PS VR2 Having a Hard Time Hitting Sales

Sony’s latest PlayStation VR2, otherwise known as the PS VR2 headset, has hit the market, but early projections indicate that it might not be selling as well as its predecessor, which was the top-selling virtual reality headset of its time.

Sales of the PS VR2 in the first five weeks have been slower when compared to the original PS VR.

Unexpected slow start of PS VR2

It was expected that sales would peak during the release month when the biggest VR enthusiasts are picking it up and many high-profile games are launching.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there is much that can be done at this point to make up for the lackluster sales numbers unless something drastic is done.

Sales report over the years

According to Bloomberg, VR analyst Francisco Jeronimo suggests that a price cut for the PS VR2 might be necessary to avoid complete disaster. IDC, the research firm Jeronimo works for, predicts that the PS VR2 will sell approximately 270,000 units between its release on February 22 and the end of March.

In comparison, the original PS VR sold 915,000 units between October 2016 and February 2017, four months after its debut, and reached 1 million in sales in June of that year.

Even though the recently concluded “Live from PS5” ad campaign suggested the ease of accessibility to the console, it still isn’t enough to bring it to the table of players.

Exclusive: Sony's PSVR2 is not doing well. IDC's @fjeronimo expects sales of just 270,000 units by the end of March. "I suspect a price cut on the PSVR2 will be needed to avoid a complete disaster," he says.https://t.co/pzmNKsnTjI
— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) March 30, 2023

“Too expensive” might be one of the reasons why

Sony had set a goal of selling 2 million units during the launch window for the PS VR2, which contrasts with the projected sales of fewer than 300,000 units by the end of March.

While it’s too early to declare the PS VR2 a financial disaster, it’s possible that the high price of $550, which is more expensive than both of the PS5 models available to purchase and the fact that a PS5 console is required to use PS VR2, may be limiting the peripheral’s sales. Games like Gran Turismo 7 should’ve helped the console gain a bit of a boost in sales.

IDC also agrees with this logic in its analysis, stating that the price of PlayStation VR 2 is too high, although the PS VR2 does pack in an incredible amount of tech for the price. Considering that Apple might release its very own AR/VR headset this Fall 2023, it could be wise to consider price cuts.