Insiders say Sony has cut PlayStation VR2 production; Sony says, “No, we didn’t.”

Rumor mill: Rumor has it that Sony’s PS VR2 pre-orders have been disappointing. Thus, insiders say that the company is allegedly reducing production. The two million units that the company planned to sell in the first quarter of 2023 are forecast to be sold by March 2024. However, Sony says these reports are false and everything is going according to plan.

Bloomberg reports that Sony is only three weeks away from the release of PS VR2. cut supplies of next generation virtual reality helmets doubled due to low pre-orders. The company had previously estimated that it would ship at least two million units in the first quarter. However, anonymous sources say those sales are now projected at one million. Sony expects an additional 1.5 million units to ship between April this year and March 2024.

Bloomberg reached out to Sony for an official comment, but a spokesperson said “the company is not discussing its product range.” However, shortly after the story was published, Sony told GamesIndustry.biz that it had not cut PS VR2 production. It says that shipping and production numbers still on the levelvaguely noting that he saw fans’ “enthusiasm” for the launch, whatever that meant.

“[Sony has] not cut production of PlayStation VR2,” the spokesperson said.[We are] seeing the enthusiasm of PlayStation fans for the upcoming launch, which includes over 30 titles such as Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Call of the Mountain and Resident Evil Village.”

Although the company’s official words are usually more reliable than anonymous leaks, in this case one has to wonder if Sony’s PR department is spinning bad press. His official word didn’t go into any detail, sticking to a vague narrative and further inflating his most famous launch titles.

In contrast, Bloomberg sources went into much more detail about the exact numbers and how this shift will affect Sony’s supply chain. For example, insiders reported that the company informed its display supplier that there would be fewer orders.

Virtual reality and the “Metaverse” did not take off as many companies expected. So it’s not an exaggeration to expect PS VR2 pre-orders to be lower than what Sony originally thought. Considering the fact that the hardware is more expensive than the PlayStation 5 and the economy is currently in the toilet, it’s clear that the anonymous leak might be a little more credible than Sony’s words.

It’s also not surprising that when news of the supply cuts hit the Japanese media this morning, Sony’s stock fell significantly. It has since bounced back, closing down a few cents even a day, but this is still a concern and a motive for Sony’s PR department to change that story.

Nowadays, consumers are less interested in games and more concerned with how much eggs cost (have you seen egg prices?). What’s more, the launch lineup isn’t impressive enough to budge headsets. Of the 30 or so titles that will appear on the first day, only a few stand out.

The only recognizable brands will be Horizon Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil Village, Gran Turismo 7 and No Man’s Sky. Most of these, with the exception of Horizon, are free upgrades for customers who own the base game.

Other solid games that can influence the buying behavior of those with money include The Dark Pictures: Switchback, Job Simulator, Moss 1 & 2 Remaster, Rez Infinite, and Thumper. These games, or their prequels, performed well on Sony’s first generation headset. So they stand a good chance of at least helping make next-gen tech a little more compelling.