What you’ll want to know
- According to a report, Sony has begun manufacturing of the PlayStation VR2 as of September 2022.
- The firm appears to supply round 2 million models by March 2023, signaling a late Winter/Early Spring launch for the upcoming premium VR headset.
- The authentic PSVR offered 1 million models in its first yr, displaying that Sony expects PS VR2 to promote higher.
The authentic PSVR was sufficient of successful for Sony to create a second-generation headset within the PlayStation VR2. Given that, it appears like the corporate is planning for its next-generation VR headset to do even higher, and, from the appears of issues, PS VR2 might launch round March 2023.
This is in response to a report from Bloomberg (opens in new tab) that exhibits the PS VR2 (opens in new tab) has already entered manufacturing and that Sony is aiming to make 2 million models by March 2023. Now that it is lastly pretty straightforward to purchase a PS5 (opens in new tab), it is probably that value is the one actual deciding issue customers should make when the headset finally releases. We do not know the value but, nevertheless it’s anticipated to retail for not less than $400 when it launches, simply as the unique PSVR did.
While 2 million models at launch does not sound like a notable quantity provided that the PS5 offered 10 million models in simply 8 months (opens in new tab) of its launch, it is most necessary to match the PS VR2’s numbers with the unique PSVR. In its first yr, PSVR offered 1 million models as a $400 add-on to an already $400 console and went on to promote 6 million models over the course of the PS4’s lifespan.
The pricing scenario with PS VR2 is probably going the identical — or, presumably, costlier — than the unique, making it roughly twice the value of an Oculus Quest 2 (opens in new tab) however round half the value of constructing a gaming PC and shopping for a separate VR headset.
That places Sony in a novel middle-ground place, providing up premium experiences at an unmatched pricepoint, even whether it is pricier than Meta’s hottest providing, which is hovering across the 15 million models offered (opens in new tab) mark as of the newest information. For notice, round 3 million VR headsets are used on Steam every month so, by advantage of value and complexity alone, we must always anticipate PS VR2 gross sales to fall someplace between these two main platform varieties.
Premium experiences just like the upcoming Firewall Ultra (opens in new tab) and Horizon: Call of the Mountain (opens in new tab) look to push new boundaries for visible constancy and environmental interplay that is not potential on a standalone headset like a Quest 2, however Sony’s new tech additionally is not backward suitable (opens in new tab) with authentic PSVR video games, both. That’s as a result of Sony’s new headset affords correct roomscale monitoring and lets gamers absolutely transfer round in digital worlds, in contrast to the primary technology PSVR.
Before you bounce into lovely VR worlds subsequent Spring, you may want a PS5. PS VR2 will plug into the USB Type-C port on the entrance of the PS5, powering the subsequent technology of VR content material.