VR Headsets Get Stuck on Shelves
Sales estimates fall for virtual-reality gear; internet users say they are ‘just not interested’
By Miriam Gottfried
May 19, 2017 2:38 p.m. ET
Virtual reality was supposed to be the next big thing, but headsets haven’t exactly been flying off the shelves. The question is, why?
There were $1.48 billion in VR hardware sales in 2016, according to SuperData Research. That is far from the $12.65 billion the research firm is forecasting for 2020. That estimate has come down, and there is still reason to question whether VR will get there.
In March, digital marketing research firm Thrive Analytics asked the question to internet users who weren’t interested in owning a VR headset. The survey, as summarized by eMarketer, showed many of the expected reasons: the headsets were too expensive, lack of virtual reality content and poor quality of what was out there, and fear of motion sickness.
The biggest chunk, some 53%, said they were “just not interested.” Perhaps actual reality is difficult enough.
|
