PSVR 2 needs to change to outsell its predecessor

It looks like Sony is confident that PSVR 2 could outsell its predecessor, but things will need to change in order to make that happen.

[Christopher]

Is it really a change that you're suggesting? More games aren't a change, that's what is planned (literally more games announced in the future). Adding games to PS+? Happened with the first, so not a change there either, just continuation. Update games from PSVR to PSVR2, not a change since PSVR didn't have a back catalog of games.

I definitely think they need to pump out the games to outsell PSVR, but that's not a change to what they've been doing. The rest I'm not sure will truly push sales that much. A price reduction of at least $100 will push sales way more than any of that in the first year, though.

[_SilverHawk_]

Psvr 2 needs a lot of quality games and it would be even better if it receives a lot of hybrid games like gt7 and resident evil 8. All the hydrid games I've played so far are all better in vr

[Babadook7]

“would be even better if it receives a lot of hybrid games like gt7 and resident evil 8”

Yes.

So that’s a change we are already seeing. Not a change that psvr2 “needs”. The ps5 and psvr2 are made with features that allow for great hybrid games.

So the article is kind of complaining about what Sony worked hard to employ and the benefits are already coming in day one.

[TheRealHeisenberg]

Yes. A $100 price drop would certainly get me to purchase one. I understand that Sony has a business to run so I guess I'll have to hold out to see if there will be a holiday bundle of some sort.

[OptimusDK]

YES a 400 USD pricedrop and I am all over this.

[Blaze929]

PC support for one would be great

[IanTH]

Until they either have their own storefront to sell to on PC (a thing that, even as a PC guy myself, know most of our ilk would moan endlessly about), or have a massive stable of 1st Party VR games that they could get additional revenue from...simply not going to happen. They have no incentive to do so, and ensuring a good experience on PC would also further cost them extra development time & resources for practically no monetary gain.

It'd be a neat value-add for people who own a PC & PS5 - it would help me to justify adding another HMD alongside the others I already have - but it would ultimately just be selling subsidized hardware to a large percentage of folks they wouldn't get extra money from, and taking away stock from those they could.

[Rhythmattic]

Eventually, it won't be PC... It'll be just like MS Stream Options... Until the day the need to, They will stick with the PS Console ideal, because its actually working, And ill guarantee they'll keep what will one day be called "RETRO AAA GAMES MACHINE" , until the ever incoming, "You wont own it, but be happy."
Personally, I believe Sony and Nintendo are keeping us from precipice....The longer they do, the better.. and you'll still get what you want...

[HeliosHex]

BC would definitely do wonders. They need to seriously put the effort in making that happen. They also need to bring out top tier vr games like half life Alyx. Price drop won't happen to next year because I do believe the device is not and will not sell well this year.
Most people are just not keen on the whole headset set up and having to put it on etc to get going on a game. There needs to be a much more compelling reason to put one on and pay the price of entry. Right now there isn't much and there's nothing you can't find better on cheaper headsets.

[Babadook7]

“Right now there isn't much and there's nothing you can't find better on cheaper headsets.“

There’s Resident Evil 8. GT7, Call of the Mountain and many great ports from earlier hardware that many have yet to try available from day one.

To the second part, there is no cheaper and better solution than the PlayStation one. And it’s not close.

[HeliosHex]

@babadook. (Love the name, and movie) well meta is a decent all in one device with a very large library of quality games. At a cheaper price 399.
When I last checked sonys vr library honestly with about 45 games maybe 5 are worth it. It needs work. It's price point just doesn't justify purchase for many right now. But I think that will change next year if they really make the effort.

[Babadook7]

@Above

There’s nothing natively on meta that can compete with the 3 (day one) games I mentioned.

In terms of an experience due to hardware, (I took the comment to be about hardware) meta quest 2 is also way behind.

As for 5 games being worth it? I think that’s an uncommon opinion. On top of the three I mentioned. Kayak, cities, moss 1 and 2. Pavlov, song in the smoke, townsmen, tales from the galaxies edge and many more are worth it. I would love to buy about 15 launch games.

[IanTH]

"there's nothing you can't find better on cheaper headsets."

Yeah, agreeing with Babdook here - that's just not correct. This is one of the best value headsets out there, when you take into account its quality. If you mean game-wise, then that's true - there's few games PSVR2 only that you can't play elsewhere. But if you go cheaper, you are certainly paying less while getting a lesser experience.

[HeliosHex]

@ian. Ok let's break it down the occulus 2 comes in on the low end at 399. You can opt for the 256gb at 499.
Although it's resolution is slightly less than psvr2 and it's lcd instead of oled it's picture quality would still be good enough for most consumers who are not so savvy about such differences. Now consider the device is all in one and wireless. And the fact you can connect it to PC. Now consider the huge library of great games on oculus store. Games like what lies beneath, blade and sorcery, the exorcist, to name just a few.
I get the quality of the psvr2 with haptics and eye tracking etc. But what's it all for if nothing is really showing why it's worth it?
Right now you can play Arizona sunshine on quest 2 a must have game. In the end all the tech means nothing if the games aren't there. You can even get two free games packed in with quest 2 compared to sonys one. They just really need to work at making the consumer believe psvr2 is worth the purchase right now and they have not done that at all from my perspective.

[SurgicalMenace]

It is always so telling when price is the argument between products. Well, some people like to drive exotic cars no matter how much cheaper Toyotas are. Perhaps your frugality plays a part in your decisions, while that's fine but for others may not have to exercise the same limits as you. I have played both and the price difference is definitely justified. You're argument about a "lack" of titles is trivial given that it's been out for only a couple of weeks. I'm buying 3 games for it within the next week adding to my roster of games. The haptics alone are a game changer, adding the 3D sound, adaptive triggers, and eye tracking places it leagues above the Quest 2. You never intended to buy it so the rest of the reasons stated are arbitrarily placed.

[IanTH]

As a pretty big supporter of VR - own a Quest 2, Rift, and PSVR - who happens to also own a PS5 and not PSVR 2, I understand what you mean and where you're coming from. I still disagree with the "nothing you can't find better on cheaper headsets" comment, as I discussed. However, the rest isn't as cut and dry.

If you want an all-in-one, Quest is the only game in town right now. Oculus is trying to get everyone and their mother to buy a Quest, even if they aren't normally gamers. That'd be great for any company, but that's not what Sony is really going for, so they aren't really competing with Oculus (really in their own market, but closer to competing with "high end" VR than anything else). Oculus can play an entirely different playbook given their insane warchest & desire to eat losses endlessly in the vain hope they end up owning what they believe to be the next computing platform. Oculus has also stopped investing in good software, from a gaming standpoint, and is focusing on lighting money on fire with the Metaverse. It's pretty much all on indies to provide content now. Definitely not a focus problem for Sony, as they are using their resources and money for games.

The VR market is in a weird spot, where you no longer even have a Rift S as a value PC option. Sure, you could buy a Quest to set up on PC, but that's no longer really the "Quest" crowd. It requires a PC more expensive than a PS5, and more know how than just plugging in a USB-C cable to get working well. And worse than that, Oculus has all but abandoned PC development. The Rift software never gets updated, it has a store that has sections that don't even lead anywhere anymore (the sales section has been broken for years at this point)...it's feeling more an afterthought every day as they chase the standalone casual crowd. Quest on PC's future is static/stale at best, and uncertain at worst.

PSVR2 is a focus for Sony, will improve, will get updates, and is a product designed for being plugged into a larger processing box, as opposed to Quest. I don't follow Index as closely, but I don't feel as if Valve has been putting much into VR either in recent years. But that's probably Sony's closest competition, so to speak, and PSVR2 is better in almost every way (lighthouse tracking notwithstanding). Not to mention you could buy a PS5 and PSVR2 for the cost of the Index alone.

The Quest and PCVR have a deep library of older games that, unfortunately, Sony can't compete with; doubly so, after what they lost in PSVR2's move to a totally new tracking system. I do think that Sony - in the early goings - are suffering the same as almost every new platform ever; content. They have a good start, for how new the device is, and getting games like REVIII, REIV, GT7, etc as full VR experiences is a strong opening salvo, and hopefully sets a precedent for content going forward. I agree they have a content problem, for now, but I do NOT think they have a quality or pricing problem. So long as the content continues, the sales for the headset will certainly sort themselves out, especially if they can find ways to cut costs in a year or so.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

tbh, sony needs to bring a legit media player that supports vr content to the ps5. that's one thing they're still lacking this gen. if the ps5 had a really good media player that supported vr, people would be buying those headsets like hotcakes.

[CosmicTurtle]

The type of games are the needed change , something not on rails, built from the ground up to use VR effectively. Astrobit was their bestVR title last time. But they need to go a step further and RPG or an exclusive adventure

[IanTH]

I'm honestly not sure what the magic bullet is regarding VR content. On average, it seems people don't love spending the same kind of time in HMDs playing a long-form game as they do on TVs. That in mind, I think the single best approach is putting VR into 2D games. It let's people inhabit that world, but also swap back and forth between VR and couch when the mood strikes. Allows these games to reduce risk of selling poorly, while still getting a full production budget.

Look at games like Asgard's Wrath or Stormland for Oculus Rift. Rift buyers were the hardcore of hardcore, generally buying in when the HMD+Touch was very expensive, and the PC to power it even moreso. Asgard has 3,000 reviews and Stormland 1,900 - these were games build for VR, as more core experiences. Well reviewed by critics and players alike. Beat Saber on Rift has 15,000 and Beat Saber on Quest has almost 50,000 reviews.

I think they would have to change the pricing model to make those VR conversions wortwhile to spend manpower on - maybe charge a $10-15 add-on for VR? I'd pretty easily pay $10 on top of a game purchase if the conversion was well done, knowing that VR development isn't free. And to know you're getting a solid, full game, rather than the short, low-budget games they tend to be? This kind of feels like how it may need to go, at least for a while.

[HeliosHex]

@ian. Yeah thats why I say next year may change sonys current situation if they work on those current kinks.
As for the rift store updates...iam not sure about that I've gotten updates last one was a few weeks ago the store seems active and robust so not sure what you mean. I also use steam for vr games so maybe I missed something.
As for the psvr2 games you mentioned well it's a matter of preference because you see I don't like any of those games you mentioned. Probably why I feel the offerings are ho hum. I only like switchback. Walking dead and this game called crossfire. So far. I get people like many more games than I do and it makes sense why like yourself they see no issue.

[Miacosa]

They should have made PSVR2 its own platform and released it for use on PC as well. It would have cost more to produce software for both but the larger audience would have covered the costs.

[JackBNimble]

Are you suggesting Sony should have made a psvr2 console , isn't that what the ps5 is?
And Sony could still have psvr2 offically support pc anytime they choose.

[IanTH]

Let's be honest, though, supporting PC is not that straightforward. If they wanted mass adoption, they'd really have no choice but to support Steam - and that wouldn't make them money. If they wanted to get money from game sales, they'd have to have their own PC storefront, and people on PC - and I say this as a primary PC guy myself - bitch & moan every time they hear about another launcher.

Many wouldn't download it out of spite. "No Steam, No Buy". On and on. There's simply not as easy a path for them to monetize PC as things stand right now.

[Charlieboy333]

I disagree. It's only on PS5 in order to maximise the quality of the games by developing for one set of hardware.....this way they can focus on using the power and features of the PS5 resulting in a better standard of game output.

They are also in the hardware business and would like the PSVR2 to be motivation enough to buy the console, which has proven to be happening because of just one game....GT7. I'm sure there will be future titles that have the same effect.

[Bathyj]

More hybrid games. Push Devs to include it.

I'm looking at games like Dead Island now and thinking man I would get this in a heartbeat if it was vr. But it's not so I'm not sure I'm interested.

[IanTH]

I agree that that's the most likely way forward, at least for a while. I also think they may need to test a VR add-on cost. Maybe $10 per title on top of a game purchase. Unless it could be proven that there were extra sales that happened solely because of VR - which I think wouldn't be the norm, honestly - then they'd have to be compensated for the extra development time and effort.

I wouldn't scoff at paying something like $10 to add VR - assuming it was done well, like REVIII etc - to ensure more games got VR conversions. It's tough to navigate, but I do think 2D games with VR conversions are a piece of this puzzle they need to figure out very quickly.

[Bathyj]

I'll tell you one thing.
People can obsess on digital foundry over 10 extra pixels or 2 extra frames, but haptics, adaptive triggers and VR is a true difference maker. RE4 for example will be best on ps5 if the VR is good.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

I think they are doing just fine with their current plan.

I bought into PlayStation with Uncharted 2, and they have delivered on games ever since. I have zero reason to start doubting their output now.

Right now, I’m playing Pavlov like a fiend, and Runner, Rez and Tetris are great casual backups. I heard RE8 and No Man’s Sky are great, but I’ve been preoccupied with the 4 games mentioned to explore any of the hybrids.

Hybrids are always great.

I’m still looking forward to Firewall, that WWII plane game, and Humanity. And it would be siiiick if Armored Core 6 got a first person VR patch so you could sit in the cockpit and push the buttons 🤗

I have enough games right now, for me, and I am happy with what I see in the horizon.

What will drive adoption the most is people trying it.

[Knushwood Butt]

I bought Kayak, What the Bat, and After the Fall, but have pretty much just been playing GT7 in VR.

After the Fall is good though but dual gun wielding is taxing.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

I have to try After the Fall, looks hardcore.

If you like WW2 weapons in VR, Pavlov has WW2 modes like tank battles and such (not to mention zombies and a counter strike homage, all for $25).

[Knushwood Butt]

Thanks but Pavlov doesn't seem to be out in Japan where I am.

[Deathdeliverer]

It’s only been out for less than a month but yeah. Let’s talk about what it needs to do when we haven’t seen a glimpse of a direction yet.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Lol right? How many people actually bought a headset and don’t have any games that they personally enjoy…

[Passerotto]

Article filled with inaccuracies, click bait, stupid.

[UltimateOwnage]

VR will always be a premium medium on the bleeding edge of technology, so it’s never going to come with cheap prices. The biggest changes it needed were better fidelity, simpler setup and bigger games. That’s already happened with the hardware and is happening with the software. I’m very happy with PSVR2 and expect great things going forward.

[Droppedez]

Knock 200 bucks off it and I'll bite

[Charlieboy333]

That's like saying knock 200 bucks off the PS5......ain't gonna happen. You get what you pay for....they aren't a charity

[Droppedez]

as an adopter of the original PSVR they gave me $100 in appreciation of buying their product, If you don't believe me feel free to look me up.

[Charlieboy333]

I swear these people expect ALL the games, even future titles to release NOW.....what kind of logic is that? It released with 30+ games with three of them being MUST plays. Did that even happen with the original PSVR? I would say it's a damn good indicator of what to expect in future.

[Tzuno]

No support for PC is a big let down judging the price

[rulparra]

NEED A 300 DOLLAR PRICE TO CHANGE HAPPENDS,

[Lolly]

"When Rhys isn't on the clock, you'll usually find him logged into Final Fantasy 14, Halo Infinite or Sea of Thieves."

Ok Bud, nice opinion piece.