Sony Group Corp.plans to manufacture 2 million units of the PlayStation VR2 headset (PSVR2) by March next year, according to Bloomberg.
Mass production of the virtual reality goggles began in September and has yet to face supply chain constraints and other issues, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. However, the number production could be adjusted depending on sales momentum of the device once it is released early next year.
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Sony expects the new PlayStation VR2 headset to be much more popular than the PlayStation VR goggles for the PlayStation 4, which took eight months to reach one million sales. By comparison, Quest 2 's Meta, the most popular VR headset today, shipped 2.8 million units in its first quarter of availability, according to data from IDC.
Sony hasn't officially announced a price or release date for its new PlayStation VR2 headset (PSVR2). What we do know so far is that it's aiming to start selling the VR headset in early 2023, which is expected to ease the supply chain issues that have hampered the availability of the PlayStation 5 console since its launch in late 2020. Users will need a PS5 to use the new VR headset.
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Meta's Quest 2 dominates the VR headset market
As we mentioned above, Meta 's Quest 2 is the most popular VR headset today. IDC estimates that the company has shipped 17 million units to date and is at the top, although it doesn't fare as well compared to other products in the gaming arena , such as consoles , mobile, and PC.
Regarding Sony's VR headset, game developers are skeptical about its ability to become popular, especially in Sony's home country, Japan.
Economic hardship and rising material costs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine have also hit the VR sector. Meta raised the price of the Quest 2 in August in response to rising production costs.
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“The rising cost of living is making many consumers wary of spending on non-essential items,” said IDC vice president of data and analysis, Francisco Jeronimo. “If the economic crisis worsens, Sony may need to reduce production.”
Suppliers and partners of Sony are not sure how much Sony will maintain the high production rate of the PlayStation VR2 headset after its launch.
Sony plans to bolster the PSVR2 launch with new titles designed for VR from its popular in-house franchises (e.g. Horizon), and has said that there are more than 20 titles in development for the device.
Source: www.bloomberg.com
