It is definitely not a good time to be a sonyer. Three not very good notes have given the rounds this week. The first concerns the disastrous port of The Last of Us for PC, absolutely full of bugs, inconsistencies and errors, starting with the now famous chocolate hair and eyebrows that are infesting YouTube humorous videos. The second note is more serious, and refers to the failure of the PSVR2, a virtual reality device that, if the insiders’ numbers do not lie, has barely sold less than 300,000 units since its launch, which is an absolute sales disaster. and that could take this platform out of the market. The last one relates to Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. But let’s go in parts.
First the fun: The Last of Us for PC. As recently as Tuesday, the 2022 remake was released on Steam, perhaps taking advantage of the hype caused by the HBO series, which has garnered stellar reviews and public favor. Unfortunately, the port was not released on time, and due to the number and types of bugs it presents, it is reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed Unity in its time: unfinished models, deformed scarecrows, clipping, psychedelic neon trips, characters stuck, even sweating profusely. for no reason, and the aforementioned chocolate dreadlocks and brows. In short, a shame, which indicates that, for the moment, Sony is not seriously interested in the PC games market.
The second problem, however, is much more serious. PS2VR2, Sony’s new virtual reality headset, is not just failing, it’s failing miserably. According to an exclusive by analyst Francisco Jerónimo, PSVR2 has barely sold 270,000 units since its launch last February. These are absolutely abysmal numbers. To give you an idea, the Virtual Boy, Nintendo’s failed 1990s virtual reality console, had initial sales of 350,000 units. The console would not live much longer, and would have final sales of less than a million.
Sure, there’s a bit more interest in virtual reality today and the PS2 VR isn’t likely to sell as poorly as its cursed Nintendo predecessor, but it sure as hell won’t be a hit by any measure. The reality is that Sony, perhaps moved by the rise of VR projects during the pandemic, perhaps overestimated the importance of such devices in the current market; unfortunately, after the resounding failure of Meta, it will be necessary to wait several years and perhaps new technological conditions for said technology to rise again. However, the biggest factor, which everyone agrees to point out, is the price. PSVR2 costs $550 USD, while PS5, a console with excellent sales and that everyone was looking for in the pandemic, was launched at $500 USD. It’s stupid.
VIDEO: It’s not a good time to be a Sonyer
Anyway, there is a third piece of news to which we must be attentive, but we do not want to comment too much before it is known what will happen. Of course, we are talking about the already somewhat worn-out dispute over Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. We have not wanted to return to the subject before a final ruling is made, but recently a piece of news seems to show which way the wind is blowing in this bitter trade dispute. Indeed, this week regulators from the UK Markets Authority have reversed their previous conclusions on the proposed purchase, assuring that “the transaction will not result in a significant decrease in competition in relation to console games in the UK. “. This is very important, because this commission is the one that had the greatest reservations in terms of approving the merger.
This could be a major disaster for Sony if Microsoft insists, against its promises, on anticompetitive conduct. Even if Call of Duty remains present on PlayStation, this is not guaranteed to happen in 10 years, as Microsoft has already shown, who will license the franchise during that period, but perhaps not longer. This represents, potentially, a potentially major transformation for the next decade in the video game market. But, as always, we must wait for the final verdict, which will be issued on April 26.
Anyway, sadly, Sony is approaching a series of setbacks that could make them reconsider their current direction in the market. However, despite all this, you have to keep in mind that Sony is a tough nut to crack. Don’t believe us, but the latest unconfirmed reports claim that PlayStation 5 is outselling Nintendo Switch, perhaps as much as double. Where it is confirmed is Japan, where the PlayStation 5 broke the streak that Nintendo had been holding since 2018, and has sold 457 percent more than last year. Everything indicates that the console war is being reactivated. And who knows? Perhaps long-term things set us up for a win for Sony.
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