PlayStation VR2 production reportedly paused by Sony

By Tomas Franzese March 18, 2024

PlayStation VR2 headset on blue background. — Sony

Sony is reportedly pausing production of the PlayStation VR2 headsets because it has a backlog of unsold headsets.

This report comes from Bloomberg, which claims that PSVR2 sales have slowed every quarter since its February 2023 release, causing stocks of the device to build up. It says Sony has produced 2 million headsets but reportedly hasn’t sold through them yet. As a result, it’s apparently pausing the production on new units until it works through some of that backlog, according to Bloomberg’s anonymous sources.

If true, this report does not paint an optimistic picture of the future for Sony’s second headset. After over one year on the market, the PSVR2 has suffered due to a lack of first-party game support and enticing exclusive content. Although it was my first VR headset, I’ve recently spent more time in my Meta Quest 3. In general, PSVR2 has made less of a splash in the gaming industry than its predecessor, so it’s not too surprising that there’s a surplus of unsold units right now. Bloomberg’s report offers no insight into when production of new PSVR2 headsets will resume.

Digital Trends contacted Sony to affirm the validity of this report and gain better insight into the company’s commitment to VR. We will update this article when we receive a response.

Heading into 2024, upcoming PSVR2 games include Aces of Thunder, Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate, Zombie Army VR, Metro Awakening, and Behemoth. On the headset’s first anniversary, Sony announced that it’s exploring how to make PSVR2 compatible with PCs, although we have not gotten any more updates on the initiative since then.

Topics

Gaming Staff Writer

Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

PlayStation 6 predictions: games we expect to see on PS6

A screenshot from The Story So Far in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

We're four years into the PlayStation 5's lifecycle, which means that we've likely hit the halfway point. Console generations tend to last around eight years these days, so it's not impossible that we'll get a PlayStation 6 by 2028. While it might seem way too early to start anticipating a far off console (and it is), the reality is that the groundwork for it is likely being laid as we speak. Large scale exclusives can take well over four years to produce, which means that some PS6 games could be in the works right this second.

Some of those games seem like foregone conclusions. We'll likely see new games in the God of War and Horizon series, as well as new IP from studios like Housemarque. As for the rest? We already have some firm ideas about what games will land on Sony's next console. That's partially thanks to studio confirmation, leaks, and some good old fashioned common sense. Here our best guesses as to what we might be playing on a shiny new PlayStation by 2030.
Marvel's Spider-Man 3

Gaming

You’ll have 2 chances to try PlayStation’s Concord this July

Three characters holding guns and running down a hallway in Concord.

Concord, PlayStation's upcoming PvP hero shooter, is one step closer to releasing, with two beta periods now set for July ahead of its August 23 launch.

This will be the first time many people will get to play the game, although those who preorder it will have a bit of an advantage. The company, along with developer Firewalk Studios, announced on Thursday that the first beta period, from July 12-14, will be for those who preorder the game and up to four of their friends. This will be followed by an open beta from July 18-21. Both betas will be for PlayStation 5 and PC, and crossplay will be enabled.

Gaming

New report claims the PlayStation VR2 is in serious trouble

A side view of the PlayStation VR2, which sits on a wood table.

There have been a lot of signs that Sony hasn't been investing a lot of resources into VR, specifically its PlayStation VR2 headset, and according to a new report, the situation might be worse than previously believed.

In an Android Central article published Thursday, sources said that Sony was slashing budgets related to VR and that there would be "very few opportunities for VR game development" in the future. Another source mentioned that there were only two PSVR2 games in development at the company.