Sony has reportedly cut its PlayStation VR2 launch forecast in half
Update: PlayStation has denied claims that “disappointing” pre-orders have seen it reduce production
Sony has halved its launch projections for the upcoming PlayStation VR2, according to a new report.
Bloomberg, citing “people familiar with [Sony’s] deliberations”, claims that Sony had previously aimed to ship 2 million PlayStation VR2 units during the headset’s launch quarter.
However, following what it’s claimed are disappointing pre-order figures, Bloomberg’s sources say Sony’s shipment forecasts have been halved to just one million this quarter.
According to the report, Sony has told a supply partner to expect a reduction in the number of orders for display panels, and expects to ship around 1.5 million headsets in the 11 months between April 2023 and March 2024.
Update
Sony has denied Bloomberg’s claims, telling GamesIndustry.biz that it has “not cut PlayStation VR2 production numbers”.
The firm claimed it is “seeing enthusiasm from PlayStation fans for the upcoming launch, which includes more than 30 titles such as Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Call of the Mountain, and Resident Evil Village.”
PlayStation VR2 will launch on February 22, and will be priced at $549.99 / €599.99 / £529.99. For this, players get the PS VR2 headset, the PS VR2 Sense controllers and stereo headphones.
There’s also a $599.99 / €649.99 / £569.99 bundle which includes a PlayStation Store voucher code for launch title Horizon: Call of the Mountain.
Sony initially kicked off PlayStation VR2 pre-orders in November, making them available in selection regions on an invite-only basis to manage expected demand.
However, this invite system has now ended and players are freely able to pre-order the headset from the PlayStation Direct online store (in participating countries), implying the demand is manageable.
Sony confirmed earlier this month that the PlayStation VR2 launch window line-up would consist of 37 games, with Horizon: Call of the Mountain and a VR version of Gran Turismo 7 available on day one.
PS VR2 will also see ports of PS VR1 classic Rez Infinite, which will feature eye tracking and haptic feedback, and Tetris Effect, which will also support the unique PS VR2 features.
Both will be available be available as upgrades to the original games for $9.99 / €9.99, though anyone choosing not to upgrade will be unable to play the previous PlayStation VR versions on the PS VR2, because it will not be backwards compatible.