PS VR2 is finally obsolete. The gaming industry may not have declared virtual reality dead yet, but it has locked it away in the basement – to where once-future technologies wait to become fashionable again someday.
Anyone who watched Summer Game Fest 2026 and its accompanying streams saw a lot: stale sequels, CGI smoke and mirrors, and yet another attempt to establish the umpteenth hero shooter. What was missing was VR. Not a single noteworthy sign of life on the main stages, not a single trailer among the multi-million-dollar blockbusters from established publishers. The absence was absolute.
The capitulation of first-party commitments
Sony's silence during the State of Play is no accident, but a calculated strategy of oblivion. PS VR2 is receiving the exact same treatment from its creator that ultimately doomed the PlayStation Vita: a gradual erosion of its life support. When the company's own hardware isn't mentioned once at the most important PR event of the summer, the message to buyers is clear: you've purchased an expensive peripheral that's already destined for obsolescence.
The community's endless refrain, endlessly citing "Gran Turismo 7" or "Resident Evil 4 VR" as references, perfectly exposes the problem. These titles are relics of the past. Nothing substantial has followed. A carelessly thrown-together "The Boys: Trigger Warning" might serve as a last glimmer of hope that PS VR2 still has relevance, but it's far from being a driving force. Publishers are merely managing the death knell. The hardware is gathering dust while the executive suites reallocate budgets.
Profit trumps experimentation
Behind closed doors, cost-cutting measures have long been the order of the day in studios. The boom years of uncontrolled growth are over, and the industry is undergoing a painful recovery. In this phase of consolidation, a niche product with minimal hardware requirements simply has no place in the eyes of the executives. The development costs for full-fledged VR productions are completely disproportionate to the potential return. Risk minimization is the new mantra.
The result of this refusal is an ironic reversal of the trend. Instead of traditional games receiving VR connectivity, former VR exclusives like "Arizona Sunshine"Subsequently flattened for the classic screen. The developers are fleeing their self-imposed isolation and returning to the mass market in order to generate any revenue at all. The glasses are being demoted from the primary medium to an optional, expensive gimmick. A pure loss for the pioneers of the early days."
The UploadVR Showcase as an exile for enthusiasts
Virtual reality isn't dead, it's just been pushed out of the mainstream. Formats like the UploadVR Showcase still exist, but they take place behind closed doors. It's where the remaining echo chamber gathers to celebrate indie projects and ports. But will it save the market? Probably not, at least not on PlayStation. My bet is that Steam Frame will become the central platform for the showcase.
Ultimately, this is at best a nice concession for hardcore fans, but meaningless for the technology's economic relevance. The grand vision of an immersive future has burst. What remains is an expensive hobby for a small minority who will soon be left with nothing more than a piece of electronic waste. Nothing more.
Important notes: The views expressed in this article are the personal opinion of the author. They do not necessarily reflect everyone's point of view – and are intended to stimulate discussion.
I love this sentence: "The fat years of uncontrolled growth are over, the industry is painfully recovering." Go for it! :)
Just like everywhere else and in every industry (: Ripping people off and reselling goods at a 500% profit is over. Sure, it still works for some things, but by and large, the era of greed is over. Ubisoft is a good example. Old white men at the top, every game with the same mechanics, and now they're scrapping everything too 🤷♂️
Yeah, tough luck. It's time to cut all those niche jobs and stop releasing half-finished games; maybe then quality will finally matter again, not quantity. Until then, they're all welcome to go bankrupt.
I had the first one, it was always pretty cool, so I'm glad there's a price drop for the second one now 😜
I loved my PSVR2 for about three months, then I bought a Quest 2… and never looked back.
GT7 is still great, though.
Synapse was brilliant.
Horizon and RE Village are also very good.
But Q2 was followed by a PC and a Q3❤️
Absolutely essential for GT7 alone. No motion sickness issues there either. Unfortunately, it gets really sick after 20 minutes with Hitman and Resident Evil. 🤮
What a ridiculous article. The last six months have been brimming with great PSVR2 games. Even Microsoft Flight Simulator was a standout!
And where exactly did this flood of titles come from? Let's take an unvarnished look at the so-called 'line-up' of the last six months.
So what actually came out for the PS VR2? Myst and Riven. These are remakes of ancient adventure classics. Nice for nostalgics, but not AAA fare. Or Wrath: Aeon of Ruin – a retro shooter based on a 25-year-old graphics engine. Add to that a few solid niche experiences like Virtual Hunter. If you think this is a platform 'overflowing with good games,' then you've completely lost sight of the definition of a blockbuster.
I've rarely read such a fact-based, good post from a moderator here. 🙂
Thank you.
The PS VR headset offers very good value for money, but most people don't want to use it for gaming, so it has no future for now, regardless of the manufacturer.
The PS VR2 is by far the best PC VR headset. Perfect for simulations (which, in my opinion, is also its only real application). Mainstream gaming doesn't belong on a VR headset; it belongs on a screen. Sony simply didn't know this and, with their misguided business practices, never will.
Yes, mine has also been lying unused in the corner since November.
Entertaining and funny for a short time, but for me rather a bad purchase.
Marc Schmidt, that doesn't answer my question! Surely you can define that?
That's precisely the problem: nothing will be improved. The matter is closed.
I can understand the frustration of the people who bought the VR2 and were ultimately disappointed. But when will you learn? That's exactly how Sony operates. If something doesn't work, they discontinue it, and once again, the customer is left holding the bag.
With the PS Vita and the VR1, Sony essentially abandoned the hardware because initial expectations were too high, and then they simply stopped releasing high-quality games. Unfortunately, I had the same experience with both devices and cancelled my VR2 order shortly before delivery. I had the same fear, and it turned out to be true. Sad but true.
"It
s not a trick, itsa Sony“ 😉That's how it works at every company, or why do you think there are no more Windows Phones or Google Stadias?
I'm just saying, the smartphone market is oversaturated, and Google Stedia's pricing is completely exorbitant, leading to a lack of acceptance. Therefore, they can't be compared. What they both had in common was a lack of exclusive games.
What I originally wanted to say was the déjà vu effect between the VR2 and the VR1. It was exactly the same problem. The only difference was that there were relatively more tech demos for the VR1, and that says it all. Sony made too many mistakes with the VR2. The price was too high for such a significant reduction in user benefits. VR thrives on gaming. and From Entertainment, the latter wasn't even delivered. And how many good VR games are there for the VR2 that justify the high retail price?