Sony has halted the production of its PSVR2 headset until it clears a backlog of unsold units.
This has raised concerns about the appeal of virtual reality gadgets as the sales for the PS5 accessory progressively slowed since its launch – resulting in the build-up of stock.
Likewise, shipments of the PSVR2 have declined every quarter since its debut, and the surplus of devices is throughout Sony’s supply chain.
Tokyo-based Sony also announced last month that it was shutting down its PlayStation London division, which was focused on making virtual reality games.
This announcement came with several other layoffs that impacted in-house studios such as Guerrilla Games – which had worked on creating a PSVR2-exclusive title for its Horizon series called Horizon Call of the Mountain.
The main reason for the issues VR is encountering is the high price of the hardware, which limits its expansion.
“The high price of VR hardware acts as the main hurdle for its expansion,” said Macquarie analyst Yijia Zhai.
“Currently, there are limited games that support VR devices, and that will also lead to a lack of motivation for players to purchase VR hardware. This limited content also has a reason – the development cost for VR games is substantially higher than normal titles.”
Sony is still working on expanding the range of titles available on headset and is testing the potential for PSVR2 players to access PC titles.
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