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Survey research from Thrive Analytics & ARtillery Intelligence reveals who’s using VR, how often, and on what devices.
Thrive Analytics and ARtillery Intelligence have released a new report entitled VR Usage & Consumer Attitudes, Wave 9. ARtillery Intelligence authored survey questions and a narrative report while Thrive Analytics administered the survey through its established survey engine.
Highlights include the fact that 27 percent of U.S. adults have used VR – up from 25 percent in Wave 8 of the research. 32 percent of those engage monthly, 25 percent do so weekly, and 26 percent daily. However, the engaged behavior of VR users is contrasted by non-users, who signal low interest. Specifically, only 20 percent of non-users report a desire to try VR in the near term.
As for VR players and positioning, Meta’s impact is evident in its growing popularity. 62 percent of VR users report using Meta headsets, including all Quest variants and generations. This figure is up from 57 percent in last year’s report and 48 percent in the previous wave. This is driven by a competitive feature set, growing library of games & experiences, and aggressive pricing.
“Meta is investing heavily in VR and is playing a long game,” said Mike Boland, Chief Analyst of ARtillery Intelligence. “That includes loss-leader pricing and subsidized headsets that accelerate Meta’s market share. One result is that consumers end up with devices that are less expensive than they should be, including Quest 3, 3s, and their expanded mixed-reality functions.”
Familiar vs. Fantastic
VR’s current state is also characterized by the activities users are most interested in. Gaming leads aspirational use cases, with 70 percent of respondent interest – an unsurprising result given its dominance in VR libraries. This was tied with social interaction, which could be a meaningful demand signal for VR developers. Other top categories include movies & entertainment (69 percent), such as streaming apps, which is telling of VR’s current state of evolution.
“Watching 2D entertainment in VR continues to be a use case that’s in high demand,” said Boland. “This says a lot about VR’s learning curve and consumers’ habitual nature. We’re talking about a use case that doesn’t tap into VR’s advantages and immersive capabilities, demonstrating that consumers often want what they know – gravitating towards the familiar versus the fantastic.”
As for other dynamics and methodology, this report applies Thrive Analytics’ acumen and time-tested practices in survey research. Wave 9 included a sample of 50,000 U.S. adults. Nine waves of research meanwhile enable robust longitudinal analysis and trending data. Thrive Analytics and ARtillery Intelligence also produce a corresponding AR report, which will publish in Q3.
“AR and VR remain in early-adoption phases,” said Thrive Analytics Managing Partner Jason Peaslee. “But though there are typical challenges and adoption barriers, these technologies will gradually transform the way people work, connect, and learn.”
Report Availability
VR Usage & Consumer Attitudes, Wave 9 is available from ARtillery Intelligence and Thrive Analytics. Deeper access to the base data and additional strategic analysis can be obtained from Thrive Analytics.
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. Learn more here.
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 here.
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