Devs: PC Gaming Still King, PlayStation VR2 May Be a Hit
PlayStation and Affordability Gain for VR
The VR/AR space appears ripe for a shakeup. When asked what VR/AR platform devs expect to release their next game on, 18% said PlayStation VR2, up from 6% last year. It’s also the most interesting VR/AR platform to 35% of devs currently, only behind the Meta Quest’s 39%.
These shifts speak to the impressive capabilities that Sony has squeezed into a $549 package, as well as the value of recruiting a strong launch-day lineup. If PlayStation has a hit product in their hands, will it shift VR’s focus away from PC and mobile operating systems?
- Not Sold on Apple: Only 17% of devs were most interested in Apple’s ARKit.
- Meta Quest Pro Remains Niche: Only 19% said the Quest Pro was the most interesting VR/AR platform, and even less (10%) anticipate their next game will be on it.
PC Remains King
PC remains the platform of choice for video game developers, despite a turbulent couple years for PC gaming. In fact, interest in PCs slightly increased from last year, perhaps a side effect of improved GPU supply and pricing.
- 65% are developing their current project for PC, compared to 33% for PS5 and 30% for Xbox Series X/S.
- 57% are developing their next project for PC, compared to 33% for PS5 and 28% for Xbox Series X/S.
- 10% are most interested in Xbox Cloud gaming, up from 8% in 2022.
- 7% were most interested in PlayStation Plus (extra or Premium), which includes cloud gaming.
- Only 4% were interested in PlayStation Now last year.
Video game developers are less bullish on the metaverse than previous years. A strong plurality (45%) believe “the metaverse concept will never deliver on its promise,” a noticeable increase from last year’s 33%. Additionally, 75% of devs have no interest in blockchain gaming (NFT, Web3, etc.), compared to just 23% being somewhat or very interested.
If the metaverse does arrive, Epic (creators of Fortnite) is the betting favorite to deliver it (14%). It’s a rather damning indictment of Meta – despite the rebrand and billions of dollars spent, only 7% think it will lead gaming into the metaverse.
- Epic expanding Fortnite to include concerts and other live experiences seems to be paying off.
The best promotional strategy according to devs is digital storefront promotion. It's a hint at one of the Steam Deck's less discussed advantages: prominent promotion through Steam. For those in the handheld space, promotion through the Epic Games Store or other storefronts may be their best bet.
A Slow Return to “Normal”
Devs indicated that their companies are cautiously shifting back to in-person events. 45% reported their companies have made no investment in live events, down from 58% for the last two years. Compare this to 60% reporting no investment in virtual-only events.
