The sales figures of the PlayStation VR exceed Sony’s expectations.
Many people are skeptical about virtual reality. Is this really a technology that the gaming world has been waiting for? Can VR headsets succeed in the market despite their hefty prices?
Among these skeptics was Andrew House, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. He doubted that VR would storm into gamers’ living rooms. When Sony had to decide how many “PlayStation VR” headsets should be produced, House was one of those who advised a lower number and more caution.
915,000 units sold in 4 months
As reported by the New York Times, House revealed specific sales figures in an interview: The PSVR was sold 915,000 times by February 19 (about four months after launch).
According to the CEO, Sony’s internal target was 1 million sales within 6 months. The set goal will likely be achieved.
There are no official figures from the competition, but the market research company SuperData estimates that Oculus Rift sold 243,000 and HTC Vive 420,000 units by the end of 2016.
More top titles, more players
A general problem with VR is that most games only offer short gameplay experiences. After a few hours or even minutes, the fun is already over. The market is predominantly filled with mini-games. AAA titles are scarce.
One exception is Capcom’s Resident Evil 7, which was released in January 2017 and can be played entirely in virtual reality.
According to House, it is a success: Since the release of the horror game, the average playtime for PSVR users has doubled. However, more AAA games will be needed to speak of the “breakthrough of VR”.
By the way: An interesting VR game now has a release date: Farpoint will be released on May 16. It will support the “PlayStation VR Aim Controller” – a device that aims to make controlling weapons in VR even more realistic. You can read about Farpoint in our article on the best VR games that are set to be released in 2017.
The “external” expectations for the PlayStation VR were much higher than Sony’s internal ones. Analysts had already lowered their very high sales expectations in December after the big hype around VR had not materialized in 2016:
PlayStation VR: VR as the “biggest loser” in the gaming sector
