Skyrim VR Sells ~ 1 Million Copies on Steam & PSVR -- But Actual Skyrim VR Usage Still Seems Low

This week feels like a good time to check and correct assumptions -- for instance, that the augmented reality mobile game Pokémon GO, contrary to common wisdom, is still extremely huge. Now here's another amendment: Sales of Skyrim VR, which initially seemed super slow, are now actually pretty decent.  VR Redditor Porgator points out that the Playstation PSVR version has sold about 770,000 copies since hitting the market last November/December, and that the PC/Steam version has sold between 100,000-200,000. So very close to 1 million copies total.

Which is not bad at all, especially given its ~$60 MSRP. But! At least on Steam, according to SteamSpy, few Skyrim VR owners seem to be playing it much:

• Peak concurrent players yesterday: 437
• Playtime in the last 2 weeks: 03:39 (average) 03:38 (median) 
• Playtime total: 07:47 (average) 02:22 (median) 

Compare and contrast with the non-VR version of Skyrim from 2011 for Steam/PC, which is still quite popular:

• Peak concurrent players yesterday: 16,786
• Playtime in the last 2 weeks: 06:47 (average) 00:58 (median) 
• Playtime total: 107:44 (average) 50:37 (median) 

Or for that matter, compare Skyrim VR with a more currently popular VR game... Beat Saber:

• Peak concurrent players yesterday: 1,350
• Playtime in the last 2 weeks: 02:47 (average) 02:12 (median) 
• Playtime total: 06:42 (average) 03:55 (median) 

The data suggests lots of VR HMD owners are buying Skyrim VR, playing it awhile, then losing interest (Or just as likely, getting too exhausted to play it for extended periods.) So it still seems fair to say that most VR owners are far more interested in the fast casual fun of a game like Beat Saber, versus the deep otherworldly, total immersion of a Skyrim VR.

Or as I'd put it, this is the Scotch Immersion Principle at play. I played Skyrim for PC on my tiny gamer laptop and was immersed just fine -- and more key, I could also drink scotch while playing. And you can't play Skyrim without scotch!

Comments

[madeline blackbart]

I mean I wouldn't say its that VR users only like casual games. I think for me personally at least (having bought both VR and normal fallout 4 in particular). The game isn't really more interactive. They still have it set up so that you click a button to pick things up or open things. You can't physically pick up or touch anything in those games. Part of what makes VR immersive isn't just the full head surround but also the ability to truly interact with things as if your there IRL. The ability to see something reach down and pick it up. On top of that, we've already played Fallout 4 and Skyrim to death. How many times can you play the same story over and over and over? Playing in VR doesn't make the story feel "newer" just mildly more immersive. So, in essence, you've got a game that you've played 100s of times that's only slightly more immersive at best and we're all shocked it isn't doing well? I mean...well...duh...