According to new market research, Meta’s Quest 2 sold 8.7 million units in 2021, that amounts to almost double the total number of VR headsets sold in the previous year.
The report - carried out by the International Data Corporation (IDC) (via Android Central) - shows that the Quest 2 was by far the most popular headset, making up 78% of all sales last year. A long way behind was DPVR which captured 5.1% of all sales and ByteDance's Pico VR devices came in third with 4.5%. HTC and iQIYI rounded out the top five, leaving both Sony and Valve nowhere to be seen.
Looking at market trends (and which companies performed best during 2021), it’s clear to see that the vast majority of users want affordable, all-in-one headsets and they want VR devices that don’t need an external computer in order to run. If this trend continues in 2022 (and we suspect it will) it could spell doom for the PSVR 2 and Apple’s rumored MR headset.
Analysis: The PSVR 2 will be Sony’s Wii U
VR fans have long been waiting for Sony to announce the follow-up to its much-loved PSVR headset, and earlier this year, they finally got their wish. With greatly improved tracking, beautiful OLED screens, and a comfort-focused design, the PSVR 2 sounds like a worthy successor to Sony’s 2016 headset.
However, while the original PSVR headset was popular at the time , the industry has moved on now.
Going against general market trends, Sony has decided to tether its PSVR 2 headset to the PS5 via a single USB-C cable. This may not seem like a big deal, but it introduces a number of constraints that you won't get with rivals like Meta’s Quest 2.
For starters, users will be limited to playing wherever their PS5 is. If your home cinema set up is in a room with sufficient floor space (about 2m in each direction) you’re golden, otherwise, you’ll have to lug your PS5 to another room in your home to be able to use your new headset.
As well as that, you’ll be spending a lot more on your PSVR 2. While prices have yet to be confirmed for the headset - though we suspect it’ll cost around $499 (£399, about AU$650) like the original PSVR did at launch - we now know that you’ll also need to buy a PS5.
Assuming you can get your hands on one you’re looking at spending at least $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$749.95 for a PS5. With our estimates for the PSVR 2’s price, you’d be looking at around $1,000 / £900 / AU$1,400 for the whole setup, which is roughly triple the cost of the Quest 2.
If that wasn't enough, the Quest 2 has a massive head start. Just like we’ve seen in Sony’s console war early popularity acts as an unstoppable feedback loop that encourages more and more players into the ecosystem - however this time Sony is likely to be on the losing end.
We will have to wait and see what the PSVR 2 has in store for us when it launches, but don’t be surprised if it winds up gathering dust like your PSVR headset before the end of next year.
- Check out: the best Quest 2 games in 2022
