LogInThe former CTO of Quest praises the device's technical abilities but even despite them believes that the headset will unlikely be "very successful at $600."
John Carmack, a living video game legend known for the revolutionary Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, and Quake, who also previously served as the CTO of VR giant Oculus, recently voiced serious doubts about the likelihood of PlayStation VR 2 success.
Carmack took to Twitter to discuss the upcoming VR headset from Sony, noting that PS VR2 may face challenges on its way to being widely adopted due to its high cost and uneven availability in different regions.
It's worth noting that in the same tweet, Carmack expressed his admiration for the technical aspects of the PSVR 2, stating that the combination of a tethered OLED display and the PS5's ray-tracing capabilities has the potential to create a new method of VR rendering with minimal latency.
Still, despite praising the PSVR 2's technical abilities, Carmack believes that the headset will unlikely be "very successful at $600."
The PS VR2 will retail at $550, and after taxes, it will cost about $600. This is a significant increase compared to other headsets like Quest 2 which cost $400/$500. To experience PSVR 2, players will also need to purchase a PS5, which is $400 for the Digital Edition and $500 for the version with a disc drive.
All of this means that the total cost for everything needed for PSVR 2 is over $1,000. So, it's understandable why the former CTO of Oculus has raised concerns about its potential success.
In addition, replying to a user in comments to his tweet, Carmack stated that a global market for the headset is not the key to its success. He believes that a focused approach in smaller areas is more beneficial for developers.
In other words, having more consumers in fewer regions is better than having fewer consumers in more regions. Therefore, the widespread popularity of the PlayStation 5 will not greatly impact the success of the PS VR2, and its high price, combined with the need to buy a PS5, will likely hinder its adoption.
What do you think of PS VR2's potential for success? Do you agree with John Carmack? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform, our Reddit page, and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.