TECH NEWS – The launch of PSVR 2 could have been an easy win for Sony, but something was overlooked…
Sony’s current-generation virtual reality headset, PSVR 2, got off to a shaky start. It’s been on store shelves for just over a month, but already the writing is on the wall. Sony needs to do the headset a few favours if it wants to sell more units.
As great as the PSVR 2 is, it’s not yet living up to its full potential.
The games library seems largely unimaginative. It is full of ports of other VR games available on cheaper headsets. Many titles are from Meta Quest 2, for example. And the few exclusives, such as Horizon: Call of the Mountain, come at full price. Sony would do well to offset some of the cost with its excellent PS Plus subscription service.
So the question arises: why is Sony missing out on something that could make a big profit? There is the argument that VR is still a niche area. And by including VR games on PS Plus, it may be addressing only a subset of a subset, while there’s always a bigger fish, more heads to turn with the branded Game Catalog selection.
Except that as things stand, PSVR 2 is the only device on the market when it comes to console-based VR, and Sony clearly wants its headset to be more than just a niche product to be enjoyed by a lucky few.
Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki expressed optimism that the second edition will outsell its predecessor, the PlayStation VR.
At the moment, that doesn’t seem remarkably achievable, as the device is reportedly underperforming. If this is true, then I’d say there’s no better time than now for Sony to incentivise its player base better to opt for VR. A price cut would obviously help. But even if the device’s retail price drops significantly, that only solves half the problem. You still want gamers to experience the full potential of the headset.
I think that’s why PS Plus is critical to the long-term success of PSVR 2. The majority of games are currently available on competing headsets.
So what if we could try some of these relatively bite-sized experiences, such as Puzzling Places, Kayak VR and Townsmen VR, without paying a penny extra?
This feeds into the discoverability factor of PS Plus. Gamers shouldn’t have to spend tens of thousands on a handful of titles.
Sony is likely to insist on a high price for the headset, which is all the more reason to offer at least part of the headset’s library through PS Plus. Perhaps it’s an ace the company has up its sleeve, waiting for the right moment to add a plethora of new games to its PS Plus games catalogue. Even if we don’t get a price cut, I think it’s the most diminutive Sony can do to make PSVR 2 more appealing to a broader audience.
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