Sony’s virtual reality headset has reached a major milestone.
The consumer electronics giant said Monday that it had sold over one million PlayStation VR headsets since debuting in October. Although sales of the PlayStation VR headset are small when compared to Sony’s PlayStation 4 gaming consoles, which have sold nearly 60 million, the PlayStation VR appears to be most popular VR headset currently for sale that is not powered by a smartphone.
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Competing VR headset manufacturers like HTC and Facebook (FB), maker of the Oculus Rift, have not revealed how many headsets they have sold. However, a new report released last week by International Data Corporation estimates that Sony shipped more PlayStation VR headsets in the first quarter than both HTC and Facebook combined.
Unlike HTC’s Vive headset or the Oculus Rift, the PlayStation VR requires a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro console to operate instead of a powerful personal computer.
Sony Interactive Entertainment vice president Andrew House told Japanese newspaper the Nikkei Asian Review that Sony this year is building more PlayStation VR headsets to meet the growing demand. House said that the current VR market consists of small, independent developers making virtual reality video games, and that he hopes bigger game publishers “make VR versions of major franchises in the future.”
Sony also appears to be branching out from only VR video games as well.
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The company is currently working with Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan on a VR project related to the blockbuster television series set in New Mexico. Details of the Breaking Bad VR project are limited, but House told entertainment news publication Variety that Gilligan is very excited about the immersive technology and that it could be one way that “VR can drive towards the mainstream.”
