The PlayStation VR2 is scheduled for release next month and based on the information Sony has provided it is already clear the company did not learn the right lessons from the PlayStation 5. The new VR hardware will retail at $550.00 USD, and it requires a PS5 console to function. This makes PSVR2 an expensive purchase that asks consumers to take too much on faith. Even though PS5 console scarcity has improved, they are still not readily available through mainstream retailers. For those who do own the elusive PS5, paying more than the console itself for a VR add-on is a dubious value at best.
When the original PSVR sold more than 3 million units it was a milestone, and Sony’s VR hardware outsold its competitors at the time. The PSVR has hundreds of games available, and when the PS5 launched it offered adaptors so that the gaming library could be played on Sony’s current generation console. The PlayStation 4 sold more than 100 million, however, and has upward of 3,000 games. Sony took steps to leverage the success of the PS4 to add value to the PS5, but it seems that the same model is not going to apply to the second generation PlayStation VR, which severely diminishes its value.
The PS5 Plays PS4 Games, But The PSVR2 Will Not Play PSVR Games
Despite the PS5’s improved specs and its speedy SSD virtually eliminating loading times, the single best feature of the console is its backward compatibility. Millions of players invested in the PS4 ecosystem, and the PS5 allowed them to play their collection of PS4 titles on hardware that performs better than the PS4 Pro. After two years, the PS5 still is not worth buying based on PS5 games alone. The selection of current-gen-only titles is limited, but the addition of the PS4 generation’s thousands of games makes the PS5 a solid value. PS4 controllers will still work on PS5 consoles when playing PS4 games, again rewarding PlayStation loyalists.
If the PSVR2 followed the same paradigm as the PS5, its price point could certainly be justified. Many PS5 owners have access to PSVR titles they cannot play without the hardware, including those in the PlayStation Plus collection, or those available with the Extra and Premium tiers of the subscription service. Buying $550 backward compatible VR hardware is more reasonable, as fans could explore the hundreds of existing PSVR games while waiting for the slow trickle of PSVR2 releases. Sony has bizarrely opted for a less consumer-friendly approach, as PSVR2 will not support any of the original PSVR game library.
The head of PlayStation called VR a “strategic opportunity” for the company, since unlike Xbox or Nintendo, Sony has prior experience in VR gaming. The lack of backward compatibility for PSVR2 is also a slap in the face to the 3 million owners of the original PSVR, along with the tens of millions who own a PS4 but not a PS5. The fact that Xbox Series X/S consoles and the PS5 are compatible with prior-gen games adds to the lifecycle for those consoles as well, which is beneficial for those who have not been able to upgrade to the newer consoles.
PSVR2’s Lack Of Backward Compatibility Hurts PSVR & PS4 Owners
When PSVR2 releases, it may effectively spell the end to the growth of the original PSVR library, which also happens to be the only VR library for the PS4. Sony has cited technical reasons why the PSVR2 cannot play original PSVR games and tried to shift the focus to PSVR2’s eye tracking features and its 4k display. In truth, if backward compatibility was a priority for Sony, the hardware could have been designed to make that work, as with the PS5. Instead, Sony made a conscious choice to burn bridges with owners of the original PSVR, while hoping consumers will invest in a second iteration of the concept.
Spending close to $1,000 for a current-gen console along with a VR add-on is a big ask for most gaming fans, but if PSVR2 played the hundreds of existing PSVR titles, more consumers could justify the risk. Even if the PSVR2 fails to gain traction, it could at least play the PS4 generation’s VR games, along with next-gen VR titles like Horizon Call of the Mountain. Absent backward compatibility, the PSVR2 is too risky for most fans to invest in, even if its first-party titles excel. The PlayStation VR2 should have copied the PS5’s backward compatibility approach, giving the hardware a large library from its launch date.
