PSVR2 is "kind of screwed" without more first-party titles, analyst claims

If the PSVR2 wants to outsell its predecessor, Sony will have to provide more of a reason for VR enthusiasts to purchase it, according to one analyst.

In Edge Magazine issue 380, games analyst George Jijiashvili suggests rough times lie ahead for Sony's newest VR headset unless it "show[s its] own first-party commitment to this device."

According to Jijiashvili's predictions, the PSVR2 will sell 1.6 million units in 2023. That's a sizable drop from the 1.9 million PSVRs sold in 2017. With the global chip shortage showing signs of improvement, however, Jijiashvili recognizes that increased access to the PS5 could bolster sales of the PSVR2 as well. This would hopefully take the active installed playerbase to 10 million users by 2027; an "optimistic" estimate, Jijiashvili says. His hopes are predicated on the assumption "that Sony can deliver some really compelling games to drive sales in 2023."

Jijiashvili  suggests that the potential issue is that there are too few PSVR2 exclusives on offer to justify the hefty pricetag, especially if you already own a similar next-gen headset. 

With the PSVR2 slated to launch this month, Horizon: Call of the Mountain is one of the few games set for its day-one release alongside the headset. Meanwhile, the likes of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Switchbackhave already been pushed back to March 16, 2023, and most other games on the roster have been remastered from their Meta Quest 2 and original PSVR versions.

In Jijiashvili's opinion, writes Edge, Sony is targeting an enthusiast market with PSVR2. If Call of the Mountain is the only first-party game to release on day one, "then they're kind of screwed," he says. "These dozen or so games [...] will not carry a $550 peripheral for a console."

For more information about the PSVR 2, you can check out the full cover feature in Edge 380, on sale now via Magazines Direct - or get an early look at Edge 381.