It looks like VR had quite the Holiday season, as VR headsets saw a massive surge in sales. The surprising bit is that the Meta Quest 2 and 3 have managed to outsell PlayStation’s VR headset, the PSVR2, by 30:1 on Amazon.
Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 Sold Over 300K During the Season
According to data gathered from the VR-focused site Road To VR, Meta Quest VR headsets were the top-selling VR headsets on Amazon for this Holiday season, selling roughly 320,000 units. This total is a combined amount of the Quest 2 and 3 sales, accounting for the period between November 16 and January 16.
In comparison to PSVR2, PlayStation’s newest VR headset for the PS5, its sales came in at an estimated low of 10,500.
To put this into perspective, for every PSVR2 headset sold, 30 more Quest headsets were sold. That’s a 30:1 ratio, which is quite insane. But why?
Why Are the PSVR2 Sales So Low?
While PlayStation’s PSVR2 offers what many (including us in our review) would say is one of the best VR experiences, the headset does come with some pretty significant drawbacks. For one, it’s a wired experience, limiting players in movement and such, as opposed to the Quest headsets, which are fully wireless.
Because of that, the Quest headsets can work as a standalone device. It doesn’t need additional hardware but is compatible with a PC for added power.
The PSVR 2, on the other hand, requires the PS5. Retailing for $500 for the PS5 and $550 for the PSVR2, you’d be looking at spending over $ 1,000 just to play VR on PlayStation. The Quest 3’s cheapest model is also $50 cheaper than the PSVR2, coming in at $500.
That makes the Quest far more attractive as a VR headset, even if it’s missing some major features that the PSVR 2 has, like foveated rendering and eye-tracking. Many would see the PSVR2 as an affordable headset for PC if it was compatible with it, as to get those features it has, you’d have to spend up to close to over $1000 on a set alone.
Another big draw for the Quest headsets is using them on a PC. PSVR2 doesn’t have that capability, limiting its user base and VR library to those on PlayStation only. The PSVR2 may have some major hits like Gran Turismo 7 and Horizon Call of the Mountains, but it lacks many, like Half-Life Alyx, Bonelab, and many more.
There are still PSVR2 games that are being made and developed, but at the moment, nothing from PlayStation itself, which has also been a cause of concern.
Will we see a price cut for the PSVR2 anytime soon? What about the announcement of major IPs? PC support?