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[Shifty1897]

I still think there's a market for a digital only PS4 handheld. Runs all your PS4 games, keeps that ecosystem alive for another 6 years.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

I still think there's a market for a digital only PS4 handheld. Runs all your PS4 games, keeps that ecosystem alive for another 6 years.

I’d buy one

 

[mckmas8808]

Sony could build a device similar to Switch but with PS5 graphics, maybe?

No, it's physically not possible. The PS5 is the size it is for a reason.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

More people buying games and subscribing to PSN+.

More people buying PS4 games? Games they already own and games that sell for very little because of the backlog?

Even if you kept making PS4 games, which is counterintuitive for PS5, you're not going to make the requisite money to make this worth it.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

PSVR2 was a good decision and I can’t wait to get mine.

 

[thismeinteil]

I don't understand how people can think like this. The dedicated handheld market has shrunk incredibly. We went from a gen where the DS AND the PSP were successes, to the next gen the Vita struggling and the 3DS selling half of what the DS did.

Sony focused on their bread and butter, home consoles, and Nintendo decided to focus all of their devs on one device, a hybrid, which was a hit. If Sony launched Vita 2, it would have flopped. And if Nintendo did a strictly handheld console, without the sharable controllers and dock, there is no doubt in my mind they would have struggled.

 

[Tams]

Anyway, while PSVR2 does need extra work on games for it, they are still PS5 (and PS4 for PSVR) games.

A handheld (and it wouldn't be a x86 one) would require almost entirely different games. It would also have zero install base to start from. It would so be competing with smartphones and the Switch (Lite).

It would be possible, but in no way a good use of resources.

 

[midnightAI]

I love it, it's cute, when technology websites (and YouTubers) think they know more than the suits/engineers/developers at big multinational technology companies

 

[SkylineRKR]

The handheld market isn't viable for Sony at all. Even Nintendo isn't even purely handheld anymore, the Switch is a hybrid though a Switch Lite would be dropped later on as an extra option. But fact is even Nintendo doesn't support 2 devices anymore, their sole hardware is Switch.

Sony isn't going to release separate hardware that needs its own development kits and shelf space. PSVR2 kind of makes sense since its powered by PS5 and might expand it a little since competitors don't offer it.

 

[Ar¢tos]

I wouldn't say no to a new 1080p Oled/LCD* vita with USB-C connection and using standard SD cards for extra storage (proprietary game cards would be impossible to avoid because of piracy).
* One version Oled with card reader and cheaper digital only LCD version.

I'm ok with having PSVR2 instead of Vita 2, but if I'm sure if Sony really wanted they could do both.

 

[rickybooby87]

Steam Deck and Apple/Android fit the bill. Also we really don't see Eastern handheld numbers but they're pretty popular and getting better all the time, especially the screens.

I'm happy Sony and others keep evolving VR but I know what I'd buy given the choice of where to spend $500-$1k.

Also in terms of VR profit with low entry Samsung Gear is likely outperforming all VR platforms for net profits, for now.

Good point. Yeah, the price is a little rough at the moment for serious VR hardware. Would something in the $199 change your stance? I’ll probably pick up a steam deck if a second iteration drops.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Just put it all on steam deck. Problem solved

 

[saintjules]

I stopped playing handhelds after Game Gear. Definitely rather a VR device.

 

[DevilHunterX0]

No, it's physically not possible. The PS5 is the size it is for a reason.

Lower the graphic details and smaller screen to output on.

 

[crackajack]

VR2 hw is more exciting, but the games catalogue and the entire strategy for the platform is imho lacking, again.

A PS4P or Go or whatever should have been quite possible. (all? most?) PS4 games are anyway Vita resolution enabled. So it does not even have to be FHD. And that should be possible with something on the level of a Steamdeck. The r&d and BOM costs should be limited. 540 or 720p render resolution and a 1080 display and just tons of PS4 games. 1080p display bascially just for remote play for PS5 games and Plus Premium streams. Not a single exclusive game for it. Which would require to downport more games for longer than current plans seem to be. Crossbuy with PS4 and PS4 mode on PS5, since it would be kind of just a PS4 machine with the only difference that it is only digital.
A bit too late now, and now a handheld should probably be PS5 digital ready. Same games and crossbuy, just rendered at 1080/30, and low resolution packs, because you wouldn't see 4k ready textures on a small ass screen anyway and a, let's say 320GB SSD would than kind of last forever so we avoid having again some overpriced cards that make a very bad talking point, despite the system being reasonable priced even with those prices.

 

[RoboFu]

Vr in some form or fashion is the future, handhelds are not.

Nah vr will never be a real thing. Holodecks are the only real solution for what vr is trying to achieve. Even then a lot of people will still just want to relax and play a game. Not flail around.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Does Gaming Bolt get their ideas from GAF? I swear this came up here.

 

[Lasha]

I won't buy a PSVR. I would buy my entire family a runback of the Vita without the shitty memory cards.

 

[Synless]

Nah vr will never be a real thing. Holodecks are the only real solution for what vr is trying to achieve. Even then a lot of people will still just want to relax and play a game. Not flail around.

Many VR games use traditional controls. Holodecks don’t and never will make you feel like you are there the way VR does.

 

[Trunx81]

Remember when 3DS and Vita came out and everyone was like "Nooo handhelds are doomed because of mobile gaming"? Nintendo can actually thank the Freemium model that the Switch is that successful. Smartphones nowadays are so much more powerfull, but still don´t manage to do gaming right.

VR, on the other hand, reminds me somehow of the 3D hype that started with Avatar. Heck, I used the 3D function of my older TV maybe 3 or 4 times until the glasses collected dust. Beside Half Life, which killerapps does VR have? And don´t say Beat Saber, it sold 4 million copies and is nowhere to be an AAA title (if we go by the 10 million sales definition in the other thread). Disclaimer: I don´t own a VR headset, but played with it a lot of times - and it never clicked on me.

Soooo .. is VR doomed? Will it ever exit its niche?

 

[Kusarigama]

The whole point of PlayStation Portable and Vita was to bring higher graphical fidelity game console like experience on a handheld system like Sega handhelds. Now that handheld PCs are booming and also PlayStation has started porting its games to PC that need is not there anymore.

Sure, Sony can make a portable PS4 and cash in some money but to make a portable PS5 they would have to cut down the fidelity too much to offer similar experience to both home console and portable modes.

 

[JaksGhost]

It needs to have a gimmick and/or a design that deviates it from the console experience. Right now the PS4 and PS5 are sharing the same ecosystem in terms of games. Adding in a device that can prolong the life of the PS4 is only going to make cross-gen worse. You already have 120+ million PS4s out there in the wild, Sony isn't going to let that die if both the PS4 and handheld are capable of running the exact same games. Development is going to continue with the PS4 being the baseline. At least with VR the development baseline is only the PS5 and with Sony wanting to introduce more hybrid games you're still getting next-gen only experiences.

 

[mckmas8808]

The handheld market isn't viable for Sony at all. Even Nintendo isn't even purely handheld anymore, the Switch is a hybrid though a Switch Lite would be dropped later on as an extra option. But fact is even Nintendo doesn't support 2 devices anymore, their sole hardware is Switch.

Sony isn't going to release separate hardware that needs its own development kits and shelf space. PSVR2 kind of makes sense since its powered by PS5 and might expand it a little since competitors don't offer it.

These people don't understand the very devices they use. To think Sony should have made a handheld means that you have zero knowledge of current technology and video game trends. Plus you'd have no ability to have any kind of vision at all.

The experience people will have playing GT7 in VR is something you'd never replicate on a PS4 handheld. GamingBolt are idiots.

 

[Jaybe]

Cute article but Sony knows what they are doing.

 

[ThaMonkeyClaw]

Personally, I’d rather a Sony vr headset than handheld. Probably in the minority here but that is my opinion on it.

I totally agree with you, I would much rather have a the PSVR2 then another handheld system, the only reason the Switch does so well as a handheld is that the normal console is also the handheld version. Personally I wish they would put more R&D into remote play, when it works it works great, but it does have some latency issues when you are remote, but I found as long as I have a strong internet connection at the place I want to play it seems to work fairly well. So if you want a handheld Playstation, just go grab yourself a Backbone One (or which every controller adapter you prefer), plug your phone into it and play your PS5. And yes, I know the PS Remote Play App for Android doesn't work with these devices, but I personally use PSPlay (3rd party) from the Google Store which does work with them at my Backbone One on my Android works flawlessly with the system.

 

[sendit]

I don't understand how people can think like this. The dedicated handheld market has shrunk incredibly. We went from a gen where the DS AND the PSP were successes, to the next gen the Vita struggling and the 3DS selling half of what the DS did.

Sony focused on their bread and butter, home consoles, and Nintendo decided to focus all of their devs on one device, a hybrid, which was a hit. If Sony launched Vita 2, it would have flopped. And if Nintendo did a strictly handheld console, without the sharable controllers and dock, there is no doubt in my mind they would have struggled.

The same people that think a new PlayStation handheld device will be a success are the same people who still buy physical releases.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Cute article but Sony knows what they are doing.

As someone mentioned before. PSVR2 is forcing more current gen only games since it's only PS5 native and there will be a lot of crossover experiences with it.

A handheld around the PS4's power or a hair less, you are stuck in cross-gen the entire gen and them some, again, due to crossover experiences in development pipelines/revenue/etc..

 

[Solarium]

Sony focusing on VR rather than the handheld market is a smart move. The VR space is being handled absent-mindedly on Meta's part and Sony has the ability to make VR a premium experience for its core audience and a long-lasting business venture. Nintendo/Apple/Android own the handheld market. Nintendo is lucky because it knows exactly who its audience is and how it can easily attract them with its legacy franchises. I don't see Sony catching audiences in a similar way in the handheld market again. With the Steam Deck, the core gamer base who wants a premium handheld experience will probably already own a Steam Deck, and those who are considering a premium handheld will more than likely gravitate towards Valve rather than Sony because of what's available and possible with the device.

 

[mckmas8808]

Sony focusing on VR rather than the handheld market is a smart move. The VR space is being handled absent-mindedly on Meta's part and Sony has the ability to make VR a premium experience for its core audience and a long-lasting business venture. Nintendo/Apple/Android own the handheld market. Nintendo is lucky because it knows exactly who its audience is and how it can easily attract them with its legacy franchises. I don't see Sony catching audiences in a similar way in the handheld market again. With the Steam Deck, the core gamer base who wants a premium handheld experience will probably already own a Steam Deck, and those who are considering a premium handheld will more than likely gravitate towards Valve rather than Sony because of what's available and possible with the device.

And because they already have many games on Steam. It's a great premium handheld for a smallish market.

 

[Spukc]

there is only one handheld with a library that makes a chance against nintendo


steam.. and they can emulate all the nintendo stuff

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

That's fair to say. That would be down around half of what they sold of the first one. It's reasonable to assume there aiming for more than the first one. Considering 10 million would be twice as many as the last one and probably a big success, we are looking at a pretty small scale here compared to consoles. More in line with the sales numbers of a single aaa game, to give some perspective. Depending on their goals, they might even lose a little money if they sell that $10 million. Guessing how much money they plan to make is even harder than guessing how many of these a plan to sell.

Depends on their margins, PSVR 2 is likely more costly to make than 1, and that price with the current economic situation won't bring in as much as if the PSVR1 costed $549 in 2018. The same goes for the more costly games.

They want to cement an audience that could grow so they can ride the growth of the industry if it takes off, that seems to be the goal of almost every company in VR right now other than those who are intentionally targeting a niche with limited units for profits.

Before the el cheapo quest, it was PSVR that was the king in terms of units sold/VR content.

No it was Samsung with their GEAR VR partnering with Oculus to use their tech. So in a way Quest has been the leader since the inception, with a side of Samsung.

Also, PSVR was profitable according to various sources.

And some say the opposite, I am doubtful on profitability, i could see break even around 2018, but that was when things were down and the headset was stagnating, and since then PSVR1 has been effectively dead with stock sitting on shelves, and software sales were never that pretty, Beat Saber was still a top game on the system, but Sony never revealed any million sellers at all.

As far as we know CREED, Beat Saber, and Among Us are the only major VR titles to cross 1 million units on any headsets/platforms.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Id say go for both. Software will sell better on portable than VR though

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

I don't understand how people can think like this. The dedicated handheld market has shrunk incredibly. We went from a gen where the DS AND the PSP were successes, to the next gen the Vita struggling and the 3DS selling half of what the DS did.

That's because both learned no lessons from previous mistakes, made new ones, had mishandled launches, the games were ready early on, and the the novelty factor/fad parts of both were toned down for both successors. Sony making the most bone-headed moves and quickly dropping support way too fast. Nintendo at least tried to salvage it, which ended up resulting in them walking back their vision for the 3DS eventually and releasing products related tot hat name that didn't even have the core feature that was intended to boost sales, butt they managed to do it.

With that said, a handheld would be a bad idea right now between their mobile adventures, and needing to spread teams too thin, would cripple the company. Gamingbolt.

The same people that think a new PlayStation handheld device will be a success are the same people who still buy physical releases.

So most console owners worldwide.

 

[SkylineRKR]

Remember when 3DS and Vita came out and everyone was like "Nooo handhelds are doomed because of mobile gaming"? Nintendo can actually thank the Freemium model that the Switch is that successful. Smartphones nowadays are so much more powerfull, but still don´t manage to do gaming right.

VR, on the other hand, reminds me somehow of the 3D hype that started with Avatar. Heck, I used the 3D function of my older TV maybe 3 or 4 times until the glasses collected dust. Beside Half Life, which killerapps does VR have? And don´t say Beat Saber, it sold 4 million copies and is nowhere to be an AAA title (if we go by the 10 million sales definition in the other thread). Disclaimer: I don´t own a VR headset, but played with it a lot of times - and it never clicked on me.

Soooo .. is VR doomed? Will it ever exit its niche?

Yes this is my issue with VR. Its mostly relegated to small games. Even Sony isn't going to release a Horizon 3 for it, call of the mountain is probably a lite version of Horizon like Arkham VR was a very lite version of Arkham City. On the other hand do you want a full 30 hours experience in VR? Don't expect Uncharted 5 or TLOU3 fully on VR.

I think VR will always be what it is. Its never for everyone, its kind of a hassle since you need to put on a HMD and your connection to the real outside world is severed when playing. Personally I don't really like this for too long, even when I am alone. I know many people who simply don't like to play games like this and can't even be bothered to try. Its also sort of hard to promote VR, commercials and trailers will be in 2D. You have to try it first.

 

[rickybooby87]

Depends on their margins, PSVR 2 is likely more costly to make than 1, and that price with the current economic situation won't bring in as much as if the PSVR1 costed $549 in 2018. The same goes for the more costly games.

They want to cement an audience that could grow so they can ride the growth of the industry if it takes off, that seems to be the goal of almost every company in VR right now other than those who are intentionally targeting a niche with limited units for profits.



No it was Samsung with their GEAR VR partnering with Oculus to use their tech. So in a way Quest has been the leader since the inception, with a side of Samsung.



And some say the opposite, I am doubtful on profitability, i could see break even around 2018, but that was when things were down and the headset was stagnating, and since then PSVR1 has been effectively dead with stock sitting on shelves, and software sales were never that pretty, Beat Saber was still a top game on the system, but Sony never revealed any million sellers at all.

As far as we know CREED, Beat Saber, and Among Us are the only major VR titles to cross 1 million units on any headsets/platforms.

https://www.polygon.com/2016/10/13/13273814/playstation-vr-profit

Shawn Laden is on record saying the opposite in regards to profitability, and that was early on. Selling at a loss isn't the Japanese way, never has been, at first maybe, but then there is a race to to profitability, and from what I can find, 5+ million units as of December 2019. That's not bad for something that is an accessory to your PS4. In comparison to Cell phones, which number in the billions potential units. I'd say VR on consoles looks better when looking at attach rates (Not games per console, but accessories per console).

The gear only sold like 5+ million units, and when you compare that with the available amount of cellular devices, that's not a very good attach rate.

Quest 2 has sold like 15 million units. And it's standalone.

So, even if we're going off the fact that the PSVR is just an accessory, it's pretty damn impressive when you look at attach rates/percentages in relation with PS4s.

I imagine the PSVR2 will pull between 10-15 million over it's life time.

 

[Amiga]

More people buying PS4 games? Games they already own and games that sell for very little because of the backlog?

Even if you kept making PS4 games, which is counterintuitive for PS5, you're not going to make the requisite money to make this worth it.

Sony could add 100 million of annual revenue from just 2 million new PSN+ subscribers.
And this handheld would cost Sony close to nothing. Many small vendors are already making handheld gaming PCs from off the shelf parts.

Do you realize that even Nintendo isn't doing this. They made a console/handheld combo. A pure handheld would make no sense.

This would be the PS4 as a handheld. there is already a PS4 console. They would crossplay/save.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Sony could add 100 million of annual revenue from just 2 million new PSN+ subscribers.
And this handheld would cost Sony close to nothing. Many small vendors are already making handheld gaming PCs from off the shelf parts.



This would be the PS4 as a handheld. there is already a PS4 console. They would crossplay/save.

How many units would you need to generate 2 million new PSN subscribers?

 

[Crayon]

Sony could add 100 million of annual revenue from just 2 million new PSN+ subscribers.
And this handheld would cost Sony close to nothing. Many small vendors are already making handheld gaming PCs from off the shelf parts.

I'm not a hardware engineer or anything but I think you may be greatly underestimating the challenge of making this handheld.

 

[sendit]

That's because both learned no lessons from previous mistakes, made new ones, had mishandled launches, the games were ready early on, and the the novelty factor/fad parts of both were toned down for both successors. Sony making the most bone-headed moves and quickly dropping support way too fast. Nintendo at least tried to salvage it, which ended up resulting in them walking back their vision for the 3DS eventually and releasing products related tot hat name that didn't even have the core feature that was intended to boost sales, butt they managed to do it.

With that said, a handheld would be a bad idea right now between their mobile adventures, and needing to spread teams too thin, would cripple the company. Gamingbolt.



So most console owners worldwide.

72% of console games sold in 2022 were digital vs 28% physical

Data analytics firm New Zoo has revealed in a newly published report that 72% of video games sold on consoles during 2022 were digital, while boxed video games accounted for 28%.

mynintendonews.com

Physical console games are quickly becoming a relatively niche market

Ars-exclusive analysis shows discs and cartridges becoming rarer and rarer.

arstechnica.com

Over 70% of all game sales in 2022 were digital downloads

Information released by stat site New Zoo shows that over 70% of all console game sales in 2022 were digital downloads, continuing the trend.

www.destructoid.com

 

[Amiga]

I'm not a hardware engineer or anything but I think you may be greatly underestimating the challenge of making this handheld.

It would just be the same PS4 chip but now shrunk and using less power.

How many units would you need to generate 2 million new PSN subscribers?

Maybe 6 million. Vita managed 10-15 million. A handheld PS4 could safely double that.
It would also help extend the existing PS4 install base and help retain current subscribers.

 

[THE DUCK]

The article is completely right.

It's not to late Sony or MS, we are waiting......

 

[THE DUCK]

Pretty obvious why the author is writing articles and not leading an electronics division...

No space to bet on handhelds anymore. VR is a risky bet but it does hit they will have the best position in the industry in 10 years.

Also playstation has handhelds covered through steamdeck.

Not really, lacking newer exclusives, and a back catalog that's fully vetted. It also has no retail distribution, and it doesn't come with a dock. Some games run well, some don't, some not at all. It's not a traditional console, it's the pc version of a handheld.

Nintendo's sales suggest there is plenty of room for competition in the hybrid handheld space.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

The gear only sold like 5+ million units, and when you compare that with the available amount of cellular devices, that's not a very good attach rate.

This is silly because the Gear compatibility list was limited, and changed across iterations,

it also sold 7+ million, and it didn't take anywhere near as long.

PSVR1 needed a price cut and game deals, with retailer bundle sales across almost 7 years to reach 5.

To say PSVR1 was the leader before Quest 2 is just nonsense. It was Samsung, and then PSVR1.

https://www.polygon.com/2016/10/13/13273814/playstation-vr-profit

Shawn Laden is on record saying the opposite in regards to profitability,

Article was from 2016, two years before the date I mentioned.

http://[URL]https://mynintendonews....mes-sold-in-2022-were-digital-vs-28-physical/

[/URL]

http://[URL]https://arstechnica.com...-console-games-are-seeing-a-physical-release/

[/URL]

http://[URL]https://www.destructoid...ercent-global-market-share-digital-downloads/

[/URL]

Most games are sold physical.

They are counting digital games sales in countries with a high rate of digital, and omitting the customers that don't, in some research they include mobile data into the numbers as well which fudges it up, like that one new zoo thread, where it showed like 38% of sales were physical, which is still more than all 3 of your links.

There's also regional issues involved to, many of the US data look at the same handful of states for most data.

The physical revenue numbers don't match the inconsistencies among the sources when you add up US sales, and then WW sales including all regions instead of restricting it to US+Select states, and primarily Western and a few other countries in Europe, and sometimes a couple in Asia (which also often lump in mobile data making it useless.)

Just looking up your argument there is no consistency in the sources.

Another issue, your first link which is a second Newzoo post, said 72% of console games sales were digital, they were not talking about units. They were talking about revenue, digital is often much cheaper than digital and older games can be in bargain bins, it usually takes long for digital to do that, if ever.

If you look at the Newzoo thread here covering that same source that first link of yours says, the US is closer to even. How does that make sense toward that 72% if they were talking about units instead of revenue? It doesn't. In that thread they have Physical around ~40% in the US, which is the biggest gaming market for "consoles" therefore that 72% doesn't make sense.

But when you look at the games listed it makes a lot more sense, they were talking about the money coming in from digital compared to physical worldwide is 72% on consoles.

US physical sales being ~40% revenue means that they are still bringing in a lot, but digital is going to be bringing in more with the higher costs and easier access to mtx/dlc in some cases. Along with price retention.

Throwing the numbers out of context is misleading.

 

[kevm3]

Sony made an awesome handheld with the Vita and nobody really bought it so I doubt they are entering that market again any time soon

 

[DeepEnigma]

Sony made an awesome handheld with the Vita and nobody really bought it so I doubt they are entering that market again any time soon

I still have my OG Vita mint. It’s a masterclass in quality and styling that still looks and feels better than the majority of handhelds today.

 

[rickybooby87]

This is silly because the Gear compatibility list was limited, and changed across iterations,

it also sold 7+ million, and it didn't take anywhere near as long.

PSVR1 needed a price cut and game deals, with retailer bundle sales across almost 7 years to reach 5.

To say PSVR1 was the leader before Quest 2 is just nonsense. It was Samsung, and then PSVR1.



Article was from 2016, two years before the date I mentioned.



Most games are sold physical.

They are counting digital games sales in countries with a high rate of digital, and omitting the customers that don't, in some research they include mobile data into the numbers as well which fudges it up, like that one new zoo thread, where it showed like 38% of sales were physical, which is still more than all 3 of your links.

There's also regional issues involved to, many of the US data look at the same handful of states for most data.

The physical revenue numbers don't match the inconsistencies among the sources when you add up US sales, and then WW sales including all regions instead of restricting it to US+Select states, and primarily Western and a few other countries in Europe, and sometimes a couple in Asia (which also often lump in mobile data making it useless.)

Just looking up your argument there is no consistency in the sources.

Another issue, your first link which is a second Newzoo post, said 72% of console games sales were digital, they were not talking about units. They were talking about revenue, digital is often much cheaper than digital and older games can be in bargain bins, it usually takes long for digital to do that, if ever.

If you look at the Newzoo thread here covering that same source that first link of yours says, the US is closer to even. How does that make sense toward that 72% if they were talking about units instead of revenue? It doesn't. In that thread they have Physical around ~40% in the US, which is the biggest gaming market for "consoles" therefore that 72% doesn't make sense.

But when you look at the games listed it makes a lot more sense, they were talking about the money coming in from digital compared to physical worldwide is 72% on consoles.

US physical sales being ~40% revenue means that they are still bringing in a lot, but digital is going to be bringing in more with the higher costs and easier access to mtx/dlc in some cases. Along with price retention.

Throwing the numbers out of context is misleading.

Are you saying that despite the article saying profitability in 2016, that breakeven on headsets wasn’t until 2018?

It still seems like the gear only sold 5 million units over its life span. Which, given the cost, and the vast quantity of Samsung phones available to support it, is rather weak. If it’s the leader of anything, it’s of an astonishingly low attach rate.

PSVR selling 5+ million units is impressive i. Relation to how new the tech was and based off PS4 adoption. Samsung literally ships like 200+ million phones a year.

Gear being sunsetted in only like 4+ years is a testament to how it wasn’t what Samsung hoped it would be.

I get that support is limited on the Gear, but how limited are we talking? In terms of supported models sold in total, would you say less than 100 million units? 200 million? 500 million?

They practically gave the gear away at the end. Because at the end of the day, content is king.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Are you saying that despite the article saying profitability in 2016, that breakeven on headsets wasn’t until 2018?

Read my post from before this time. I didn't say that at all.

Also you're not reading my last post either. no Gear in any iteration was compatible with 200 million phones. You are also making a nonsensical comparion.

 

[rickybooby87]

Read my post from before this time. I didn't say that at all.

Also you're not reading my last post either. no Gear in any iteration was compatible with 200 million phones. You are also making a nonsensical comparion.

“And some say the opposite, I am doubtful on profitability, i could see break even around 2018, but that was when things were down and the headset was stagnating, and since then PSVR1 has been effectively dead with stock sitting on shelves, and software sales were never that pretty, Beat Saber was still a top game on the system, but Sony never revealed any million sellers at all.”

That’s what I was referencing
regarding the profitability statement. Did I misunderstand?

There’s like a total of 8-10 different Samsung models that supported some variant of the Gear. And the first 4 models researched sold
Like an aggregate of 100+ million units. There are clearly way more Samsung Gear VR compatible phones than PS4s. I’d be willing to bet 2-3 times as many as PS4 minimum. Given the lower price of entry and the availability of cheap Samsung phones, I’d call that weak in comparison with PSVR/PS4 performance.

Sure. No one gear. But as a total? Across all phones that supported Gear(s)? You’re splitting hairs. It’s fine.

 

[mckmas8808]

Depends on their margins, PSVR 2 is likely more costly to make than 1, and that price with the current economic situation won't bring in as much as if the PSVR1 costed $549 in 2018. The same goes for the more costly games.

They want to cement an audience that could grow so they can ride the growth of the industry if it takes off, that seems to be the goal of almost every company in VR right now other than those who are intentionally targeting a niche with limited units for profits.



No it was Samsung with their GEAR VR partnering with Oculus to use their tech. So in a way Quest has been the leader since the inception, with a side of Samsung.



And some say the opposite, I am doubtful on profitability, i could see break even around 2018, but that was when things were down and the headset was stagnating, and since then PSVR1 has been effectively dead with stock sitting on shelves, and software sales were never that pretty, Beat Saber was still a top game on the system, but Sony never revealed any million sellers at all.

As far as we know CREED, Beat Saber, and Among Us are the only major VR titles to cross 1 million units on any headsets/platforms.

Sony themselves said PSVR was profitable.

 

[In Cold Blood]

Not really.
The future of gaming is VR. When the tech gets to the point of being mass market, it will take off.
Sony believe this and want to get in at the bottom floor.
This is no different than MS believing that streaming is also going to be the future. This is why they are spending hundreds of millions to set it up now.

We need Sony to push VR
We need MS to push streaming.
Handhelds are old news.