After producing over 2 million units of the latest virtual reality headsets, Bloomberg Sony is reportedly suspending production in an attempt to move unsold inventory. PlayStation VR2 was launched as a PlayStation 5 accessory in February last year, priced at $549, but IDC data shows that shipments have declined every quarter since then.
Bloomberg Indicates that the problem is a lack of content in the headphones. PSVR2 is compatible with a variety of AAA games, including call of horizon mountain, GT Racing 7and the entry resident Evil series, as well as a series of smaller titles. However, at $549, the headset is more expensive than the PS5 itself, so expectations are high. Bloomberg pointed out that Meta and Apple face similar content challenges with their own headphones.
In addition to suspending headset production, Sony’s recent layoffs have also affected teams working on VR games.It shuts down its London studio and the developers behind call of horizon mountainFiresprite Studios has also been affected. The layoffs are expected to affect a total of about 900 Sony employees, accounting for 8% of its total workforce.
In an effort to increase the amount of content available for its headset, Sony recently announced that it is testing PC support, giving “PS VR2 players the ability to access other games on PC.” It’s unclear how extensive the headset’s support for PC gaming will be, but support is planned for later this year.
