On February 22 this year, Sony's new generation of VR headset PS VR2 with the game console PS5 was released globally simultaneously, and its National Bank version was priced at 4499 yuan. Due to Sony's continuous cultivation in the console game market for many years, coupled with the strong performance of PS5 after its release, PS VR2, as Sony's next-generation console VR headset, has attracted close attention from players, game and XR industry practitioners and related media from all over the world. Now that half a year has passed, how the actual performance of this XR product that was once expected is today, let's make a brief review today.
First of all, review the main functions and features of PS VR2: it is a VR headset used with PS5, and the headset part is connected to PS5 through a Type-C data cable; The two handles adopt Inside-Out positioning tracking method; The optical system still uses Fresnel lenses; OLED display has monocular 2000×2040 resolution, 90/120Hz refresh rate and about 110° FOV; The headset has black and white perspective function and eye tracking function, which can achieve accurate eye interaction and gaze rendering in the game; The controller has haptic feedback and HD vibration functions comparable to the PS5 controller.
In terms of sales, according to the data currently publicly available, the PS VR2 has sold nearly 600,000 units in 6 weeks of release (as of early April), which is better than the same period data of the previous generation PS VR (about 550,000 units). After that, we haven't found any other data on PS VR2 sales, but it's worth noting that PS VR has sold more than 5 million units in its entire lifetime, and Sony officials predict that PS VR2 is likely to surpass PS VR in sales.
In terms of content, we counted the number of PS VR2 content in Hong Kong and American servers as of August 22, of which a total of 97 Hong Kong servers were launched, 26 were released (that is, paid downloads were not yet available), and 128 were released and 31 were released soon. From this data, it can be seen that the content that has been released so far accounts for about 75% of all online content, while the content that has not been released is 25%.
Among the Hong Kong service content, the number of content above HK$100 is 63, that is, more than two-thirds of the content is relatively high in price. Correspondingly, the number of content above $20 in the US service is 55, that is, the higher price content accounts for less than 50% of the US service.
Further comparing Hong Kong clothing and American clothing, we find that almost all Hong Kong service content is included in the American service content, that is, PS VR2's American service content is richer than Hong Kong service, and Hong Kong service does not have its own exclusive content. Relatively speaking, some well-known VR game masterpieces on Steam (such as "Pavlov" and "The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners" series) have only landed on American servers and not Hong Kong servers, which shows that North America is still the largest market for console games and VR games.
Judging from the titles of the games that have been launched, most of the works are third-party VR games that have landed on the Steam platform, and there are only a few content developed by Sony first-party or exclusive to PS VR2. Among the games we have already experienced (including those we have experienced on Steam), the only exclusive works that impressed us are "Horizon Call of the Mountain", "Resident Evil Village (Resident Evil 8)", "GT Racing 7", "HUMANITY", "Synapse" five games, and "Resident Evil Village", "GT Racing 7" and "HUMANITY" are all consoles/ VR dual-platform game, the console version has a better experience than the VR version. The only notable works are "Horizon Mountain Call" and "Synapse", but they both have a serious problem - the size of the game is seriously insufficient compared to its high price.
Among the larger number of third-party games, we found that many titles were released seriously behind their Steam versions, such as the hit "Vertigo 2" in the first half of the year, which landed on Steam on March 31, and its launch time on the PS VR2 store was recent and still in the upcoming state. The reason for this is most likely that the developer is porting the original game, or the port version is still in Sony's official review process. In any case, it seems difficult for players to play third-party VR games on PS VR2 for the first time - Steam and Quest are still the preferred content ecology of VR game developers.
In addition, for players, the price of the same game is also very likely to be different on the two platforms of Steam and PS VR2, and its Steam version tends to be sold for less. This is partly determined by Sony's business strategy for the console business: consoles don't make money (or even lose money), they mainly make money from content, so games tend to sell more expensive than other platforms. On the other hand, Steam itself is like a vegetable market, which contains both sunshine and snow, but also full of a large number of inferior low-priced content, such a "quantity is greater than quality" strategy determines that Steam can often increase its user base and turnover through discount promotions, so players can often buy the games they want at the lowest price on the Steam platform.
Based on the above, it is not difficult to conclude that PS VR2 does not have an advantage in terms of third-party content, whether it is the release time or the unit price of the game. Of course, we cannot ignore the advantages of PS VR2 in third-party content: first of all, its own hardware performance is stronger than most PC VR headsets and VR all-in-one machines using streaming methods on the market; Secondly, the PS VR2 content ecology has a stricter screening mechanism for works than Steam, and the trial and error cost of players choosing games is lower; Finally, and crucially, many European and American players are only console game users, except for game consoles do not choose to buy games on the PC, so these players can only choose PS VR2 if they want to experience VR games.
To sum up, half a year after its release, the PS VR2 we saw showed such a phenomenon in the content ecology: the exclusive content of high-quality products is scarce, the number of third-party content is acceptable but the launch time is later and the price is higher, the content of American servers is richer than that of Hong Kong servers, and North American users can enjoy more high-quality content than Chinese users. Coupled with the fact that PS5+PS VR2 is not cheap, we believe that PS VR2 is only suitable for heavy console gamers who want to try VR games at this stage, and the cost of choosing PS VR2 is relatively high for non-console gamers and light gamers. Unless a certain number of boutique exclusive VR games appear later, PS VR2 is not the most cost-effective choice for mass consumers to experience VR.
For manufacturers, we are very much looking forward to Sony's official follow-up to launch more high-quality exclusive VR content, especially works combined with Sony's high-quality exclusive IP, such as "Horizon Mountain Calling" is a good case. Finally, we are also very excited about the upcoming Resident Evil 4 Remastered VR mode at TGS this fall, and hope that it will perform as well as the console version of Resident Evil 4 Remastered.
Appendix:
PS VR2 Hong Kong server content list (sorted by launch time, as of August 22)
「No Man's Sky」「Thumper」「Moss」
"Cave Digger: Riches", "Puzzle Cruise", "Resident Evil Village"
"GT Turismo 7", "Moss: Book II", "Startenders: Startenders"
「Transformers Beyond Reality」「Cosmonious High」「Vacation Simulator」
「The Light Brigade」「After the Fall - Complete Edition」「Drums Rock」
"Job Simulator", "Jurassic World Aftermath Collection", "Swordsman VR"
「The Tale of Onogoro」「Townsmen VR」「Unplugged - Air Guitar」
「Zenith: The Last City」「ALTAIR BREAKER」「FANTAVISION 202X」
「LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT」「WHAT THE BAT？」 "Alien Realm: Lost in Time and Space"
「Kayak VR: Mirage」「Kizuna AI - Touch the Beat! 」「 The Last Clockworker"
「Song in the Smoke Rekindled」「Demeo：地城奇谭」「Rez Infinite」
「Tetris Effect: Connected」「Ragnarock」「Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder」
「Before Your Eyes」「The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR」
「Seeker: My Shadow」「Last Labyrinth」「The Last Worker」
「Across the Valley」「AFTERLIFE VR」「Qrgan Quarter」
「Another Fisherman's Tale」「Walkabout Moni Golf」「HUMANITY」
"Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue" and "Nock"
"Beat Saber", "Travel The Words", "Break East and West", "Virtual Reality"
「TRIPP: A New Way to Meditate」「Pixel Ripped 1978」「Hubris PS VR 2」
「C-Smash VRS」「Synapse」「VR Skater」
「Green Hell VR」「Crossfire: Sierra Squad」
「Super Death Game SHOW! VR」「TOSS! 」「Broken Edge」
「VERY BAD DREAMS - DO NOT FALL INTO MADNESS」
「Sapceship Impostor VR: Multiplayer Deduction Simulator Among Game」
「Border Bots VR」「Firewall Ultra」「Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord」
「LOW-FI」「Vampire: The Masquerade - Jsutice」「Talking Dogs」
「Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate」「Hellsweeper VR」
"Horizon Mountain Call" "Human Anatomy VR" "Digital World VR"
「Tentacular」「The 7th Guest VR」「THROWDOWN PREVIEW」
"Until You Fall" "Star Wars: Legends of the Edge of the Galaxy Plus" "Arashi: The Final Cut"
「HappyFunland」「Journey to Foundation」
「Krispain Hero VR: Roguelite Dungeon Shooter Simulator」
「MADiSON VR」「Propagation: Paradise Hotel」
「Run or Die VR - Real Prakour Quest Simulator Game」
「SURV1V3」「Tennis On-Court」「The Foglands」
「Ultimate Knockout」「Undead Citadel」「Vertigo 2」
PS VR2 American server content name (sorted by launch time, as of August 22)
「No Man's Sky」「Thumper」「Moss」
「Cave Digger: Riches」「The Room VR: A Dark Matter」「GORN」
「Until You Fall」「Synth Riders」「Song in the Smoke Rekindled」
「Puzzling Places」「Resident Evil Village」「Zenith: The Last City」
「GT赛车7」「Moss: Book II」「Startenders: Intergalactic Bartending」
「Transformers Beyond Reality」「2MD: VR Football Unleashed ALL STAR」
「Pistol Whip」「After the Fall - Complete Edition」「ALTAIR BREAKER」
「Awesome Asteroids」「Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder」
「Cities: VR - Enhanced Edition」「Cosmonious High」
「Demeo」「Drums Rock」「DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate」
「FANTAVISION 202X」「Horizon Call of the Mountain」
「Jurassic World Aftermath Collection」「Kayak VR: Mirage」
「Kizuna AI - Touch the Beat! 」「LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT」
「Pavlov」「Rez Infinite」「RUNNER」
「Swordsman VR」「Tetris Effect: Connected」「The Light Brigade」
「The Tale of Onogoro」「Townsmen VR」「Unplugged - Air Guitar」
「Vacation Simulator」「WHAT THE BAT？」
「Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded」「Ragnarock」
「The Last Clockwinder」「NFL PRO ERA」「Cactus Cowboy - Plants At War」
「Job Simulator」「Before Your Eyes」「The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR」
「Seeker: My Shadow」
「The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution」
「Last Labyrinth」「The Last Worker」
「Creed: Rise to Glory - Championship Edition」「Across the Valley」
「AFTERLIFE VR」「Qrgan Quarter」「Another Fisherman's Tale」
「Walkabout Mini Golf」「HUMANITY」「Red Matter 2」
「Rhythm Planet」「Cosmodread」「Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue」
「Nock」「Beat Saber」「Travel The Words」
「Budget Cuts Ultimate」「BREAK STUFF VR」
「TRIPP: A New Way to Meditate」「Pixel Ripped 1978」「SURV1V3」
「Masternoid」「Hubris」「C-Smash VRS」
「Synapse」「Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR」
「Human Anatomy VR」「B99 Overlocked」「VR Skater」
「Green Hell VR」「Crossfire: Sierra Squad」
「Super Death Game SHOW! VR」「TOSS! 」「RUINSMAGUS: COMPLETE」
「Broken Edge」「Hellsweeper VR」
「VERY BAD DREAMS - DO NOT FALL INTO MADNESS」
「Sapceship Impostor VR: Multiplayer Deduction Simulator Among Game」
「Arizona Sunshine 2」「Border Bots VR」「Firewall Ultra」
「Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord」「LOW-FI」
「Vampire: The Masquerade - Justice」「VRSO: Bare Knuckle Fighting」
「Talking Dogs」「Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate」
「Arashi: The Final Cut」「Brain Beats」「Bulletstorm VR」
「Cactus Cowboy - Desert Warfare」「Galaxy Kart」「Garden of the Sea」
「HappyFunland」「Journey to Foundation」
「Krispain Hero VR: Roguelite Dungeon Shooter Simulator」
「MADiSON VR」「Math World VR」「PokerStars VR」
「Propagation: Paradise Hotel」「Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR」
「Run or Die VR - Real Prarkour Quest Simulator Game」
「Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge - Enhanced Edtion」
「Tennis On-Court」「Tentacular」「The 7th Guest VR」
「The Foglands」「The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners」
「THROWDOWN PREVIEW」「Ultimate Knockout」「Undead Citadel」
「Ven VR Adventure」「Vertigo 2」
"93913 original content, please indicate the source for reprinting"