Rumor: Sony Makes Major Cuts to VR Development

Highlights

• Sony is reportedly cutting back on first-party VR game development due to lackluster PS VR2 sales.
• Recent reports suggest Sony may be scaling down VR funding and only have two internal teams working on PS VR2 games.
• Despite rumors, Sony plans to expand PS VR2 functionality to PC for wider access to players.

Sony is allegedly paring back internal development efforts for its Virtual Reality (VR) initiative. The company launched the PlayStation VR2 headset for PlayStation 5 in 2023, but reports claim that Sony hasn’t seen much success with the peripheral, potentially due to its costly barrier of entry and sparse library of games.

It was even rumored earlier this year that Sony had paused PS VR2 production due to a mounting inventory of unsold stock. While that remains unsubstantiated for now, official statements from the company also hint at some dissatisfaction with the headset’s commercial performance. During its February 2024 earnings call, Sony expressed interest in bringing PS VR2 functionality to PC, and the recently announced PC adapter for the headset shows that the gaming giant wants it to be available for as many players as possible.

While PS VR2 could do very well on PC, especially with the platform possessing the largest library of VR games, it appears PlayStation itself might not be a big believer in VR anymore. A new report from Android Central alleges that Sony is making severe cuts to VR funding behind the scenes, and that going forward, opportunities for VR game development at the company will be slim. It’s also been claimed that Sony’s internal teams are working on only two PS VR2 games at the moment, with the report further casting doubt on them “seeing the light of day.”

Sony is Reportedly Scaling Down First-Party Game Development for PS VR2

Android Central cites “anonymous sources” for its claims, so the report should be taken with a grain of salt. However, it’s worth noting that first-party VR development at Sony has been somewhat overlooked, as none of the company’s studios have announced that they’re working on a PS VR2 title. So far, PS VR2 has only had two first-party exclusives, Horizon: Call of the Mountain and Gran Turismo 7, with third-party games like Metro Awakening, Behemoth, Alien: Rogue Incursion, and more supporting the headset’s limited library.

While it’s reasonable to wait until Sony publishes an official statement, there’s a fair bit of evidence to suggest that PS VR2 hasn’t quite been the success the company may have envisioned. Even Astro Bot, a franchise that played a substantial role in popularizing the original PS VR headset, is skipping PS VR2 with its upcoming entry. While there are tons of great PS VR2 games available for the headset’s owners, Sony might find it unfeasible to further bolster its first-party roster in the future.