According to an article from Bloomberg journalist, Takashi Mochizuki, Sony is planning to pause the production of its PSVR2 headset as it finds a way to clear a surplus of stock. The published article claims that sources familiar with the firm’s plans have stated that Sony is stopping producing new units for the new-gen virtual reality headset. It all seems to stem from a backlog of unsold units which have accumulated due to the accessory’s sales progressively slowing since it launched in February of last year.
The PSVR2 was hailed at launch and has sold more than two million units. It came with excellent titles like Horizon: Call of the Mountain and even worked with existing games like Gran Turismo 7 to deliver a revamped experience. And although both third-party and indie developers keep releasing new content on the PS Store, very little of it seems to be making waves.
Despite its appeal and potential, it seems like the concept of Entertainment 2.0 is struggling to find its footing. Devices like the PSVR2, Meta Quest 3 and even the Apple Vision Pro have pushed boundaries, promising to change the way we perform daily tasks, but that promise is yet to be fulfilled.
This applies to other gaming niches too. Take online casinos for example, which have been experimenting with the idea of VR for years. Operators have been promising an unparalleled virtual experience for years, where you can register, claim a casino sign up bonus and play games, all in a virtual setup. There is still a long way to go, but we’ve already got a sense of the potential this can have with experiences such as Social Club VR and Pokerstars VR, which paint a positive picture of what this online casino VR world could look like.
The culprit here might be quite obvious, given the current economic climate. The PSVR isn’t the cheapest VR headset out there, but neither is it the most expensive, with a price tag of £530 for the device alone. That’s more than the cost of an actual PS5 which retails at £390 for the digital edition. It’s arguably quite the asking price, especially when Entertainment 2.0 still feels like a gimmicky work in progress and not a tried and tested form that is guaranteed to deliver.
The article goes on to claim that Sony may be looking into PC compatibility to expand the device’s appeal. It may seem like a strange turn of events, but given the company’s recent releases on the platform, it wouldn’t be the oddest move we’ve seen from the Japanese tech giant. Opening the device up to a new audience might just be what the device needs to attract a new audience. It can also make it a more attractive proposition for users who have already both into Sony’s ecosystem.
The company is yet to release a statement to verify or deny these reports, and it will hopefully shed light on the future of both the PSVR2 and the direction that Entertainment 2.0 will be taking.
