It seems Sony is no longer very interested in virtual reality.
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Sony has lost 43 patents related to VR technologies in recent months. Meta* purchased them.
It is reported that the companies signed a patent sale agreement back in December 2025. Under the agreement, Sony is to transfer a total of 419 patents worldwide to Meta*, including 180 U.S. patents. The remaining 239 are patents registered in Japan, China, South Korea, Europe, and other regions.
It is possible that Sony's decision is related to the less-than-stellar performance of the PlayStation VR2 headset. The company released it in February 2023. Although the device initially showed relatively good sales, selling nearly 600,000 units in six weeks, interest waned thereafter. In 2024, rumors emerged that Sony even temporarily halted production of the PlayStation VR2 until the accumulated stock could be sold off.
Sony and Meta* have not publicly commented on the sale of the patents.
*Meta is recognized as an extremist company in Russia, and its activities are prohibited in the country.