Meta Quest 2’s 2021 success could spell doom for PSVR 2

techradar.com:

According to new market research, Meta’s Quest 2 sold 8.7 million units in 2021, that amounts to almost double the total number of VR headsets sold in the previous year.

The report — carried out by the International Data Corporation (IDC) (via Android Central) — shows that the Quest 2 was by far the most popular headset, making up 78% of all sales last year. A long way behind was DPVR which captured 5.1% of all sales and ByteDance's Pico VR devices came in third with 4.5%. HTC and iQIYI rounded out the top five, leaving both Sony and Valve nowhere to be seen.

Looking at market trends (and which companies performed best during 2021), it’s clear to see that the vast majority of users want affordable, all-in-one headsets and they want VR devices that don’t need an external computer in order to run. If this trend continues in 2022 (and we suspect it will) it could spell doom for the PSVR 2 and Apple’s rumored MR headset.

VR fans have long been waiting for Sony to announce the follow-up to its much-loved PSVR headset, and earlier this year, they finally got their wish. With greatly improved tracking, beautiful OLED screens, and a comfort-focused design, the PSVR 2 sounds like a worthy successor to Sony’s 2016 headset.

However, while the original PSVR headset was popular at the time, the industry has moved on now. 

Going against general market trends, Sony has decided to tether its PSVR 2 headset to the PS5 via a single USB-C cable. This may not seem like a big deal, but it introduces a number of constraints that you won't get with rivals like Meta’s Quest 2.

For starters, users will be limited to playing wherever their PS5 is. If your home cinema set up is in a room with sufficient floor space (about 2m in each direction) you’re