PlayStation VR2 sales reportedly soared on the first day of the console’s current deep price cut.
In case you missed the news, the PSVR 2 is currently on sale for $350, a huge discount off its regular price of $550.
Shortcut reports that a source cited retailer data showing that sales of PSVR 2 headsets increased by 2,350% on the first day of the sale compared to the previous day, meaning more units were sold in a single day so far this year.
Price matters
If this data is correct, it highlights how important price is to the adoption of VR headsets today and provides strong evidence to support the argument that the PlayStation VR2 is too expensive.
The PlayStation VR2’s usual MSRP of $550 makes it more expensive than not only its predecessor but also the PlayStation 5 console itself — an unprecedented strategy for this type of accessory, but one that doesn’t seem to be working.
Weeks after the first anniversary of the PSVR 2’s release, Sony shut down the developer behind the original PSVR smash hit “Blood & Truth” and laid off employees at its “Horizon Call of the Mountain” studio. Then, in March, Bloomberg reported that Sony was suspending production of the PSVR 2 headset to clear its inventory of unsold units.
The $350 price tag appears to be below the threshold of what consumers are willing to pay for the PlayStation VR 2. However, it’s unclear how many buyers will pay $350 for the PSVR 2 to use with a PlayStation 5, and how many will use it with the upcoming PC adapter.
During his time at Meta, John Carmack revealed that the company saw sales grow exponentially for every $100 price reduction, not linearly as people would expect. Meta is also currently dealing with the price sensitivity of the current consumer market. At $500, the company’s Quest 3 is more expensive than its predecessor, and sales have dropped significantly. To address this, Meta plans to launch the Quest 3S at around $300, which will significantly increase sales.
For Sony, the future of the PlayStation VR2 will depend on how it responds to the obviously significant sales boost of $350: is this simply a summer discount or a new price point to keep the momentum going for the rest of the year?
