Meta’s Quest shockingly outsold Sony’s PSVR2 this holiday season. While some attribute this stark difference to discounts and sales, others argue that Sony does not talk about its headset very often.
US Amazon sales volume for PSVR2, Quest 2, and Quest 3 clearly shows the difference between the numbers. While Quest did amazingly well this holiday season, Sony’s PSVR2 saw a decline in sales volume. The number is such that for every 1 unit of PSVR2 sold, Quest sold 30 units. Isn’t that a stark difference?
The data takes into consideration all variants, including Quest 2 and Quest 3 against Sony’s PSVR2, including the horizon call of the mountain pack. The original PSVR was discontinued, as a result of which PSVR2 is currently the only VR headset from Sony.
As per the data gathered by Roadtovr from Amazon, we could see the sales ratio between these two players along with the approximate number of headsets sold. US Amazon sold over 320,000 Quest headsets, while only 10,500 PSVR2 sets were sold. This is what we meant when we said Quest “shockingly” beats PSVR2. It is important to note that these numbers are from the holiday season, from November 16, 2023 to January 16, 2024.
Going by these numbers, we can see how the popularity of the Quest headsets shot up during this time. But why so? Well, according to some Reddit users, it is because of Meta’s “smart” plan to drive more sales. Discounts, sales, extra benefits, lower price (compared to PSVR2), and of course superior quality can be the reasons for this. Some other users also pointed towards Sony’s “laziness” in promotions and “no holiday sales” to be the reason for this downfall.
The holiday season is the “primetime” for VR and gaming headsets and yet such disappointing numbers popped up for Sony. Isn’t that concerning?
We have been talking about US Amazon sales since it drives the maximum sales volume for both Quest and PSSVR2. There are other places as well, especially for PSVR2, including retailers and the direct channel (playstation.com) that brings in sales. But, focusing on Amazon US, has given us a broader view of the entire situation.
In early 2023, when PSVR2 was initially released, it sold many pieces. It outsold its predecessor in the initial weeks, getting famous among gamers worldwide. Then what went wrong? Well, since the launch, Sony hasn’t talked much about it, with no promotions, updates, comments, offers, or any other kind of information. While people know it exists and is probably one of the top players, it is important to give something new to them. There is no communication from them about what’s coming next or any successor to be launched.
While PSVR2 has top ratings in terms of hardware, its content library does not have many exclusive games and features. It currently has roughly 160 games available to play. Quest is comparatively less expensive as mentioned before, and yet has more exclusive games and even a higher number overall.
Some Reddit users believe PSVR2 priced at what it’s priced with such fewer games is “not a good value proposition” for people. Others say it’s the quality that matters to those who love gaming and PSVR2 has excelled at it. “Maybe Sony is just one big announcement away from restoring its greatness,” one user wrote.
While it has been a concerning season for Sony, it has been a great one for Meta. While ups and downs are natural, people are emotionally connected to Sony given the original PSVR. We are hopeful for next year for Sony.
