Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, has spoken on Xbox’s view of VR and AR.
“I think for us, it’s just a bit of wait until there’s an audience there. We’re very fortunate that we have got these big IPs that have turned into ongoing franchises with big communities”, Booty said in response to a question about his thoughts on VR and AR.
He continued, “We have 10 games that have achieved over 10 million players life-to-date, which is a pretty big accomplishment, but that’s the kind of scale that we need to see success for the game and it’s just, it’s not quite there yet with AR, VR.”
Sony has already seen some success with its PSVR2, with Sony reporting that the headset is already outselling its predescessor, the PSVR.
Analyst predictions, which originated from the research firm IDC (reported via Bloomberg) said the low unit sales were because of the rising costs of living, rising interest rates, and rising layoffs. In March, the firm suggested that the PSVR 2 sold around 270,000 units in the headset’s first six weeks, with Sony’s own report stating the headset sold just shy of 600,000 in the same period. The reported figures put the PSVR 2 sales 8 percent more than the original PSVR in the same time period.
Meanwhile, Apple recently revealed its latest VR/AR headset named the Apple Vision Pro. It’s described as a device designed with gamers in mind, the Apple Vision Pro is entering a market competing with Meta’s Quest headsets, Sony’s PlayStation VR 2, Valve’s Index, and other options.
What do you think of Booty’s comments? Do you think the VR/AR market is still too niche? Let us know in the comments.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the new gamemode headed to Modern Warfare 2, as well as a new potential Nintendo Direct coming this week!
