Playstation VR 2: Launch not until 2023 - report
After the unveiling of the Playstation VR 2, many fans are hoping for a 2022 launch. Perhaps in vain.
Sony announced the VR headset in early 2021 and let a whole year pass before it revealed the technical features and design. The long radio silence made us wonder. Why is Sony still silent about when the Playstation VR 2 will be released? Maybe because the release date is still far away.
According to the latest rumors, it could still take a year or more until the device is launched: Bryan Paul from the YouTube channel "PSVR Without Parole" claims to have heard from various sources that the market launch is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. That would mean that Sony will skip the important holiday season and leave the field to Meta Quest 2 once again.
Playstation VR 2: PS5 shortage reduces the chances of success
Bryan Paul has good connections to the industry. He published new details about the Playstation VR 2's technology in the summer of 2021 and information about the PSVR2-exclusive VR game Horizon: Call of the Mountain in the fall. Both leaks later turned out to be correct. So, it is quite possible that there is something to the rumors.
Paul cites the PS5 shortage as the reason for the late launch. "Launching Playstation VR 2 into an environment where PS5 consoles are still scarce could affect sales of the VR headset and frustrate gamers even more than they already are," Paul says.
Sony is taking its time - and it probably has to
The first Playstation VR hit the market in October 2016. At the time, there were probably around 45 million PS4 consoles in circulation. Given the ongoing chip shortage, Playstation VR 2 on PS5 should get to about half of that install base by the fall, which would be poor conditions for the VR headset and could explain why Sony is taking its time.
Just recently, Sony was heard to be negotiating with eye-tracking specialist Tobii, which could mean that the company is still looking for hardware partners. This in turn could mean that the Playstation VR 2 is not yet ready for production - even though some sources claim the opposite.
It is possible that there will be news about Playstation VR 2 at the GDC this month, especially about the software offering. So far, only Horizon: Call of the Mountain has been confirmed.
Read more about Playstation VR 2:
- Playstation VR 2: Coatsink working on launch title and VR Survival
- Sony reveals Playstation VR 2 design
- Playstation VR 2: New lenses could eliminate God Rays
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