New Study Reveals 16 Percent of U.S. Adults Have Tried Virtual Reality
ARtillery Intelligence, in partnership with Thrive Analytics, today released a new report: VR Usage & Consumer Attitudes, Wave III. Working closely with Thrive Analytics’ Virtual Reality Monitor™, ARtillery Intelligence authored survey questions and a narrative report to examine the findings.
Highlights include the fact that 16 percent of consumers have used VR, up from 11 percent in last year’s corresponding study. More importantly, they’re using it often: more 35 percent of respondents use VR at least monthly. This is a telling indication of VR’s potential, given that active use is a key success factor tied to revenue and user retention.
VR users are also highly satisfied: 67 percent reported extreme or moderate satisfaction. However it’s not all good news: Non-VR users report relatively low interest in VR ownership – 27 percent, down from 31 percent in 2018. This disparity between user satisfaction and non-user disinterest represents key marketing and logistical challenges for VR.
“VR’s immersive format is a double-edged sword,” said Mike Boland, Chief Analyst of ARtillery Intelligence. “It’s captivating users for it’s revolutionary jump from traditional content formats. But you have to see it to believe it, and it’s hard to convey that experience to non-users through traditional marketing. This will be alleviated over time through more cultural acclimation to VR and lowering access friction through things like standalone headsets.”
Standalone VR – embodied by Oculus Quest, Oculus Go and other emerging headsets — don’t require a separate and costly PC and also eschew cumbersome wires and the need to set up roomscale positional tracking systems. Though still early (this survey was fielded before Quest’s market launch), standalone VR addresses many consumer objections evident in this survey and could represent an important inflection point for the technology.
Virtual Reality Monitor applies Thrive Analytics’ acumen and time-tested practices in survey research. The AR survey in this this wave (Wave III) included a sample of 3,162 U.S. adults. Furthermore, three completed waves of research now enable robust longitudinal analysis and trend evaluation. Thrive Analytics and ARtillery Intelligence will continue to analyze the AR & VR market opportunities through the lens of consumer sentiments.
“AR and VR are in initial adoption stages,” said Thrive Analytics managing partner Jason Peaslee. “This means user behavior and affinities are still developing, just as we saw in early stages of past tech adoption cycles. AR & VR have the ability to transform the way people work, connect, and learn, so we’ll continue to track the consumer adoption that informs product and business strategies.”
Report Availability
VR Usage & Consumer Attitudes, Wave III is available through ARtillery Intelligence. More details about the report including previews and links to subscribe can be found at https://artillry.co/intelligence
The base data is also available from Thrive Analytics. More details about Virtual Reality Monitor can be found here: https://www.thriveanalytics.com/
About ARtillery Intelligence
ARtillery Intelligence chronicles the evolution of spatial computing, otherwise known as AR and VR. Through writings and multimedia, it provides deep and analytical views into the industry’s biggest players, opportunities and strategies. Products include the AR Insider publication and the ARtillery PRO research subscription. Research includes monthly narrative reports, market- sizing forecasts consumer survey data and multimedia, all housed in a robust intelligence vault. To learn more, go to https://artillry.co/intelligence
About Thrive Analytics
Thrive Analytics is a leading digital marketing research and customer engagement consulting firm. With clients spanning leading national brands as well as publishers and agencies serving the small business community, it pairs proprietary market research services and data analytical tools with time tested business insights and methodologies to help organizations measurably improve customer experience, loyalty and sales results. Its mission is to provide superior research and support services that inspire clients to make smarter decisions. Learn more or contact Thrive Analytics.
About Virtual Reality Monitor
Virtual Reality Monitor is Thrive Analytics’ proprietary survey of virtual reality/augmented reality technology users. These surveys, conducted semiannually, track the adoption rates, usage, satisfaction levels, profiles and many other areas related to VR/AR users. Each wave has a customizable section for client specific inquiries. Results & key insights are communicated in advisory reports & presentations, charts & infographics, newsletters & articles and custom data views. Information from these studies are used by marketers, product managers, consultants and other people working in the technology space.
