Sony's silence on PlayStation VR could spell trouble for the fledgling market

Sony isn't really talking about VR and it recently killed a game studio behind one of its most popular VR titles. How should we interpret the company's silence, and what does it mean for the future of VR development?

[Derceto]

VR is only appearing troubling now? For this reason? This thing was troubled from the get-go.

[IamTylerDurden1]

You're uninformed if you don't realize that PSVR has had manufacturing issues and thus was unavailable for months. Restocks are only just starting to come now. Sony pulled advertising this holiday and eased off the gas bc why would you advertise a product that ppl can't buy? It will ramp back up with RE7, Farpoint, Golem, AC7, Starblood Arena, Dirt Rally, GT Sport, ect.

[SonyWarrior]

if farpoint is a hit PSVR will explode off the shelves its missing a game like that

[bouzebbal]

It is true it was out of stock for a while, but I'll wait to see if it will pick at some point but I really don't think so. They haven't revealed a single game since e3 I believe

[Nintendo4Lifex]

So regular titles that would hinder my gaming experience with awful vr. Yep seems legit.

[freshslicepizza]

then why doesn't sony say its sold out and give numbers to how much they supplied?

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed if anything I think people should wait for the next iteration on PS5.

VR is still a fairly new market. PlayStation VR is not going to single-handedly determine the failure or success of the medium....

For all we know Playstation VR2 will make much more sense than the first.

[esmittystud101]

Let's be honost.......they only shove a few out at launch.......it drives demand up when they do that.

Example (unrelated):

When there is a flu shot shortage everyone wants one. When they have plenty around no one gives a sh*t.

[dcbronco]

You don't stop advertising if a product has low availability during the holidays, many products aren't available. You stop if you're doing a relaunch later once you get games or if you've lost confidence in the product. Or given gaming is still Sony's biggest draw right now you don't want to waste money before you have games.

[Kleptic]

@Tyler, as others mentioned...if that was the case Sony would be thumping their chest about it. Why advertise a device that people can't buy?...I can't tell if serious...Google has been pushing their pixel phones for nearly 5 months now, yet they've been out of stock more often than not. Hardware publishers/manufacturers don't 'ease off the gas' to quench demand when the problems are supply chain logistical. They ease off the gas when the marketing and advertising expenses aren't turning into revenues...

Nearly every review left testers underwhelmed...There are so many question marks surrounding the notion of 'will this work in the space i have available' that any informed consumer has pumped the brakes a bit. Sony's stance of going quite for the time being points back to the EXACT same situations surrounding Move. It's looking more and more like yet another mid-gen peripheral that get's thrown at the wall with the makers questioning if it'll stick just as much as the users. Happens nearly every gen.

[Erik7357]

I laugh when I hear people call Switch gimmicky when we see this VR thing that so far is disastrous for gaming and only a fun tech demo.

[BlackTar187]

Disastrous?

Explain

[MRMagoo123]

the whole switch console is a gimmick, psvr isn't mandatory and it's outsold the competitions vr on release calling that a disaster then praising Nintendo is only something a fool would do.

[DeadlyOreo]

People don't call the Switch gimmicky. They call it downright garbage. VR is far from that.

[OpinionSmasher]

If you bought psvr day 1 I'm sorry but that was stupid. No AAA game support and don't you dare say Rigs is a AAA game (p.s. that company closed the other day so theres that evidence). The only good game on PSVR is gonna be resident evil and even if that can get pushed by psvr if you thought you were gonna be able to do that on a base ps4 you are wrong. if you want a real VR experience you have to get a PS4 pro and the headset so basically 1000$. At that price they've overblown what the headset can do and at that price Oculus is a much more complete option. If anything fucking Gear VR is miles better than PSVR and thats running on a fucking phone and its 100$.

[moegooner88]

You don't have a clue about what you are saying, do you ?

[OpinionSmasher]

the whole switch console is a gimmick????? Wow................just wow.

[hirobrotagonist]

Yeah it'll be a fun tech demo when I'm playing Resident Evil 7 and Fallout 4 on my Vive with 90fps

[Mrveryodd]

They will probably sell more psvr than the switch ... Lots of my friends are into vr ... Most likely porn I bet 😊.... None are into switch as they all have mobile devices that play games .... There thousand dollar phones

[eferreira]

PSVR's launch lineup is bigger than Nintendo calendar year. Don't knock it till you try it. Also you're the one saying he rumble is revolutionary and better for games then vr

[Kingcorey13]

Well you obviously don't have one... it's been out for 3 months it has like 30 plus games.. every person who has played mine leaves my house amazed. It's a new way to play games.. there's nothing wrong with that... it's fun.. that's all that matters.

[Aenea]

I rather play with PSVR than pretend to milk some cows 😜

[FreeSpeech69]

Compare 1 2 Switch with any AAA VR Game. Nintendo makes gimmicks, Sony makes Real Games.

[rocketpanda]

VR is optional. The Switch is a core system. If PSVR, Occulus or Vive fails, you still have a system to play as usual.

If a console fails then you have nothing.

[trooper_]

Lol, VR is gimmicky when it's sold a good amount of units?

You're funny.

Personally, I think this is another failed attempt to bash VR.

[bouzebbal]

At least it's fun huh?
what's fun in doing matchmaking and getting a phone call at the same time?
Go to bed!

[Kokyu]

Most of the launch date "games" on Switch are tech demos.

[Uken12]

Switch isn't a gimmick. Technically none of them are gimmicks, they become gimmicks when they aren't utilized. Switch will be utilized for what it is marketed as.
VR just isn't there yet and untrustworthy. A screen right in my eyes? I'm not sure I want that. Also there are moral aspects that come into play with people. The isolation from reality, how does effect peoples minds, emotions and social lives. VR truly is a different world so it will need time to be successful.
It isn't disastrous, nor a gimmick. just not there and not nearly as profitable for companies.

Why are people comparing VR to a console? Quit being illogical. Different things people. Quit using N4G to release your fanboy rage. See a therapist.

[SharnOfTheDEAD]

This made me lol "I rather play with PSVR than pretend to milk some cows 😜"

PSVR has quite a lot of good games, Battlezone is fun, Rigs is fun, Rush of Blood, Batman etc Sure Sony closed down a studio but I can see why, you check out some game play for Rigs on youtube and it looks pretty dull which probably didn't help 1st impressions, I actually picked Battlezone over it, but when you're playing it, damn it's pretty awesome. VR is far from awful, people claiming that are just clutching at straws.

[Gr8saiyaman88]

Shhh! This is N4G, you can't talk bad about anything Sony is pushing or else you'll get downvoted : p

[Artemidorus]

Funny because people on here disagreed with me when I said it's a gimmick that will be in the background by the end of 2017.

It's obivous it's not quite there

[dillydadally]

Troubled? This article is moronic. They're not advertising because there's no stock to advertise. They sell every PSVR they put in the stores within 15 minutes. I've been trying to get one for 2 months now and I'm even on multiple stock alerts. On a sales front, PSVR is a raging success and this article is ridiculous. How can you do better than selling out 15 minutes after going in stock and why would you pour money into advertisements when there's nothing you can sell yet?

[andibandit]

Huh? Didnt you already have a psvr, or are you tring to get a second pair?

[81BX]

Cmon thats bs. I go onto gamestop i see adverts... i go into walmart and see the exact same thing.

[Artemidorus]

Go eBay and pay the premium.

[Ravenor]

My local bestbuy has the single headset not the bundle, they are out there. This isn't like finding a Wiimote in early 2007.

[Number-Nine]

I bet all those that bought a VR now have dust settled on them. More useless hardware like the Move, Kinect, New 3DS, etc...

[trooper_]

I bet that a. You've never tried it and b. You're just like any other troll, harping on this poorly written article.

[theXtReMe1]

I was just thinking of this the other day. Generally when Sony goes radio silent on something that they put their heart and soul into advertising, it isnt good news. I love their products, but it seems when they release something and it immediately doesnt hit their sales goals... they dont try new strategies in advertising or game design, they just drop the mic and walk away. Im hoping this isnt the case with their first foray into the VR market. As I think they could be on to something. The games just need to catch up to the tech. You cant expect people to pay $500+ on a new game system and have nothing but tech demos to play on it. Until they, and their third party developers, make full games that play every bit as well as console proper titles... VR is never going to take off.

I also think that the PS4 hardware just wasnt powerful enough to introduce it properly. Regardless of the new VR way to play, people generally dont want a step back in the games theyve been playing. VR was almost like turning the clock back to the early 90s and the 2D to 3D switch. Developers were essentially starting all over again from scratch, even though they really didnt need to. They could have just taken the games that fit best for the system and added VR. I understand that VR takes a bit of tweaking to get right, so people playing dont feel nauseous, but many developers said its as easy as keeping framerates steady and adding crosshairs or something stationary that gives players a constant focal point... Yet many developers took it to the extreme and basically said that regular games, like FPSs, would never work. Games like Farpoint are proving them wrong. Though, because the PC units have been out for quite some time and the PSVR closing in on 6 months with nothing but glorified tech demos... I believe many gamers already feel the dejavu of motion gaming all over again. A great idea that never gets fully realized.

The tech is perfect for racing, flight sim/combat and first person games. Lets just hope the market can hold on until full games release and show the true potential that VR could offer the future of gaming.

[extermin8or]

PS3. PSP and PS vita all disagree with you.

[gigoran]

hahaha

oh wait you were being serious. let me laugh even louder

HAHAHAHAHA

[Mulando]

PS3 dead after PS4 release (expect for one racing game)
PSP dead after a few years (no more sony first party support)
Vita ... well same fate

[DashArrivals]

I stopped reading after 3 lines. SONY actually hit their sales goals. In every single way in regards to PSVR. They don't announce numbers because they don't want the brand new tech to be a slave to them. This is different. VR IS NEW ok. This is the beginning.

[CapitalGamerNZ]

Rubbish. Sony is the first to jump on the numbers bandwagon when they make for good reading. If PSVR had hit original sales estimates you would know about it. As it stands Sony have basically said they are happy with PSVR sales even though they revised down their estimate.

Sony did the same thing with Vita. Sales fell well below estimates so they started bundling sales numbers together the PSP to make for better reading.

I'm not saying PSVR will fail, its just waiting for its killer app, but when Sony goes quiet its for a reason and usually not one that suggests that numbers look good.

[thejigisup]

I think they are trying to feel the market out, they know Nintendo switch and Scorpio are coming and want to be able to stand toe to toe with them. They need to have something new and fresh when the other two consoles launch. Reminding consumers that they can buy the psvr and add a whole new experience instead of a whole new console with few games or support, I think the timing of the launch was poor considering two new skus for the ps4 came around the same time. It was a misstep as far as timing goes but then staying quiet for now I think it's a great strategy.

[kfk]

@CapitalGameNZ:
Where's your source on Sony 'revising down their estimate'? That didn't happen.

[Aenea]

@capital

Sony never released their sales estimate to the public. The one that some articles have been written about was by some market research company...

[ARESWARLORD]

You should have read what he wrote it was pretty good and I do hope it's not true but when Sony does go silent on something it's usually not good he's right a hundred percent my beloved PS Vita can tell you that when's the last time you seen the first party game for that beautiful little system

[TheCommentator]

Hit their sales goals? Funny, they didn't rlease sales figures yet and rumors suggest that their goals were reduced to 750,000. Sony didn't release numbers for PS3 when it wasn't meeting expectations either, just like MS isn't concerned with them now. Difference here is that unlike a home console, PSVR appears to be going the same direction as any other device made under the PS brand.

Think about the excitement built up around Eye Toy, PS2 HDD, Move, PSP, VITA... and Sony has failed to support all of them. They copied the Wii and couldn't support it well enough to make it a success! Seriously though, where is the after launch support for VR? New title announcements? AAA games? Plus the tech is barely passable, and CES debuted much better 2nd gen headsets already with features like built in cameras for hand tracking.

Oh, and let's not forget that MS sold 8 million Kinects in 2 months and still failed, so sales do not always equal success.

[dillydadally]

This is the exact opposite I think of what really happened. Every article that talks about the PSVR not meeting sales goals is moronic. How can it not meet their sales goals when every unit they put for sale is sold out within 15 minutes? I've been trying desperately to get a PSVR for 2 months now, including waking up at 3am to respond to in stock alerts, only to find out that it's out of stock by the time I can bring my phone to the website. Why would you pour a bunch of money into advertising something that you can't even keep in stock for 15 minutes? That would just frustrate people.

[Petebloodyonion]

Gee where do you live?
I live In Canada and you can easily buy one online
Here's proof: http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA...

[MatrixxGT]

Psvr has been available in US for a long while now. Only out of stock time was after intitial preorders and 1st retail shipments. After that you could buy one anytime you wanted, either bundled or stand alone.

[Mulando]

I had never the problem to get one. Only in the release week, but that is normal for a new device. When launching a device, you don't want to deliver more, that get bought, so you always underdeliver and create some hype for the product.
Problem ist, normally sony give us the numbers, if they are proud about the result.

[kneon]

@Petebloodyonion

it looks like they only have limited quantities, only one of the 25 closest stores to me had them in stock, Amazon only has them available from third parties at inflated prices, so supply is still tight.

[uth11]

How could PSVR not hit its sales goals when it sold out?

Selling every unit you were able to produce is failure now?

[Gamist2dot0]

I think they are silent because supply isn't meeting demand. If there are more supply than demand then that's when we'll see ads for it.

[kfk]

This is the right answer. It's still sold out in a lot of markets, so it does more harm than good to advertise it when people can't get it; you end up wasting your marketing dollars just to frustrate consumers.

Despite the shortages, it's still outsold Oculus and Vive combined, and Resident Evil 7, the most AAA VR game yet, is coming out in five days and it's exclusive to PSVR for a year. There's no reason for concern yet.

[dillydadally]

It's sold out EVERYWHERE. I've been trying to get one for 2 months straight.

[Taero]

Love VR but just want to chime in that it isn't exclusive to PSVR for a year, it's exclusive to the PSVR for VR versions, the actual game is out on other platforms.

[kfk]

@Taero: Yeah, that's what I meant.

[fenome]

Probably, plus they're usually quiet anyways until they hit significant milestones. Once supply is meeting demand and they've sold X amount of units they'll be promoting it harder.

[CapitalGamerNZ]

Supply cant meet demand so lets stop all marketing for the product?!? really?!? I would see that as a reason to fuel marketing and hype for a product, not to take your foot of the gas pedal. Keep demand high!!! Why let consumers potentially think that VR was a passing fad or a failure by just going quiet???

[Rude-ro]

Probably a beta phase.
Brand new product, Sony wants to gather information. Since it is sold out, they are not concerned right now.
They want to collect data before ramping up production just incase there needs to be tweaks.

[dillydadally]

This is exactly right, no matter what anyone else says. Anyone who doesn't think this is the case has not tried to get a PSVR. I've been trying for 2 months to get one now. I don't think people realize the demand for PSVR's right now. They sell out within 15 minutes every time any store gets them in stock. I'm on multiple stock alerts and get texts at 3 am telling me Amazon has restocked, only to find they are sold out by the time I can browse to Amazon on my phone. This is happening on every website. At least at this stage, PSVR couldn't possibly be more of a success.

[Skankinruby]

I really hope this thing succeeds. It has so much potential it would be sad to see that go to waste and not get the appreciation it deserves

[Kribwalker]

"When a company hides the real numbers it means huge problems." Corroios

[IamTylerDurden1]

The difference is, Sony has had manufacturing issues and PSVR has basically been unavailable for months. Restocks are only just now starting back up. They pulled advertising bc the product wasn't available. Why would a company boast about sales when it hasn't really been able to sell anything since launch? Now, Microsoft simply hides numbers bc they've sold less than half of their biggest competitor and it would look bad.

Krib

It was sold out bc ppl wanted it but also bc Sony had problems manufacturing the RGB screens. Sony simply could not provide VR units bc of this. PS4s shortages were more bc of the ridiculous demand. It's very different. They just could not make PS4s fast enough, but with PSVR they just couldn't make them period.

[Kribwalker]

If it was sold out everywhere (which Kaz has said "some retailers") then why wouldn't you trumpet the sales numbers? It never stopped them from trumpeting how many PS4s were sold in the early launch period when it was consistently sold out and had wait list to get the system at retailers

[BlackTar187]

well krib launch of ps4 probably was in the millions of units made and on shelves.

Anyways you love this news. I'll look for your skeptic take when Scorpio has oculous.

[CapitalGamerNZ]

"They pulled advertising bc the product wasn't available". This your view or did Sony announce they would stop marketing because of short supply???

[Kribwalker]

@blacktar

I'm not a VR fan, haven't been from the start. Don't like the idea of playing with a giant headset on when I spent over $3000on a big screen 4k tv and a high end home theatre system. So when oculus/Scorpio work together that won't really affect me

@tyler
This is the map of availability for PSVR in Canada at ebgames stores. Bestbuy also has them available
https://s30.postimg.org/4ao...

[Lime123]

Exactly. Where are numbers for Xbox One, Kinect and Gears of War 4?

[Elda]

I will continue to say it's all a fad & I'm glad I didn't waste my 500+ dollars on PSVR.I bought the PS4 Pro with a slew of games & a 4k hdr tv.....I couldn't be more content.

[FunAndGun]

well I am content with my PSVR. I can still play every game you can, and I can also experience VR. Don't know why you guys are so happy to make it fail, it has to start somewhere.

[Elda]

I could care less if it's a hit or if it fails,I never had any interest in it from the get go but I do remember 3D gaming & the Move & it's all disappeared now.

[DefenderOfDoom2]

reply to FunAndGun . Yeah i can not understand why people would want VR to fail . I tried PSVR and it is amazing ! Just don't have the time and money at this stage in my life . Hopefully i can pick one up next fall.

[Petebloodyonion]

I'm far from happy and I bought the device!
Like I said elsewhere in a post, Nintendo showed and announced for a console with no actual customers (Switch) 4 AAA games from known and respected brand (ZELDA, Mario, Splaton2 and Fire Emblem).
Aside from GT Sport, Sony as yet to announce 1 major AAA game for VR and are instead counting on the support of 3rd party.
This is quite problematic for a new hardware.
And no Farpoint does not count as AAA game just like 12 Switch or Arms is far from it on Switch.

[FunAndGun]

"I could care less if it's a hit or if it fails, I never had any interest in it from the get go"

"I will continue to say it's all a fad & glad I didn't waste my 500+ dollars"

So you don't care, but you want to validate your opinion. You also were not interested in it from the beginning but glad you didn't waste your money. I'm sure I could also find your comments in all the other VR posts about how much you don't care about it.

seems so legit....

[Elda]

This is what the comment section is for to make a comment.You can state that you like it & that's fine,just as I can state I think it's a fad & I never had any interest in it.You replied to me,Good day.

[WeAreLegion]

Try it. It's not just a new type of controller. It's a completely different experience. One that even the most harsh critics have fallen in love with.

[Death]

I think people have fallen in love with the potential VR has. I don't believe that potential will be realized on the current VR platforms including Vive, Rift and PSVR. It's not just hardware restricting VR though, software is also a big issue due to non VR games being shoe-horned onto VR and the new VR games lacking in substance. I think the issue developers face is how to translate movement into VR which has gamers stationary.

I think it's great that early adopters are embracing the technology, but I also understand why many gamers are waiting to see what happens. Having now tried all three systems, I don't personally see the games out now and coming in the next 12 months that justify a purchase.

[trooper_]

You have no interest and yet you're here, harping on this article.

[Elda]

Because I can just like you care to reply to me.

[gigoran]

I got both because I am not a poor hobo. I couldn't be more content

[Elda]

Poor at everything else...lmao!

[Yohshida]

Like I always said, VR is a fad. It was DOA and we don't hear anything out of the VR camp anymore. I just hope MS won't go all in on VR for the Scorpio and waste devs on making games for it.

[DashArrivals]

It's not dead. Geez some people. PSVR is the most successful real VR on the market. It's the only one on consoles. It's just a few months old. Lol, I can't wait for you guys to be proven wrong.

[SpinalRemains138]

You have never tried it.

'Fad' is probably the most inaccurate word to describe VR.

[Aenea]

MS doesn't have any studios to work on VR projects otherwise they can't release the next Halo, Forza and Gears...

[1nsomniac]

As a long time VR naysayer. I was bought PSVR as a Christmas gift off the wife. Only arrived a couple of days ago (still believe Sony faked stock quantities in order to create false hype which has backfired tremendously). Didn't have the heart to tell her I wasn't interested in it. Despite the really bad motion sickness I'm actually REALLY surprised at how good it is.

Playing the MARIO/Crash bandicoot hybrid demo on VR Playroom. Put a smile on my face bigger than I've had since I was a child. Then peeking behind picture frames in RE7 to see that they actually had hooks & string holding them to the walls, amazed me with the amount of additional detail beyond anything I've seen in this stagnant industry for a long, long time.

Saying that though, knowing Sony well, their silence on PSVR is most definitely a very bad sign of things to come unfortunately.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Yeah, I remember you not being a huge fan of VR. That's why I keep saying try it to those who call it a gimmick. It's easy to think that VR is just two screens close to your eyes that replace the right stick on the controller, but if you try it you'll see that it's way more than that. You actually feel like you're in the game in regards to vision and hearing.

It is not a gimmick, but actually a step in the right direction. I know people what a full length game like GTA or Battlefield for VR specifically, but people have to remember that if a game like that were to launch it'll need to sell those type of numbers to justify the budget needed to make that type of game. PSVR's install base or VR sales in general doesn't justify the budget yet. Would help if Sony would advertise VR as a must have experience. They need to ramp up the marketing(and stock production too).

[Petebloodyonion]

I agree with you. bought the PSVR on day one,
I am very impressed by the experience it's created and how immersive it can be.
I don't know how many time I played the kitchen Demo or let other tried it.
Like I said I'm concern about Sony's silence on games and subject when Nintendo went blaze and glory with lots of in house AAA games for the Switch.

[IamTylerDurden1]

PSVR was unavailable the entire holiday season bc Sony could not make stock available due to problems manufacturing the custom, rgb,OLED screens. Hence why they've been quiet, but as soon as stock is readily available and they're confident they can provide millions of units you will see them advertise again.

[gangsta_red]

Sony had problems with manufacturing? I never saw this article, what exactly was going on?

I don't know, PS4's were sold out in the beginning for while and Sony still advertised it, why would Sony not do the same now?

[gangsta_red]

@MRMagoo123

So what you're saying is now it's okay to not report the numbers? Good to know. And we are also comparing controllers to VR headsets?

Do you happen by chance to have the article about the manufacturing issues Sony had with PSVR? Because that may explain a lot more than what you're saying..

[ziggurcat]

@gangsta:

"Shipments would have been greater if it were not for one key problem: PlayStation VR was delayed until October and is still seriously supply constrained due to problems making its OLED displays."

https://www.canalys.com/new...

[xDealtwithIt]

@ziggurcat

So nothing official from sony? How come there hasn't been more reports from more popular sites about this issue?

Instead one passing mention from some obscure site says it.

Sorry but that doesn't make this a credible excuse and it definitely wouldn't mean Sony would stop advertising the VR, which by the way they haven't.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

So you're telling me there manufacturing problems yet Sony never came out and stated anything?

Are yall just pulling out excuses out of thin air?

I guess the Vita must be having manufacturing problem too since Sony isn't talking about it

[The 10th Rider]

Yeah, manufacturing issues would be something you'd HAVE to report to your investors. Also, if they had stocking issues then why would they revise their sales forecast downward? Their original estimate can't have been more than they produced.

[Aenea]

As ziggurcat posted above: https://www.canalys.com/new...

----
@the 10th rider

Sony never published any sales forecasts about PSVR, you're making that up or confusing forecasts made by SuperData....

[xDealtwithIt]

As ziggurcat took the only site that mentioned it. Why hasn't anyone else especially Sony make mention of this?

[jrshankill]

We accept your apology on behalf of Sony

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Considering how Sony loves to let Us know every time PS4 sells a cool amount of units, I would speculate VR won't be taking off anytime soon.

[Christopher]

3 announcements a year is 'every time'. Interesting.

I do agree, VR is very much a niche market right now in the gaming industry overall, though.

[IamTylerDurden1]

If Sony has sufficient stock over the next few months we will certainly get an announcement by march or may. PSVR is the most successful VR hmd even with massive stock shortages, it will be just fine.

[MRMagoo123]

VR is a peripheral they don't announce how many ds4 controllers where sold why would they do so with a headset ?

[fonger08]

Soooo you're saying PSVR is $400 dollar controller? Smh...

[Stogz]

Were you saying this nonsense last gen when every month MS was trumpeting from the towers how many months in a row they won? Being on the other side hurts doesn't it?

[rainslacker]

Sony generally only announces significant milestones, and the holiday sales. Half the sales mentions are after they release their quarterlies or yearly investor statements. The holiday tends to get it's own press release if they do well.

It's not like Sony yells their sales from the rooftops every month. MS does that regardless of if they did well or not, but Sony has been pretty silent this year about a lot of things.

[EverydayJoe]

You are just used to MS for the past 4 years not saying a word so Sony's quarterly updates are an annoyance to you.

[danny818]

Phil was right games feeling like tech demos. I would not pay full price for a VR game ATM.

[Silly gameAr]

They need to have a section on N4G called Phil Says. That way, all of the greatness and wisdom of Phil can be followed by the Phil faithful.

[OB1Biker]

Hahaha
I think there r plenty of those articles already though so good point ;)

[The 10th Rider]

You mean, the "Phaithful"

[danny818]

1. He did say it. 2. I have played it along with Oculas at the MS Store. VR is a fad. You'll see how Sony supports it in 2 years time.

[TheEnigma313]

I haven't been able to find one. They've been out of stock.

[kevnb]

in stock everywhere here in canada.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Then buy as many as u can bc they still are selling for hundreds more on Amazon and Ebay. I know Gamestop is supposed to be getting some restocks so perhaps they are just starting to come back, but i'm sick and tired of the bs ppl have been spewing since launch trying to convince ppl that PSVR wasn't sold out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/o...

[bleedsoe9mm]

ya you could get one anywhere even christmas week

[kevnb]

Are people actually buying them for those rip off prices?

[rainslacker]

I went to buy one yesterday at Wamart and GS, and they were sold out at both places. I ended up just buying a PS4P because I had $400 burning a hole in my pocket,and work isn't likely to give them out for free anytime soon.:(

[OB1Biker]

Yea I'm hoping I get some good news from Amazon soon since they r supposed to get some stock at the end of the month. Still managed to get all the accessories for now.

[kevnb]

blame the greedy scalpers for trying to resell them for profit.

[kevnb]

https://www.ebgames.ca/Stor...

[BizarroUltraman]

Here in US very hard to find.

[IamTylerDurden1]

They aren't available in America and haven't been for months, but as i said i've been hearing about restocks for the first time since launch so they should start to become available.

[Kocurstvo]

Of course its a bust....

[Wallstreet37]

How ppl.on here don't know that PSVR sold out and has been generally hard to find is amazing lol We had several articles weeks ago about ppl waiting for restock of psvr hence no talk.

[kevnb]

that should create more buzz, but its not. Sony never made that many of them and dont seem to have a lot of faith in it.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Sony had problems manufacturing the RGB screens. That is why there have been major shortages, not bc they didn't care. A company would be foolish to cut advertising and manufacturing on a brand new product during the holiday season simply bc "they didn't have faith". Why make the product in the first place then? It's just idiotic to think any company would purposely pull back on a brand new product a month after it launches, especially during the Christmas season. Use your brain, good lord.

[ShadowWolf712]

Sony sold over 750k of them in a few months. That's not shabby for a system that's constantly selling out.

[GrimDragon]

If resident evil and farpiont deliver an exceptional game experience then Iam inclined to believe That the bar is set by these two companies backed by positive sales and reviews other Devs will follow and Sony will put more into it. If not than psvr will fail miserably and Sony will move on. I feel it's all rolling on these two games at this point.

[OB1Biker]

Need more games supporting the aim controller, from big publishers too.

[XXanderXX]

Why is the author trying to group all VR HMD in an article about Sony silence on their VR headset sales . Sounds like he is trying to paint a broad picture of doom for all VR due to lack of sale numbers for this product

[fonger08]

Because Sony is the mainstream "gaming" option of the sets. They are looked at as the leader to really push these into everyone's living rooms/entertainment areas. But VR can't survive on gaming alone, it needs other applications to be successful for the long run. Can't help either that Sony shut down one a the few remaining studios that was working on VR games (Rigs). That typically doesn't signal positivity to the industry.

[XXanderXX]

Didn't look at it from that angle , but make sense.
Thanks for that bit of perspective.

[fonger08]

For sure! Of course you have the Samsung and Google VR headsets and those obviously help get them into the hands of the mainstream (mostly because they essentially give them away). But I think article is going after the big 3 in Sony, HTC, and Oculus.

[Bathyj]

With regards to VR in general, I hear a lot of people saying things like gimmick, and fad. Have you people played it? Because I dont know how you can say that if you have.

I've only played the Vive, and I thought I knew what to expect being an informed gamer but I was really blown away. If you havent tried it, you just cant know, and once you do, you will get it. Thats VRs problems, screen shots and videos cant convey what its like. Theres not way to know other than to try it yourself.

I played Serious Sam first, and let me first say, the graphics were crap, the screen door was very noticeable, and I was on a good PC. But it completely didnt matter. Thats what Im saying, THE GRAPHICS DONT MATTER. Once your in there, youre looking around, you look at you hands, theyre holding two massive guns and they point far off into the distance at an approaching target, it just feels right and all that examining at a pixel level rubbish just melts away. I was shooting, ducking, set stepping incoming fire. It was very natural and very fun. I can not wait to play a real FPS with this. Farpoint looks amazing.

Next I "played" a rollercoaster simulator. This is where Im totally sold. Sounds boring right? Well try it and try to understand the potential. Its impossible to stand on your feet why watching this. You fall over, you cant help it. You know you are not physically moving, but your brain can not disconnect from what you eyes are seeing. It becomes your reality. Its completely immersive like nothing you eyes have seen on a screen before.

Now think of the millions of ways this trickery could be used.

As far as people saying the tech isnt there yet, it will better in 5 years, well the truth is its what we have, and if VR doesnt take off it wont be there in 5 years, there will be no VR. VR has been tried before and failed because it was crap. Not its good enough to be at a consumer level and if it fails again no one will try it again until the 30's. Yes in decades time. Time to crap or get of the pot people, if you want it it has to be supported, and if your knocking it I suggest trying it first. You might be surprise just how good it is. I was, I really wasnt expecting that.

[Bathyj]

Exactly. The people who were raving about it to me werent even gamers, a fact they made sure to point out to me numerous time. "I dont even play games, but I cant believe how good it is".

So do you have the PSVR? Are you happy with it technically, is it good for watching movies?

[Bathyj]

Thanks Mate, appreciate the feedback

[starchild]

It really is something you need to experience first hand. People just don't get it otherwise.

[Bathyj]

It was like a lightbulb moment. When I put it on and looked around it was like, oh, I finally get it now.
What annoying is the amount of people calling it a gimmick that have no idea, or saying it will be better in 5 years but it won't exist in 5 years if not supported. It doesn't need better hardware, it just needs real games.

[toddybad]

Should have been the must have last xmas with hugely positive media coverage here in the uk but they messed up by not making enough so you couldn't get one after launch. Could gave been huge already.

[darx]

Too early o stay that but I am on the side VR will flop.

[ps5fanboy]

I thankfully went a different direction due to difficulty getting a V.r headset , invested in a pro and 40" hdr 4k Sammy series 6 , so glad I did.

When is sonys next big show? I expect some big V.r announcements.

[Athos]

To be honest, I enjoyed DriveClub VR and Battlezone, also the Kitchen was fantastic. However I returned mine to Amazon as lens fog and tracking issues were terrible on it compared to my Oculus. I am hoping for PSVR 2.0, but I have to admit VR in general I think is doing poorly. The tech is too expensive for most and it is getting killed by phone VR IMO.

Edit: I think this thing has a lot riding on it with Resident Evil 7. If that does poorly, not good.

[Vasto]

PSVR is done

[MetroidFREAK21]

I have 0 interest in VR. I don't want flashing lights that close to my eyes. Also, while the tech is impressive, I just think it's too soon for VR

[Armyntt]

None of us know the true supply and demand here. We all have our opinions. Mine is that the psvr was doomed to failure the moment its price was announced. At that price point it needed more games than we could possibly play and it had to work and work flawlessly from the beginning. I believe sony wanted the psvr to push the PS4 into the wii atmosphere. But the mainstream and average Joe gamer won't be interested unless it works and works perfect out of the box. That's not on sony btw but on vr in general. People are fickle and there is no time to wait and watch the technology grow. It had to work and work to peoples expectations the day it was released. People will ignore gear vrs issues because it's cheap. At 300+ it had to have games and work flawlessly with no setup

[RedPill86]

A gaming peripheral turning into a money pit? Color me shocked.

[Pancit_Canton]

Here's what happened to it

http://n4g.com/news/1975500...

Why would Sony advertise something clearly not available? That would make them look bad on both gamers and stock holders for not keeping out with the supplies.

[Petebloodyonion]

1) Okay if ppl can't find a PSVR (because it'on shortage) then come to Canada because All Ebay and Bestbuy ( http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA... do have some helmet available (there's no move bundle but they do have the helmet) in fact the only thing they don't take at the moment are used PSVR (don't ask why)

Now that we have established with facts (go see links) that you can buy a PSVR in a normal store we go to point 2

2) No commitment from Sony with games
Nintendo recently revealed the Switch a new console and last I checked Nintendo had 0 Switch sold yet they showed AAA games likes Zelda, a new Mario, a new Splatoon games and announced a new Fire Emblem games
4 games from popular established series.
Now Sony said, several times, that they would treat the PSVR like a new console so my question is where's the Uncharted VR, God of War Vr, Killzone VR, Last of us VR, Syphon Filter Vr, etc...
Nowhere!
The only thing we got was Rigs (a rocket league clone with no story mode), and they are banking on the VR mode of resident evil7 to sell some device (That's the only reason I purchased my PSVR and already paid the game instead of the 45$ version on Steam).

Now I do love my PSVR! It's quite a unique experience but having only TBA games from Sony's when Sony's love to yap about greatness with the upcoming PS4 line up doesn't bold well for the moment.

[ecchiless]

No commitment in games? xDDD

And you say nintendo showed only 4 games, and thats great for you? RE7 is coming, Ace combat is coming, Farpoint, GT Sport and more...

[Petebloodyonion]

Nintendo showed and announced several known AAA IP made by NINTENDO
- MARIO, Zelda, Fire Emblem, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2 with 3 titles playable in 2017
again theses aren't new IPS, they are majors established IP.

Now, what are the major VR games made by Sony studio that isn't from a 3rd party dev?
I can give you GT Sport but I have as much faith in Farpoint (a game made by a new independent studio) as I can have in 1-2 Switch.
As for the rest, they are from 3rd parties companies and my point is about SONY supporting their own Hardware instead of relying on others.

[Doopy]

Sony doesn't support games for their peripherals. Vita, VR, Move, ect. No way I'll spend 400 dollars knowing Sony's history and the fact they just closed down their biggest studio that is making vr.

[ZeekQuattro]

Glad someone noticed that too. When Sony fails at something they get quiet about it and move on. For instance these days I can't find decent estimates for lifetime Vita sells other than the usual well at least it sold better than the Wii U argument which is a great metric to go by let me tell you. Closing a big VR studio a few months after Rigs flops is damning as well. One tech demo and poof bye bye studio. If PSVR was selling Sony would be boasting about it like they do about the PS4 all the time and the fact that they aren't should be telling. Of course Sony could be using false scarcity marketing trick in hopes 2017 PSVR will be its breakout year and drive up demand.

[Coreymac7]

Got one for Christmas and I'm completely happy wth it thus far.

Batman: Arkham VR
EVE: Valkyrie
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
Thumper
Tumble VR
and yes, even Fruit Ninja VR is a blast and a completely different experience.

Upcoming:

Resident Evil 7
Ace Combat 7
Gran Turismo Sport
DiRT Rally
Farpoint

Among others...is a good start in my eyes. It's not perfect but it's damn fun. I suspect VR with PS5 will be the first mainstream jumpoff for many but I'm happy to be an early adopter of the experience.

[Petebloodyonion]

add me: Petebloodyonion on PSN, Have Valkyrie Eve too and already starting to be hard to play online.
I suggest Zen pinball, it's basic but best feeling of a pinball (the Vr view sell it)
favorite game at the moment: Rush of Blood!

[Sm3000]

I do know that I have been trying to get one for over a month and no dice. I have been using instock.net and every major store is sold out

[Trash_Report]

Sony split the team of people who worked on VR, obviously they are trying to expend the VR knowledge base to more studios and make more games for it.

[BigGamersSmallTalk]

The word "duh" comes to mind. VR is a fad like 3D-TV. I realize it's the cool thing to say here "Day one buy!" but let's be honest, hardly anyone bought it. At $500+ it's a huge investment, and Sony hasn't exactly supported peripherals in the past. VR is very much a gimmick, and has no killer apps.
People keep saying it's sold out, but every time I go into Walmart or Gamestop they have them in. The fact that Sony just closed a studio that did a VR game, laid off a ton of employees at another, I'd say it's a safe bet VR isn't here to stay.

[Christopher]

1. Go to amazon.com. Search for Sony VR. It's sold out and it's just resellers selling the bundles at way overpriced amounts. Now, your anectodatal evidence is cute. But, let's see what happens when I search for the same product on

Walmart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/...
Sold out and only being offered for more money by a third-party seller, and that third-party seller only has 2 in stock at that ridiculous price.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/...
Exact same as above.

GameStop
http://www.gamestop.com/bro...
Currently entirely unavailable new, only available for higher than new prices as pre-owned devices.

2. Seriously, $500 number again when the bundle with everything is only $400 and the other options are even cheaper. C'mon, stop just throwing out large numbers to support your bias.

3. Closing one studio who made one VR game that may not have done well is a sign that all VR isn't here to stay? What about all those devs on PC who continue to make VR games? Steam has over 60 games/demos in just January alone that are full VR or VR supported games: http://store.steampowered.c... 60 in one month.

Now, having said all that, I totally see not getting VR and considering it a gimmick. I'm also not into it and I also don't think it will contribute anything greatly to gaming on my end. But, that's where my opinion ends and anything after that is just rhetoric. As evidenced by your comment above and many other like it.

[Stogz]

I wish I could give you outing this guy 10 thumbs up. My wife got me 1 for Christmas and it was ridiculously hard to find these things, we only got lucky as a place just restocked when we went in.

[Petebloodyonion]

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA...
You can easily buy one here!

The helmet was always available in Canada (the move bundle is sold out)

[Christopher]

***You can easily buy one here! ***

By easily you mean 'limited quantities available'? Just checked EB/GameStop online and they have none online at all either. I'm going to assume that BestBuy having some right now has not been the norm. But, you are correct, at one online store in Canada you can currently buy the product. That must mean they're readily available at all the other places I've mentioned that are claiming to only sell from third-parties at higher prices?

[gamer7804]

its not in trouble, vr is a niche market, it will remain that way for a while, that doesn't mean its dead or dying.

[frostypants]

VR as a tech will be more than fine. Jury is still out on the PSVR simply due to the supply line issues they've had.

[hirobrotagonist]

.

[bluefox755]

Well, it's new tech, and expensive tech. I think they said it's performing to their expectations. Obviously it's not going to be a breakout hit until it's affordable enough to be truly mainstream. PSVR is doing better than other iterations such as Vive and Oculus though. In a few year, once developers truly grasp how to work with the hardware, I think we'll really see it start to take off. But once again, being new technology, this will take some time.

[Veneno]

Really? I'm sure Sony plans on supporting the device after launch. It would be awfully short sighted if there was nothing else major coming for psvr.

[Coreymac7]

Batman: Arkham VR
EVE: Valkyrie
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
Thumper
Resident Evil 7
Gran Turismo Sport
DiRT Rally
Farpoint
Ace Combat 7
Rigs
Rez Infinite

....honestly....thats a better first year lineup than the Nintendo Switch. :-|

[Pyrofire95]

We need games that aren't just tech demos but devs wont invest without an install base so they don't make games. I'm trapped.

[FunAndGun]

but there are games for it that are not tech demos. I know because I have them and play them.

[PizzaSteve]

Stop making up excuses for PSVR. It's a flop and most of you don't want to admit it because it's apart of PS brand. Sony already losing confidence in it by closing Guerrilla Cambridge because RIGS failed. So many games will fail to profit and because of that support will fail like it did with Vita.

[gigoran]

yeah sure
because they only spent tens of millions of dollars making it so obviously they are going to abandon it a few months later

seems legit

/s

[Petebloodyonion]

well they did abandon the Wonder Book at the start after taking so much air time on E3 saying that countless of titles were on development.

[gigoran]

cool story bro

[LAWSON72]

I hear about shortages but my small town Walmart had like four+ behind the glass when I went to get FFXV at launch. It couldnt have been that bad of a shortage. It is not like people couldnt look online or call to see those stock numbers at the store.

[captainexplosion]

Yeah, I know it's not really sold out everywhere like people say. My local Target and GS had them right before Christmas.

[alfcrippinjr]

VR is a waste of money it was tried in the 90s and that failed
this is going the same way all it was a big hype and nothing else.

if a product that is new has not got a good backup titles of good games for launch
your alarm bells should be ringing.

never trust well known review sites who have more likely got the item for free and are willing to give amazing feedback
and want to get all the hype up.

also the games are total expensive and are in no way full games more like a tech demos

[frostypants]

@alfcrippinjr : "VR is a waste of money it was tried in the 90s and that failed"

*facepalm*

It failed in the 90s because the consumer processing horsepower necessary wasn't there.

[GtBunnie]

Didn't Nintendo do a VR thing in the 80's?

Not surprised this is not taking off to be fair, it's far too early for the tech.

[DefenderOfDoom2]

The tech and games will get better for all VR companies , but the big question is, when will this happen ?

[sampson3121]

what should they talk about until they have more games releasing?

[Soulrakk]

Good gosh, I didn't see that coming. pfffft. VR is and always was just another peripheral, another luxury, another Kinect. It's a gimmick you can show off for a few minutes to your family and friends, experience how cool it is and then pull the plug. Never was anything for the mass audience.

[hahaha]

Silence is golden.

[LgbtWarrior]

Choice between this And a 4k tv with HDR. I Chose the tv. HDR is amazing and the headset doesn't support it. Ruined the experience for me. Psvr Just shot itself in the foot with that. A 4k hdr vr headset needs to come out

[DefenderOfDoom2]

Intriguing .

[captainexplosion]

It is concerning that Sony isn't making more vr games. I would love third person games like Gravity Rush 2 having VR support. First person games make people sick so I wish people would stop thinking VR has to be first person.

[datriax]

Sony washes its hands of another hardware failure this year. Feel bad for lemmings that actually bought this thing.

[airshiraz]

just finished resident evil 7 in vr (its available in dubai)and wowww .completeley satisfying i had a great experince and i cant wait for more games on vr .maybe it fails in movies or other markets but its a gamer dreammmm

[mahmoods26]

It's an emerging technology. Sony has never been great with supporting it's console add ons but that doesn't mean it won't do well. It's more a matter of time to see if the VR fad will go anywhere or just fade away.

[Profchaos]

It's been sold out since launch in Australia until recently

[originaljohn]

PSVR is a hot mess right now. The main problems are power and cost. It's to expensive for customers and developers. It's also not wireless a VR headset requiring a power lead is the stupidest tech limiting fail since Vita memory cards.

[Mister_G]

Adding YouTube 360 support was a smart move :)

[Shuckylad]

For me the major problem with psvr is the games look like ass compared to normal ps4 games.

[Star51]

The people who are whining can't afford it. Wait til E3. So much crow-eating.

[Kokyu]

Vr was never hear to stay. The tech is still too expensive, uninteresting and a gimmick. VR is this gens motion controls.

[PGRfox]

I've said this in at least a dozen posts before PSVR launched. VR is not for hardcore gamers and is not the future of gaming. It may be successful in other markets, but not gaming.

[DashArrivals]

No one thinks it's the future of gaming. It's just another way to play games. Everyone knows that normal way of playing games on a TV will never change and will always be the most popular. But there is room for VR and the people that want it. VR is so awesome.

[C-H-E-F]

I keep reading about people saying well wait until PSVR2 uhm to you all... You idiots, yes to all of you saying this, YOU IDIOTS PSVR2 won't exist if we don't support PSVR lmao... anyways, the PSVR is doing just fine it's sold out everywhere, I live in Atlanta, GA 'USA' and it's sold out everywhere. They just need to restock it, games on it is solid, I play it a bit less now coming into the new years because i bought alot of PS4 games, but RE7 should change that next week. Anyways games will be coming out for the VR, you all act like every console comes out with games stacked like it never worked like that lOl Year 2 is always the year of the console.

[Donjune]

It's a fad! The gamers I know are not into this BULLSHIT!

[GordyNYC]

Judging by the amount of comments on this story Id say there is some interest. Unless you've tried it you wont understand that this is the future of gaming and not a gimmick. There are still some kinks to work out like the nausea that creeps up on certain experiences and the blurry 360 videos. When its fully working the experience is truly magical. I hope SONY supports the device on PC and makes a deal w either Oculus or HTC to support the platform outside of the PS4.

[PersonMan]

VR is the new 3D. There's too many compromises and not enough gains. Look at DriveClub VR... it looks like a PS3 game for Pete's sake... just to hit the frame rate?

[DashArrivals]

You've got to understand, that when you look at VR gameplay on a normal screen it looks really terrible, but it changes when you have the headset on. The immersion factor is huge. It just feels much better. Drive Club is really fun to play in VR, GT-sport will be better I believe. But we shall see.

[dolfa]

PSVR is the only VR that is affordable for me, but as i don't have console I'm very skeptical on how well it performs on PC. If it was more compatible with PC im sure it would had much more demand.

[neoandrew]

Of course if m$ is not sharing xone sales numbers then everyone knows it is because there are low, but if sony is not sharing psvr sales number then out of sudden nobody knows why and sony fans says we need to wait and shouldn't interpret it wrong..

yeah gg with that...

[DashArrivals]

Ok, so because MS are not announcing numbers, then that must mean the Xbox One is a complete disaster and has failed?

yeah gg with that...

[neoandrew]

no, but the sales are not good, way behind ps4, so psvr sales thus must be below sony expectations and this is the pure reason they are not public, if they were great, why not announce it...

[Sm3000]

Sony just announced YouTube 360 video support yesterday

[Mr-Writer]

Not having any to buy will kill it more.

I'm quickly losing interest in buying one as I can't buy one.

[Wolfgang187]

The full Star Wars VR game needs to come yesterday. I mean they literally could just give an HD update to the original X-wing game and give it the same environmental controls as the Battlefront VR mission and I'll have my 1st, must play VR title that I spend hours and hours and hours in. The Battlefront VR mission is the 1st thing that was both fun and also didn't make me even remotely sick.

[xPaYDaYx]

I feel bad for anyone that was silly enough to actually buy into it. VR is cool sure, but it still has a very long way to go. Give it another decade or two and then people might take it seriously.

[DashArrivals]

It's getting taken seriously right now. I played the Resident Evil 7 demo on mine and it was amazing and made everything so much scarier. I feel sorry for people like yourself you just can't see what is happening here and it's potential.

VR is amazing and immersive like you've never known. It's only a few months old, PSVR. Let it breath. When they get more stock. You'll see. You're acting like PSVR got bad reviews or something. All the reviews for it were positive. Just wait. This is new tech, so let it grow. If you're not interested... then get the F out of the way.

[Bismarn]

*clutches Vita, Sony Reader, Clio, and MiniDisc Player. "It will be okay, they've never let us down before."

[Silly gameAr]

Lol petty.

[acemonkey]

Enjoying mines! Plus ive seen ads on psvr on tv

[PistolsAtDawn]

If it was meeting or exceeding expectations...guarantee we'd never hear the end of it on here. I do hope the tech takes off...it just doesn't seem to be quite there yet. Once you can simply put on a VR headset and turn any game into a VR game (or not)...then it will be there. However, right now on PSVR...most (if not all) games are simply glorified tech demos.

[JasonKCK]

PSVR $99 and Sony would have a hit.

[Brisco]

In the Netherlands they are available everywhere. Same goes for Germany...

[Sm3000]

RE7 should help

[hirobrotagonist]

.

[blanka4545]

suprises are on the way lol! let's go Sony and one day left about for re 7 yeah!! Let 2017 reign with vr goodies!