2017/03/22 03/20 Strategy Analytics: PlayStation VR Customer Sentiment Analysis Shows Device Delights Consumers

"Great" is the Most Common Keyword, but Analysis also Reveals Concerns around Nausea and Display Quality

Boston, MA - March 20, 2017 – Three months after the PS VR’s release, over 1,000 consumers have reviewed the product on Amazon and Best Buy’s US consumer websites. Strategy Analytics report, PlayStation VR: Customer Sentiment Analysis, provides consumer insights based on these reviews. With an average score of 4.6 out of 5, the device has enjoyed an extremely positive consumer reception.

David MacQueen, Executive Director of the Virtual Reality Ecosystem research program, said, “The exceptional reception the PS VR has had bodes well for Sony in the console wars, and for its publisher and developer partners who have committed significant resources on what many people saw as an uncertain technology. It’s not an exaggeration to say that consumers seem to have fallen in love with it, since “love” is mentioned nearly 200 times, and an unprecedented 73% of the reviews gave the device 5 stars out of 5.”

“Naturally, a lot of the reviews mentioned specific games, and the software ecosystem is a key part of the PS VR’s success. Beyond that, it’s also worth noting that the PS VR scored highly for comfort (94 mentions) and ease of set up (80 mentions). The market for VR hardware is becoming more mainstream; it is important that factors such as these are taken into consideration by other vendors who might look to replicate Sony’s success.”

David Kerr, VP at Strategy Analytics, added more cautious comments. “There were some concerns raised by consumers. The majority of complaints centered on nausea. Key words used were sickness, nausea, sick, headache and vertigo. Overall, 108 reviews mentioned these key words, although only 79 in a negative context (the other 29 mentioned this as a concern but noted not experiencing such side effects). Complaints of a blurry or pixelated screen were the second most common complaint, and this may impact nausea. But technical specifications may not be the only solution – many of the mentions of nausea also mentioned specific games, so the industry should be aware that VR software design can also influence hardware usability.”