Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Sales of VR headsets increase to help underperforming market
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- Figure 1: Market size for Virtual Reality, 2016-19
- Long-term future of smartphone-based VR in doubt
- Impact of 5G on VR
- PSVR hits 4.2 million sales
- Companies and brands
- Oculus unveils Rift successor in Rift S
- HTC announces Vive Focus Plus and six-camera Vive Cosmos
- Nintendo offers VR kits for Nintendo Switch devices
- Rumours of upcoming second-generation PSVR circulate
- The consumer
- Little change in VR ownership
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- Figure 2: Ownership of VR headsets, September 2019
- PlayStation well ahead in VR market share
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- Figure 3: Type of VR headset owned, September 2019
- Daily use of VR headsets rises significantly
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- Figure 4: Frequency of VR headset use, September 2018 and September 2019
- Gaming by far the most popular use case
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- Figure 5: Apps used on VR headset, September 2019
- Owners satisfied with VR graphics, performance and simplicity
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- Figure 6: Satisfaction with VR experience for headset owners, September 2019
- Growth in usage of VR for non-owners
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- Figure 7: Previous usage of a VR headset, September 2018 and September 2019
- Younger Millennials most interested in using VR
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- Figure 8: Interest in using a VR headset, September 2019
- Growth in intent to purchase headsets
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- Figure 9: Intent to buy a VR headset in the next year, September 2018 and September 2019
- Consumers most likely to buy smartphone-based VR
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- Figure 10: Type of VR headset to buy, September 2019
- Pricing still an issue for many people
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- Figure 11: Barriers for VR purchasing, September 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- VR manufacturers could benefit from headset trade-in schemes
- The facts
- The implications
- Genre-based VR demos could improve consumer opinion
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Sales of VR headsets increase to help underperforming market
- Long-term future of smartphone-based VR in doubt
- Impact of 5G on VR
- PSVR hits 4.2 million sales
Market Size
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- Sales of VR headsets increase to help underperforming market
- Outlook for the future is more positive
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- Figure 12: Market size for Virtual Reality, 2016-19
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- Figure 13: Value, volume and average price of Virtual Reality market, 2016-19
Market Drivers
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- Long-term future of smartphone-based VR in doubt
- Affordability drives smartphone-based VR ownership
- The problem of restricting smartphone access
- Major manufacturers move away from smartphone-based VR
- Standalone headsets to benefit in the long-term
- Impact of 5G on VR
- Portable 5G Hub
- 5G smartphone as internet hotspot
- Unlimited data requirement
- PSVR hits 4.2 million sales
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Oculus unveils Rift successor in Rift S
- HTC announces Vive Focus Plus and six-camera Vive Cosmos
- Nintendo offers VR kits for Nintendo Switch devices
- Rumours of upcoming second-generation PSVR circulate
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Oculus unveils Rift successor in Rift S
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- Figure 14: Oculus Rift S
- HTC announces Vive Focus Plus and six-camera Vive Cosmos
- Vive Focus Plus
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- Figure 15: HTC Vive Focus Plus
- Vive Cosmos
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- Figure 16: HTC Vive Cosmos
- Nintendo offers VR kits for Nintendo Switch devices
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- Figure 17: Nintendo Labo headset for Nintendo Switch
- Similarities with Google Cardboard
- Rumours of upcoming second-generation PSVR circulate
- Sony patent
- Sony’s future VR plans
- Wireless and wired PSVR options
- Enhanced display and gaze tracking
- Developing VR use cases outside of gaming
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Little change in VR ownership
- PlayStation well ahead in VR market share
- Daily use of VR headsets rises significantly
- Gaming by far the most popular VR use case
- Owners satisfied with VR graphics, performance and simplicity
- Growth in usage of VR for non-owners
- Younger Millennials most interested in using VR
- Growth in intent to purchase headsets
- Pricing still an issue for many people
Ownership and Brand of VR Headset
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- Little change in VR ownership
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- Figure 18: Ownership of VR headsets, September 2019
- PlayStation well ahead in VR market share
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- Figure 19: Type of VR headset owned, September 2019
Frequency of Usage
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- Daily use of VR headsets rises significantly
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- Figure 20: Frequency of VR headset use, September 2018 and September 2019
Activities on VR Headset and Consumer Satisfaction
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- Gaming by far the most popular VR use case
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- Figure 21: Apps used on VR headset, September 2019
- Owners satisfied with VR graphics, performance and simplicity
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- Figure 22: Satisfaction with VR experience for headset owners, September 2019
Previous Usage and Interest in VR Headsets
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- Growth in usage of VR for non-owners
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- Figure 23: Usage of a VR headset in the past, September 2018 and September 2019
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- Figure 24: No previous usage of a VR headset, by generation, September 2019
- Younger Millennials most interested in using VR
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- Figure 25: Interest in using a VR headset, September 2019
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- Figure 26: Interest in using a VR headset, by generation, September 2019
Intent to Buy VR headsets
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- Growth in intent to purchase headsets
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- Figure 27: Intent to buy a VR headset in the next year, September 2018 and September 2019
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- Figure 28: Intent to buy a VR headset in the next year, by generation and gender, September 2019
- Consumers most likely to buy smartphone-based VR
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- Figure 29: Type of VR headset interested in buying, September 2019
- Pricing still an issue for many people
- Offering a wider range of apps should boost perception among Gen X
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- Figure 30: Barriers for VR purchasing, September 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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