In a recent report by Android Central, it has been claimed that Sony is significantly reducing its investment in virtual reality gaming. According to sources close to the outlet, the publisher is making deep cuts to funding for VR games, resulting in very few opportunities for in-house VR game development in the future. The report also indicated that Sony has only two first-party games currently in development for its PlayStation VR2 headset.

While Sony has not responded to requests for comment from IGN, if the claims regarding the company's slashing of VR game investment are true, Sony would not be the only one withdrawing support for VR. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot previously announced in February that the company did not plan to increase investment in additional VR games due to the underwhelming sales performance of Assassin's Creed Nexus VR.

The PlayStation VR2, which was released last year, seems to have encountered some challenges along the way. Despite its impressive technical features like eye-tracking, the headset has reportedly lost momentum. Factors such as the high price, requirement of owning a PS5, and the lack of new VR games that are not ports, optional VR modes, or multi-platform releases have been cited as reasons why consumers are hesitant to invest. Competitors like the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 offer more competitive pricing, no additional hardware requirements, and boast several first-party exclusives.

According to Bloomberg's report in March 2023, the PSVR2 faced a slow start despite Sony allegedly manufacturing two million units before release. In December 2023, Eric Lempel, Sony Interactive Entertainment's head of global business, acknowledged that VR was a challenging category at the moment. Furthermore, Bloomberg reported in March of this year that Sony had halted production of new PSVR2 units in an effort to sell existing unsold inventory.

Additionally, the closure of well-known PSVR developers First Contact Entertainment and London Studio earlier this year also raised concerns about Sony's commitment to the PSVR2. Speculation arose when a source at a major PSVR2 game developer claimed that Sony would only market the game exclusively through posts on the PlayStation Blog, leaving any additional marketing efforts to be handled by the developer or publisher.

Despite these challenges, Sony recently announced that a PC adapter for the PSVR2 will be available on August 7, allowing PSVR2 players to enjoy PC VR-exclusive games like Half-Life: Alyx. However, some of the headset's signature features, including eye-tracking, HDR, and adaptive triggers, will not be available with the adapter. It is important to note that the adapter does not come with all the necessary components required for plug-and-play functionality.

In IGN's review of the PSVR2, the headset was praised for its top-notch visual quality and immersively tactile Sense controllers. The review stated that the PSVR2 represents a significant leap over its predecessor, setting a new standard for console VR gaming.

As the VR landscape continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how Sony's reduced investment in VR gaming will impact the future of PlayStation VR2 and its overall market position.