VRFocus could’ve told you this – Nielsen, one of world’s largest research companies, has released new information showing the rising appeal of both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) among gamers. No surprise, given the new VR and AR software and hardware hitting the market all the time.
As Nielsen state in their report, adoption for dedicated VR and AR devices is still fairly low, but public awareness of them has nearly doubled. Thanks to more affordable VR solutions, such as Gear VR and Google Cardboard, awareness is increasing all the time. While premier VR experiences might still be behind a paywall of expensive head-mounted displays (HMDs) and hardware to run them, smartphone VR offer a decent experience at a much lower cost.
The typical audience for the technology is currently predominantly male, making up 69% of the demographic. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the audience is also mostly young, with 44% being Millennials.
The Gear VR is currently one of the most well-known VR solutions available, with 34% of those polled aware of it – no doubt thanks to Samsung’s heavy marketing, and including it with select smartphones.
Despite the higher awareness of Gear VR, it’s PlayStation VR which holds a higher interest. PlayStation’s brand power, coupled with Sony’s presence and heavy marketing within the gaming space, is clearly proving attractive among gamers interested in VR – PlayStation 4’s massive install base and following will of course draw gamers to Sony’s VR solution, too.
VR and AR are only growing, and with more affordable devices hitting the market, public awareness and interest in the medium can only go up from here.
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