Sony has temporarily ceased production of its popular virtual reality headset, PlayStation VR2, aiming to address accumulated unsold inventory. Unofficial sources suggest that over 2 million units of the device have been manufactured thus far.
According to Bloomberg, shipments of PlayStation VR2, excluding sales, dwindled by nearly 600,000 units from April 2023 to approximately 325,000 units in the fourth quarter of 2023. This decline is primarily attributed to the high cost of VR hardware, posing a notable obstacle to the expansion of this technology.
The suspension of PlayStation VR2 production is not the sole concern within the virtual reality community. Recently, PlayStation Studio announced the closure of its London branch, a significant contributor to PlayStation VR1 development. Staff members from this studio have been reassigned to collaborate on a multiplayer game for PS5 that does not incorporate virtual reality technology.
Despite prevailing challenges, the VR market remains poised for growth in the forthcoming years. Projections indicate that between 2023 and 2028, the sector will experience an average growth rate of 31.5%. Devices such as Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro are anticipated to play pivotal roles in driving this expansion. Sony has also revealed plans to introduce support for PlayStation VR2 on PC, presenting new avenues for VR headset owners and PC gamers alike.
While optimistic forecasts suggest a bright future for VR, pricing stands as a significant barrier to market entry at present. It remains to be seen whether there will be increased efforts to lower the price of PlayStation VR2 this year, potentially providing a boost to the device’s adoption and market penetration.