The International Data Corporation (IDC) has been tracking sales of Sony's PlayStation VR2 virtual reality headset since launch time (February 2023)—a new report claims that a backlog of unsold units has accumulated. Bloomberg's analysis of IDC data reveals that PS VR2 sales have consistently declined each quarter, despite promising early numbers—the publication alleges that Sony Group Corporation has paused production of its ($550 MSRP) PS VR2 headset: "until it clears a backlog of unsold units, according to people familiar with its plans, adding to doubts about the appeal of virtual reality gadgets." Anonymous industry moles reckon that manufacturing facilities have pumped out over two million examples since launch time. Sony is unlikely to admit, publicly, that it is having a tough time shifting its second generation virtual reality headset—Bloomberg's network of insiders believe that "stocks of the device are building up."

The lack of AAA content, developed exclusively for the PS VR2's ecosystem, is cited as big stumbling block—Bloomberg (alongside numerous publications) reckons that sales have suffered due to an absence of system-selling titles. Horizon: Call of the Mountain (2023) was an impactful launch title, but the headset's software portfolio contains a lot of "novelty" items, casual experiences and glorified tech demos (according to community feedback). Late last month, Sony admitted that it was exploring options beyond the VR2's normal mode of operation (PS5 acting as host): "We're pleased to share that we are currently testing the ability for PS VR2 players to access additional games on PC to offer even more game variety in addition to the PS VR2 titles available through PS5. We hope to make this support available in 2024, so stay tuned for more updates." This surprising announcement arrived mere days before the firing of (around) 900 PlayStation employees. Company leadership revealed that Firesprite's headcount would be reduced. This VR-oriented studio collaborated with Guerrilla Games on the development of Horizon: Call of the Mountain. Sony's London Studio will be closed down—its team had previously worked on PlayStation VR Worlds (2016) and Blood & Truth (2019)—compatible with Sony's first generation headset.

[Editor's note: Our review of the Aqua Computer LEAKSHIELD can be found here]

The German company Aqua Computer introduces a breakthrough system to prevent leakage in water cooling systems. The system, called LEAKSHIELD, actively creates an optimally calculated negative pressure in the cooling system that prevents coolant from escaping in the event of a leak. If a leak occurs, only air is sucked into the cooling system. This works very reliably even in the case of larger leaks, such as broken acrylic glass components. An integrated vacuum pump is activated in a fraction of a second and maintains the negative pressure. A demonstration video shows several examples how LEAKSHIELD helps to prevent a leak: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UiRv0nDch0

In addition, the protection system uses a pressure sensor with a resolution of less than 0.0001 bar to detect and indicate even the smallest leaks. This allows countermeasures to be taken at a very early stage - ideally even before the system is filled with coolant. Although LEAKSHIELD was developed by Aqua Computer for the ULTITUBE reservoir series, it can also be used with reservoirs from other brands using an adapter kit. The minimal size of the sophisticated device is impressive: all components have been integrated into the small cover of the reservoir. Power supply and control are provided via USB. The device has an OLED display and a push-button control. This allows the most important functions to be controlled directly on the device.