Playstation VR 2 had lackluster launch sales, report claims
Playstation VR 2 is off to a slow start, claims Bloomberg, citing the market research firm IDC.
The company estimates that Sony is likely to sell about 270,000 units of the PSVR 2 between its Feb. 22 release and the end of March, Bloomberg reports. It is not clear if these numbers include pre-orders. Sony declined to comment.
Bloomberg reported last year that Sony planned to produce two million units by March 2023, in anticipation of strong demand. Then, ahead of the launch, Bloomberg claimed that Sony had lowered its first-quarter sales forecast to one million units due to weak pre-order numbers. Sony then said in a statement that production numbers won't be cut, without directly contradicting Bloomberg.
Sony keeps expectations low
Sony's CFO spoke cautiously about the potential success of the Playstation VR 2.
"[Of] VR1, we sold over five million units, and I think we have a good chance to exceed that amount with PlayStation VR2," said Hiroki Totoki at a conference in early March. So Sony doesn't seem to have particularly high expectations for the device. Playstation VR sold around 915,000 units in its first five months.
270,000 devices sold in the first month: that would be anything but a positive signal to the industry. Sony needs to convince the VR developer community that it is worth investing in the platform. If studios don't see a return on their investment, the store content will suffer and so will consumer interest in the device.
The holiday season will be critical for Sony
“Consumers around the world are facing rising costs of living, rising interest rates and rising layoffs,” says IDC’s Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of data and analytics, in the report. “VR headsets are not top of mind for most consumers under the current economic climate.” Playstation VR 2 costs 549.99 USD and requires a Playstation 5.
More important than the launch will be the upcoming holiday season.Until then, Sony still has time to improve what's on offer in terms of games. More than 100 VR titles are currently in development. They are necessary to convince consumers to buy the device.
"I maintain that it’ll be tough to call PSVR2 sales performance until we have the whole year’s picture. The last quarter of this year will no doubt be the most important one for it, thanks to Christmas gifting period (which was big for PSVR1)", writes George Jijiashvili, chief analyst at research firm Omdia, in an email to MIXED.
Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.
