It has been revealed that Sony Group Corp. has slashed production of the PSVR2 by around half, re-adjusting its perspective on launch projections based on what is reportedly a disappointing number of pre-orders.
According to a report published by Bloomberg, Sony endeavoured to have around two million PSVR2 units ready to ship throughout the launch quarter, but apparently, owing to what seems like a lack of interest in the pricey peripheral, that number has now been cut down to around one million.
Is It Just Too Expensive and Too Immature?
In the article written up by Bloomberg, a ‘supply partner’ was allegedly informed by Sony that there would be a dramatically reduced number of orders where certain display panels were concerned. It has been suggested that, in the space of a year, Sony expects to ship around 1.5 million PSVR2 units, which is a huge downfall from earlier projections.
This news has encouraged critics and fans alike to erupt in voracious debates online, and it’s the usual reasoning that seems to be cropping up over social media. For the most part, VR is still for the enthusiast, and the huge barrier that is presented in the form of a massive price tag is still unrealistic for some.
For those wanting to ‘dip their toe’ in the waters of VR, the asking price of $599 / £529 is simply too daunting, especially in the current economical climate.
In terms of the state of the market, Sony’s PSVR peripheral reportedly holds just a 1% share of the market overall, being comprehensively dominated by Meta’s Quest range, which boasts an overwhelming majority of control of the market at around 85%.
There’s a general scaling back on the production of VR-based peripherals across the industry, and owing to many layoffs across the market as a whole, associated teams are feeling the pressure. In a statement indicative of the future, the Co-Founder of Japan’s ‘Display Supply Chain Consultants’ firm, Yoshio Tamura, said:
The VR era will come, we’re just not there yet.
Recently, we covered the entire launch line-up for PSVR2, which consists of more than a dozen games, all releasing on the 22nd of February alongside the device. Are any of these games enough to help shore up failing pre-order figures?
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the report that says Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony are all skipping E3 2023.