3 years ago
Jakub Dominik
[PSVR2](https://stock-checker.com/products/playstation-vr-2.html) pre-orders went live back in December on a unique invite-only basis. Sony anticipated more significant hype and much bigger pre-order numbers. As Bloomberg [report](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-31/sony-playstation-vr2-headset-pre-order-disappointment-leads-to-production-cut) claims, Sony reportedly projected around 2 million units in pre-orders of its next-gen headset that is releasing on February 22nd. However, that quickly changed as new estimates point to about 1.5 million units, very close to what the original PSVR sold on launch day.
There are a few critical reasons for this which need to be factored in:
**Pricing might be the main culprit.**
PSVR 2 will retail at **£529.99**, more than the console itself, which to many will be a tough sell, even considering that the headset will boast impressive specs (4K resolution at 2000 x 2040 per eye, all set upon an OLED HDR panel at refresh rates of 90Hz or 120Hz), beating Oculus Quest 2 and even HTC Vive or steams own Valve Index.
For example, Oculus Quest 2 specs are much lower: 1832 x 1920 resolution, with a refresh rate of up to 90Hz on a non-OLED panel. However, for someone that wants to experience VR for the first time, not necessarily on PS5, it's more than enough, plus it can work both with PC and standalone, retailing at £399.99.
**PSVR 1 had a more significant potential customer count.**
We know from widely available data that the original PSVR sold 2 million units in a year. Still, the critical information is that there were over **70 million** PS4 users at the time of launch, which is a lot of potential PSVR customers. For comparison, PS5 had a rough first year. Pandemic and economic situations limited the company's ability to produce consoles fast enough. At CES 2023, Sony shared that it had sold **30 million** PS5 consoles so far. If we look for a like-for-like comparison, PSVR 2 already has a much harder start, even if VR gaming has gained much popularity since then.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/PlayStationVR2HorizonBundle.png
**Lack of truly inventive and exciting games.**
Sony announced over 30 launch titles for the headset's release. However, many titles on that list are remastered versions of older Quest and PC VR games. The most standout titles would be **Horizon Call of the Mountain**, **Gran Turismo 7** and **Resident Evil Village**. Even then, 2 of those games are already known to most and only receiving a VR update. There is a lack of investment in exclusive titles. In an innovative approach to VR storytelling and gameplay mechanics, that may change with time. Still, a headset costing more than a console with only a handful of decent games might not sound very appealing to many people.
**VR gaming still has a long way to reach the mainstream.**
VR is still taking baby steps in the entertainment field; it is far from traditional gaming regarding the number of games, revenue and players. That, however, is steadily picking up the pace. As per Fortune's business [insights](https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/virtual-reality-gaming-market-100271), the VR gaming market will grow from **$7.92 billion** (data from 2021) to a staggering **$53 billion** by 2028. It will still be a fraction of a traditional video game segment value, which is predicted to reach **$221 billion** by the end of 2023. Still, it is undoubtedly an excellent and promising projection for the future of VR and perhaps PSVR 2 and future headsets from Sony, given that the market continues and provides us with good games worthy of a VR purchase. After all, good games are console sellers, and it's the same with VR headsets, at least when the novelty of the technology wears off.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/PlayStationVR2Box.png
Sony believes in their products, and PSVR 2 is no different. Even if the sales expectations were a little optimistic, it's still a good headset with cool exclusive features such as **eye tracking** or borrowed **haptics** from a DualSense controller. I can't shake off a feeling that PSVR 2, on launch, will be a headset that impresses but falls short in terms of games. However, with time it certainly has a chance to be one of the best VR headsets on the market, even if many will skip by because of its pricing.
**Disclaimers**
Jakub Dominik is a gaming and technology journalist for Stock Checker. You may follow him on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Hexagon90x).
Images used in this article belong to Sony and PlayStation respectively.