VR is “Biggest Loser” in 2016 Sales Thus Far – SuperData

Research firm SuperData had updated its expectations on a few VR headsets and noted that thus far, especially after Black Friday, that the platform has been the “biggest loser” in sales till now.

Speaking to Games Industry International, the firm noted that lower sales were due to “relatively fragmented title line-up and modest marketing effort.” Expectations for platforms like PlayStation VR in 2016 were downgraded from 2.6 million to 750,000. This has been attributed to “supply inconsistencies and lack of marketing.”

SuperData director of research and insight Stephanie Llamas noted that, “They did not offer any first-party deals this weekend, restock bundles or market the device, pushing instead for the PS4 Pro. They have also pointed out that VR looks even better on a Pro than a standard or slim PS4, so the message to most gamers is: get the Pro now, then the PSVR later. As a result, we won’t see them break 1M shipments until well into the new year.”

It was noted that this approach meant Sony were “being cautious before fully investing in the tech. They can afford to take it slow since they have no competition for now, so their supply and sales will rise steadily into 2017 as opposed to riding the seasonal wave.”

Other hardware saw similar degradation in expectations. Google Daydream went from 450,000 to 261,000, for instance. Interestingly enough, estimates for HTC Vive (450,000), Oculus Rift (355,00) and Samsung Gear VR (2.3 million) remain unchanged.