Sony PlayStation VR2 sales slump in the first month

Last month, Sony’s newly appointed president and chief operating officer, Hiroki Totoki, expressed at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference that sales of the PlayStation VR2 (PS VR2) would ultimately surpass its predecessor’s 5 million units. The gaming industry anticipates a rapid expansion in the virtual reality device market, and Tsujimoto is confident in the PS VR2’s sales performance.

According to Bloomberg, since the launch of the PlayStation VR2, industry analysts have been tracking its sales data, but the results have been underwhelming, even disappointing. Research firm IDC predicts that from its official release on February 22nd to the end of March, PS VR2 sales are unlikely to exceed 270,000 units. This figure represents a significant shortfall compared to initial expectations. It is understood that Sony had estimated 2 million units sold in the next fiscal year, though this figure has recently been reduced to 1.5 million.

IDC has cited numerous reasons for the PS VR2’s lackluster start, such as rising living costs faced by global consumers, increasing bank interest rates, and widespread corporate layoffs. In the current economic downturn, the PS VR2 is not the top choice for most gamers.

From the player’s perspective, the relatively high price of the PlayStation VR2 ($549.99) is likely a significant barrier. Its suggested retail price even surpasses that of the PlayStation 5 gaming console, which serves as the foundation for using the virtual reality device. If players want to try the new headset, the initial investment is substantial. Many analysts share this view, predicting that Sony may choose to lower the price at an appropriate time to boost PlayStation VR2 sales.