The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony is looking at ways to further the commercial appeal of PlayStation VR, after sales of the device have gotten off to a slower than expected start.
The publication claims that the format holder has set up a new ‘location-based entertainment’ unit to fuel PSVR’s commercial fortunes, following “slower than expected” sales of Sony’s virtual reality gaming headset. The device launched in October 2016 alongside a series of titles such as Batman: Arkham VR and DriveClub VR.
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Reportedly, Sony wishes to install PSVR at various new locations such as theme parks and arcades, with the main focus for the time being positioned at the Japanese market. Interestingly, claims of slow sales don’t mesh well with what we’ve previously heard from Sony itself, with Andrew House stating earlier this year that the device was on track to hit one million sales this month.
“You literally have people lining up outside stores when they know stock is being replenished,” said House. “It’s the classic case in any organization — the guys who are on the front end in sales are getting very excited, very hyped up. You have to temper that with other voices inside the company, myself among them, saying let’s just be a little bit careful.”
As part of Sony’s push for the device, the PlayStation console maker confirmed a slew of new PSVR games in development from Chinese companies.
Resident Evil 7 remains one of the most popular games for Sony’s virtual reality headset, holding some impressive stats following its launch in January for PS4, PC, and Xbox One. PSVR has also recently been improved with the release of various hardware updates, among which enhanced the device’s cinematic mode and adult entertainment viewing.
Source: MCV