Sony has sold over a million units of the PlayStation VRVR

Sony has sold more than a million units of the PlayStation VR headset since its launch in October 2016. That’s what the director of Sony Europe, Jim Ryan, said during an interview. The previously reported shortfalls should be largely eliminated.

According to Jim Ryan, it was uncertain for Sony whether the PlayStation VR would be a success. According to Ryan, the fact that more than a million copies have now been sold is partly due to the way in which Sony has marketed the glasses. According to the CEO, Sony has regarded and positioned the PlayStation VR as a platform and not as a peripheral.

In February it became clear that Sony had already sold 915,000 PlayStation VR glasses. The manufacturer then reported that there were shortages, especially in Japan. These shortfalls should now be largely eliminated. Sales should get a new boost in the fall, when Sony starts delivery in South America.

Recent research by analyst firm IDC shows that Samsung is the market leader in VR headsets. Samsung delivered 489,500 units of the Gear VR in the first quarter of 2017; Sony got no further than 429,000 PlayStation VR glasses. Vive maker HTC and Facebook subsidiary Oculus are in third and fourth place. The Vive was sold 190,000 times, according to IDC, with the Rift that was 90,000, IDC estimates based on information from retailers. In the first quarter a total of more than 2 million VR and AR glasses were sold.

The PlayStation VR seems to sell a lot more often than its competitors Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, which are also considerably more expensive. According to research company SuperData Research, 243,000 units of the Oculus Rift and 420,000 units of the HTC Vive have been sold by the end of 2016.