwas arguably the only big PlayStation exclusive to launch on the PSVR and while there are peck of other groovy third - party VR games such as Beat Saber , Superhot VR , Thumper and Moss , these were all useable on more affordable headset such as theOculus QuestandMeta Quest 2 . As a result , many PSVR owners are probably wondering whether the PSVR 2 will present interchangeable issues .
To be bonnie to Sony , it ’s already working on addressing these care by free both Horizon Call of the Mountain and Gran Turismo 7 but if the PlayStation VR 2 is ever going to be a big success , it ’s pass to need additional scoop . Hopefully we ’ll see VR submit on franchises such as God of War , The Last of Us , Spider - Man and more .
