PSVR 2 surpasses launch sales of the first Playstation VR
Sony announced sales figures for PSVR 2. Six weeks after launch, they were higher than those of the first PSVR in the corresponding period.
The Playstation VR 2 sold better than its predecessor during the launch phase. After its start on February 22, Sony sold almost 600,000 units of the VR headset in the first six weeks. The result is better than the first Playstation VR, which sold almost 550,000 units in the comparable period after its launch.
Sony presented the results at its Business Segment Meeting 2023. According to the results, the lead is not too big, but it still amounts to eight percent.
PSVR 2 sales beat the predecessor
The result is nevertheless well ahead of a forecast by IDC, which was cited by Bloomberg at the end of March. The market research firm estimated at the time that Sony would sell only about 270,000 units from launch on Feb. 22, 2023, to the end of March 2023. The estimate covers a similar period as Sony's official figures, namely just under five and a half weeks.
The PSVR 2 sold nearly 600,000 units in the first six weeks after launch. | Bild: Sony
The slightly flattening graph of PSVR 2 sales corresponds to the initially strong, then flagging game lineup. However, some new highlights might be added to the planned game lineup today during the Playstation Showcase.
In a preview of the presentation, Sony already named well-known upcoming titles like Beat Saber from Meta's studio Beat Games or Behemoth from the makers of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 2. Further titles are Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord from Ndreams (Fracked) and the planned VR mode for the new Resident Evil 4 remake.
The Playstation VR 2 is now freely available in more markets. Previously, this was only the case in a few countries that are not supplied via PlayStation Direct. This is an important step for the distribution of the VR headset, opening up more opportunities to try it before you buy.
Good prospects for PS5 and PSVR 2?
Sony is also confident for the PS5, as the problems in the supply chain are said to have been overcome. Playstation 5 sales to retailers (not customers) from the second quarter of fiscal 2023 could already be on par with the PS4 in the corresponding quarter of 2016, Sony said.
The company's first VR headset, launched in 2016, took eight months to sell one million units. After the 2019 holiday season, Playstation VR cracked the five million unit sales mark. Sony's CFO Hiroki Totoki expressed confidence in March 2023 that the company would be able to surpass this number with Playstation VR 2.
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