After disappointing pre-orders, Sony halved its forecast for PlayStation VR2 headset shipments this quarter which signals little to no improvement for the hyped virtual reality sector.
The company reduced its forecast for the headset, set to release on Feb 22nd, to about a million units from 2 million, people familiar with the deliberations said.
The tech giant is now planning to ship around 1.5 million units between this April and March next year. Figures would be adjusted in response to demand, they said.
At first, Sony began accepting PSVR 2 pre-orders on an invitation basis in November, but soon relaxed conditions so that anyone can order.
PSVR 2 which only works with Sony’s PlayStation 5 console costs $879.95 in Australia- a price higher than what was initially expected.
Sales of VR headsets have not been as high as hoped, with consumers held back in part by lack of titles that showcase the technology.
As per IDC estimates, worldwide shipments of augmented and virtual reality headsets are expected to grow 32% to 12.8 million units in 2023.
While Meta’s Quest range is currently dominating the market with an 85% share, Sony’s PSVR has failed to secure even a 1% share.
Unlike Meta, which has invested heavily in making VR more affordable and attainable, Sony’s offering seems more of a attempt to get their foot in the door rather than truly reach out to new audiences.
“The VR era will come,” Display Supply Chain Consultants co-founder Yoshio Tamura said.
“We’re just not there yet.”
