Sony Slashes PlayStation VR2 Headset Output After Pre-Orders Disappoint--Something Apple needs to be concerned about?

[XboxEvolved]

You can check out the full article here. But this goes back to something I've always said about anything that goes on your head be it 3DTV glasses, VR, AR, or whatever. People hate putting crap on their heads. I've used VR before, I owned something that was lower-end but enjoyable (the original PSVR) but there is just such a high learning curve to these devices for many people.

Will Apple's AR/VR even be something they are expecting to become a serious category or will it be a "hobby" ala tv back in the day? I'm sure Apple is also seeing this news along with the news of Meta and Microsoft scaling back their AR/VR efforts and maybe having second thoughts.

A second (but very unlikely) scenario is whatever Apple shows are iPhone-caliber game-changing. I will continue to remain incredibly skeptical of VR/AR and roll my eyes at anybody that claims it's any more than a niche market.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

There will also be a niche market that will find the tech cool and even fork out the money but there will never be mass adoption until you get something the size of sunglasses regardless of functionality so unless Apple has some super secret tech then it's a product that's dead on arrival. Assuming rumors about a Apple VR product are true.

 

[XboxEvolved]

There will also be a niche market that will find the tech cool and even fork out the money but there will never be mass adoption until you get something the size of sunglasses regardless of functionality so unless Apple has some super-secret tech then it's a product that's dead on arrival. That's assuming rumors about a Apple VR product are true.

I'd say they are. It's pretty hard for them to keep anything secret anymore.

 

[vladi]

Actually it was the first headset they made that was overpriced. It was crap compared to Oculus at the time. This time around PSVR2 is the most tech cramped headset on the market. But people still don't give a damn.

If you've been thorough VR craziness in the 90s like I was I've never expected anything out the new recent wave of VR/3D Cinema etc. Sure it's improved hell a lot and it kicks ass but the downsides remain exactly the same.

On a side note I have no clue how Apple will manage a hybrid of VR and AR. Maybe with a dual visor or something cause AR being projected on VR screens is horrible idea.

 

[XboxEvolved]

Actually it was the first headset they made that was overpriced. It was crap compared to Oculus at the time. This time around PSVR2 is the most tech cramped headset on the market. But people still don't give a damn.

If you've been thorough VR craziness in the 90s like I was I've never expected anything out the new recent wave of VR/3D Cinema etc. Sure it's improved hell a lot and it kicks ass but the downsides remain exactly the same.

On a side note I have no clue how Apple will manage a hybrid of VR and AR. Maybe with a dual visor or something cause AR being projected on VR screens is horrible idea.

Eh I had PSVR and it was ok I suppose, and what made it easier to swallow was it didn't cost more than the actual console you were buying it for. Asking someone to spend $500 and then another $550 for something before taxes that apparently isn't actually BC with previous titles is a bit much.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Eh I had PSVR and it was ok I suppose, and what made it easier to swallow was it didn't cost more than the actual console you were buying it for. Asking someone to spend $500 and then another $550 for something before taxes that apparently isn't actually BC with previous titles is a bit much.

Sony tends to be their own worst enemy. People get on Apple for their upsell and how they price their products but Sony has this incredible knack to take a really good product and find a way to screw it all up.

When they introduced the original PSP, they found away to cutoff third party accessories which meant you had to buy Sony memory cards. The UHD discs were priced close to that of videogames on other consoles including the PS2. The PS Vita took it up several notches above that because you had to buy over priced memory cards from Sony and it stayed that way as they made the memory cards proprietary. That began the downfall of the PS Vita which I purchased. It was a slick piece of hardware and even to this day can compete with the Nintendo Switch, hardware wise.

I was slightly intrigued by the PSVR2 as I have never owned a VR headset and then I saw the PRICE and said, um, no thanks. I'm NOT paying for an accessory that costs more than the PS5. Then of course the games on offer or lack there of did not help.

I see the PSVR2, possibly being a flop unless Sony drops the price to at least $399 and possibly more. This is a niche segment of gaming and currently, the economy is crap, people losing their jobs etc. This is not a time to be pricing gear that is not required to enjoy a game that is considered too much for the average gamer.

What gets me is that Sony is willing to take a loss on the Playstation console because they can make up for it with game sales but are not willing to take a hit on the VR side. Sure they will incur losses but it would attract more gamers and drive VR game sales as more are willing to give VR a try.

 

[XboxEvolved]

Sony tends to be their own worst enemy. People get on Apple for their upsell and how they price their products but Sony has this incredible knack to take a really good product and find a way to screw it all up.

When they introduced the original PSP, they found away to cutoff third party accessories which meant you had to buy Sony memory cards. The UHD discs were priced close to that of videogames on other consoles including the PS2. The PS Vita took it up several notches above that because you had to buy over priced memory cards from Sony and it stayed that way as they made the memory cards proprietary. That began the downfall of the PS Vita which I purchased. It was a slick piece of hardware and even to this day can compete with the Nintendo Switch, hardware wise.

I was slightly intrigued by the PSVR2 as I have never owned a VR headset and then I say the PRICE and said, um, no thanks. I'm NOT paying for an accessory that costs more than the PS5. Then of course the games on offer or lack there of did not help.

I see the PSVR2, possibly being a flop unless Sony drops the price to at least $399 and possibly more. This is a niche segment of gaming and currently, the economy is crap, people losing their jobs etc. This is not a time to be pricing gear that is not required to enjoy a game that is considered too much for the average gamer.

What gets me is that Sony is willing to take a loss on the Playstation console because they can make up for it with game sales but are not willing to take a hit on the VR side. Sure they will incur losses but it would attract more gamers and drive VR game sales as more are willing to give VR a try.

Yeah, I don't think they've ever lost money on PS5. Same with Microsoft and Xbox Series consoles. The last gen the same way. That model of selling at a loss kind of went out the window over a decade ago with the original Xbox and the PS3. Neither company could afford those losses anymore. Microsoft technically sold 360 at a loss for a few years due to RRoD problems but they definitely recovered from it pretty quickly. Nintendo out of all of the big three probably has the biggest margins for obvious reasons.

EDIT: Apparently they could be possibly selling at a loss or at least were at one point due to prices raising because of COVID, but Sony also has a lot of control over their supplies and makes much of the components themselves.

 

[MrWayne]

I want to bring a note from my experience. I love apple! My current experience with the quest pro after using it for many days. The experience is different when you do not block your side views. If you sit and watch movies, browse or code/model on AR were you can actually see your surroundings! The only thing you notice is the frame of the glasses. It’s not annoying but it makes a big difference. I think apple will try to make their glasses were you can easily see through them without blocking the sides.

The PlayStation once are very expensive and you have to cash in for the PS5. Being a standalone VR headset is really the deal for me.

If apple can make the glasses easy so it does not feel like you are wearing a big black box then we are getting closer to a good experience

Once you are in AR. The iPhone/iPad experience is very out dated.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple should absolutely be careful entering this market.

They have no secret software sauce (nor some amazing content library) to fall back on either.

If one thinks Apple can just walk into this space and "dominate", they have Cupertino tinted glasses on.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Apple should absolutely be careful entering this market.

They have no secret software sauce (nor some amazing content library) to fall back on either.

If one thinks Apple can just walk into this space and "dominate", they have Cupertino tinted glasses on.

I tend to agree because even back in 1996 when VR was in Dave and Busters restaurants, it was still all about entertainment. The same holds true today. The one thing that really drives VR whether it's Valve, Meta, Playstation selling a VR kit, is it all boils down to games which is entertainment.

If Apple decides not to focus on games it could still work for Apple but they will sell fewer VR headsets and it will stay niche. I am also on the same page as the previous comment. I have not gotten into VR because I don't want to wear oversized goggles on my head.

 

[sam_dean]

I can say with confidence that I will not be part of the 1st buyers of it until it offers a compelling feature.

I delayed purchase of a Apple Watch until the 2018 Series 4 as it debuted the ECG feature.

 

[someone33]

The fact that you can't connect the PS5 VR2 to a PC is what kills it. They probably wouldn't be able to keep up with demand if you could.

And that's the biggest question for me with the Apple headset. What are the chances it will be able to connect to be used with a PC?

 

[Heat_Fan89]

The fact that you can't connect the PS5 VR2 to a PC is what kills it. They probably wouldn't be able to keep up with demand if you could.

And that's the biggest question for me with the Apple headset. What are the chances it will be able to connect to be used with a PC?

Sony is trying to sell PS5's so that is understandable because it doesn't have to compete with anything else. It's biggest downfall is the price because it cost more than the console and PS gamers will buy it if it has compelling games. I don't see any to make me part with my cash.

The other problem Sony has is that it is sticking to the same formula as before. If you can't introduce a fresh idea for VR, then apply VR to an existing game and hope it sells.

 

[Bodhitree]

I recall coming across this essay on Daring Fireball:

Why VR/AR Gets Farther Away as It Comes Into Focus — MatthewBall.co

Thirteen years after XR devices became a big tech obsession, VR/AR devices are not just behind schedule, they still seem far away. Why?

www.matthewball.vc

I thought it was a pretty good writeup of why metaverse-enabled AR/VR glasses are not yet technically feasible, and are in fact a fair distance away in years of development of chipsets, battery tech, screens and so on.

Something that shoots for a lower bar, but is still a viable product may still happen. We will have to see if Apple has managed to find a combination that works for todays technology.

 

[fs454]

This article was bogus, by the way. Sony didn't slash anything, sales aren't disappointing because the damn thing isn't even out yet.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

This article was bogus, by the way. Sony didn't slash anything, sales aren't disappointing because the damn thing isn't even out yet.

It may not be bogus. Don't forget that it's so much consumer sales but shipped sales that most retailers and mfgs look at. If stores or retailers are not ordering enough of the item, that could also be construed as disappointing sales.

 

[venom600]

This article was bogus, by the way. Sony didn't slash anything, sales aren't disappointing because the damn thing isn't even out yet.

It said PREORDERS were disappointing and I believe it. I've gotten several emails from Sony telling me that sales are open and I can preorder it.

 

[MarkC426]

You can check out the full article here. But this goes back to something I've always said about anything that goes on your head be it 3DTV glasses, VR, AR, or whatever. People hate putting crap on their heads. I've used VR before, I owned something that was lower-end but enjoyable (the original PSVR) but there is just such a high learning curve to these devices for many people

I used a Rift DK2 many years ago (on my Mac...) until it lost support at about Yosemite I think.
This was only used for viewing 360 renders I produced, and worked great.

I then bought a Samsung phone specifically to use with a Gear VR, some of the games where pretty immersive, BUT I found I couldn't stay in there for more than 40 mins without getting really spaced out.

I have lost count how many times the 'VR revolution' has re-emerged.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I found I couldn't stay in there for more than 40 mins without getting really spaced out.

That's another reason why I haven't tried VR. I've heard others experiencing something similar like becoming disoriented after using it for awhile.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I’m very excited for PSVR2 after seeing the first looks at Gran Turismo in there.

Great to see a mainstream offering doing foveated rendering.

 

[XboxEvolved]

This article was bogus, by the way. Sony didn't slash anything, sales aren't disappointing because the damn thing isn't even out yet.

The article simply says Sony has slashed production based on pre-orders which is fine. The fact that it is coming out this month and there has been little to no hype around it is also interesting almost as if though Sony isn't sure how much money to even initially put into it.

 

[NotTooLate]

Do you think Sony is making money on this headset ? Index , a 4 years old headset is 1000$ kit , they are planning on making money on the games , as they always did , maybe even get some new PS5 owners just for this , or some folks who debate Xbox or PS to be "future proof" by getting the console with the VR support.

The new PSVR2 games are AAA polished games , I expect them to have the best gaming catalog in a year , indie is great for regular PC , but in VR the low budget games actually feel like it , demos at best , HL:Alyx is still the best VR game ever made (years in).

Im sick of VR devs caring only for the quest as it sells the most leaving us with **** games that run on a mobile processor , Meta killed the VR space with their monopoly , PCVR is in dire need of a boost , funnily enough , Sony might save it.

 

[MrWayne]

You guys don’t know it yet. The stand alone experience on the quest pro for work is a huge deal. You don’t want to go back to iPhones and iPads. You can plug it in a gaming rig and play games. The see through with the quest pro is a class of its own. The experience is very pleasing.

I would rather have a stand alone quest pro connected to a steam gaming rig than a ps5.

 

[sam_dean]

This is a sign to delay further to after the Mac Pro gets released.

 

[iZac]

"Sony slashes PSVR 2 production because they're afraid Apple is about to wreak havoc in the VR industry and they need to hunker down during the storm"

Haha, sorry I'm being glib, if anything Apple's supposed high price will push interested but price sensitive consumers into the lower end of the market. After all, the combined price of a PSVR 2 and PS5 is less than a Quest Pro!