This research contains data on the Virtual Reality (VR) market. VR HMDs tracked include tethered (PC and Console), standalone, and mobile-reliant devices. This data includes shipments, install base, device revenues, and software/service revenue, segmented both by vertical and by region. Regional breakouts include: North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East & Africa.
Verticals include:
VR remains in a transitionary phase – a market still in its nascent stages but looking for a way to push into the mainstream’s collective consciousness. Key consumer segments like gaming and video have not yet pushed the market forward, and hardware updates have been more iterative than generational. A new tethered HMD from HTC and reportedly the next Rift from Oculus are evolved solutions and do not push the needle forward like earlier price cuts, but these are pragmatic steps that ensure the market moves forward while maintaining cohesiveness with earlier products, presenting developers with the largest possible installed base.
Mobile however, is at a crossroads as industry support (on the platform and hardware front) has waned and attention is diverted to standalone – Samsung and Google notably pulled back from VR in recent mobile product launches and developer events. Despite these roadblocks (more on the consumer side) the market still holds potential and is already establishing a stronger position in the commercial and enterprise spaces. The blurring lines between 3DoF and 6DoF experiences within the standalone segment will clear up but the fate of mobile VR could weigh heavily on the future of the more accessible 3DoF space.