Sony has denied earlier reports that it halved its projected shipments of PlayStation VR 2 units at launch due to lackluster pre-order numbers.
The original story came courtesy of a Bloomberg report that cites multiple unnamed sources familiar with the situation. According to the sources, Sony was forecasting that it would ship just one million units during the current financial quarter, which runs from September 2022 to March 2023, and encompasses the PSVR 2’s release date of February 22.
Sony had reportedly sought to ship two million units during that same period in the hopes that titles like Horizon: Call of the Mountain would stir up enthusiasm, and therefore pre-orders, for the system.
But in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, PlayStation said it has “not cut PlayStation VR2 production numbers” and that 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 has promised that the PSVR 2 will represent “the next generation of virtual reality play” courtesy of a range of tech improvements over the original such as the VR2’s 4K HDR OLED display, upgraded eye-tracking capabilities, and the addition of improved VR2 Sense controllers.
However, a combination of factors including the PSVR 2’s lack of backwards compatibility — and its eye watering price tag of $549.99 — has potentially dulled consumer enthusiasm for the system. The Bloomberg reports claims PlayStation told partners to expect a reduction in orders for hardware elements like display panels, and will now aim to ship roughly 1.5 million units between April 2023 and March 2024.
Earlier this month PlayStation confirmed that the PSVR 2 will have a launch line-up of over 30 games, including Gran Turismo 7, Tetris Effect: Connected, and Resident Evil Village. Stick with IGN to keep up to date with all of the biggest PSVR 2 news ahead of the system’s February 22 release.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
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