VR Industry Trends A comprehensive overview on the state of the VR Industry in Q2-2017
This trend report provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the Virtual Reality Industry in Q2 of 2017. It's based on real data from the Sketchfab platform with over 800,000 contributors* and over 1.5 Million scenes viewable in VR, as well as our most recent VR survey. The report details trends we’ve observed within the industry, specifically related to content, VR hardware, and the future of VR.
What's your experience with Virtual Reality?
- I've tried both Mobile & Desktop headsets 45.1%
- I've tried a Mobile VR headset 26.4%
- I've tried a Desktop VR headset 11.7%
- I've never tried a VR headset 16.9%
Insights: Experience with Virtual Reality
83.2% of the surveyed population have experienced VR in some capacity, which is a 3.6% increase from the previous survey in Q1, 2017. Similarly to Q1, almost half of the surveyed population have tried both mobile and desktop VR.
Overall, what's your opinion of Virtual Reality?
- VR has potential, but not for everything 56.6%
- VR is the future 37.0%
- VR is just hype 3.3%
- Other 3.1%
Insights: Virtual Reality Sentiment
56.6% of the surveyed population believes that VR has potential, but may not be the “end-all be-all” solution. This is a 3% increase from the previous survey in Q1 of 2017. 37% believe that VR is “the future”, which is a 6.1% decrease since Q1 2017, and 3.3% of the surveyed audience believes that VR is “just hype”, which is a .2% increase from Q1. Among some of the popular answers provided for the “other” category were: “VR has potential, but creates too much isolation for the individual”, “The current headsets are still primitive and need to be improved”, and “VR has tremendous potential, but the current price point is too expensive for the end user”.
Are you more interested in the potential of Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality?
- Virtual Reality 60.9%
- Augmented Reality 39.1%
Insights: Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality
According to the survey, the majority of respondents (60.9%) are interested in the potential of VR over AR, which is a 3.5% decrease from the Q1 2017 survey.
Do you own a Virtual Reality headset?
- Yes 61.1%
- No 38.9%
Insights: Virtual Reality Headset Ownership
61.1% of the surveyed population own a VR headset; a 4.6% decrease from the previous survey in Q1, 2017. 38.9% of the surveyed population do not.
Why haven't you purchased a Virtual Reality headset?
Insights: Non-Purchasers
72.6% of those who have not purchased a headset believe they are too expensive, a 3.9% increase from the previous Q1 survey. 29.6% of survey respondents believe that the technology isn’t quite ready (a .4% reduction from the previous survey), and 21.2% of the respondents believe there is a lack of quality content (a 2.3% reduction from the previous quarter). Some of the other reasons provided for not purchasing a VR headset include: complicated setup, incompatibility with prescription glasses, reluctance to purchase a VR compatible computer, and having access to the technology through a university or a workplace.
Which Virtual Reality headset(s) do you own?
Insights: Virtual Reality Headset Ownership
The majority of the survey respondents own a Google Cardboard (41.1%), which is 17.8% lower than the previous quarter. The second most popular HMD is the HTC Vive (20.6%), followed by the Samsung Gear VR (16.9%), the Oculus Rift (16.3%), PSVR (5.7%), and Google Daydream (4.1%). Among the other headsets mentioned in the survey are: Virtoba X5, Epson Moverio, Xaomi Mi VR Play, FreeflyVR, BoboVR, and various homemade prototypes.
What's your favorite Virtual Reality headset?
- HTC Vive 42.2%
- Oculus Rift 20.7%
- Samsung Gear VR 7.3%
- Google Cardboard 6.7%
- PSVR 4.1%
- Google Daydream 2.0%
- Other 17.0%
Insights: Favorite Virtual Reality Headset
42.2% of respondents prefer the HTC Vive, down 15.6% from the previous quarter. 20.7% of respondents prefer the Oculus Rift (a 0.9% increase from the previous quarter), 7.3% prefer the Samsung GearVR, 6.7% prefer the Google Cardboard, 4.1% prefer the PSVR, and 2% prefer the Google Daydream. Among other headsets mentioned by respondents: Epson Moverio, Snapdragon VR, and Fat Shark VR.
What's your favorite use for your Virtual Reality headset?
Insights: Favorite Use of Virtual Reality Headset
The majority of respondents (57.8%) reported gaming was their favorite use of their VR headset. The second most popular use is exploring environments (51.2%). In the previous survey, exploring environments was the most popular use case, followed by gaming. The following categories also had a favorable response (in descending order): content creation, 360 videos / cinematic experiences, interactive social experiences, and education/training.
Which future Virtual Reality feature(s) are you most interested in?
Insights: Future Virtual Reality Features
The majority of survey respondents (58.9%) are interested in wireless headsets with positional tracking, a 0.3% increase from the previous quarter. Full body tracking came in a close second with 56.4% of the vote. The other future features that survey respondents are excited about (in descending order) are: eye tracking (38.6%), haptic feedback (32.4%), better navigation (29.4%), and a VR social layer (13%).
Do you think Apple will enter the AR or VR market?
- Yes - AR 28.6%
- Yes - VR 10.8%
- Yes - Both 44.6%
- No 16%
Insights: Apple entering the AR or VR market
The majority of survey respondents (44.6%) believe Apple will enter both the AR and the VR markets. 28.6% of respondents believe that Apple will enter the AR market, 10.8% of respondents believe that Apple will enter the VR market. And 16% of respondents believe that Apple will not enter either market.
When will Apple reveal its AR or VR technology?
- 2017 12.0%
- 2018 40.6%
- 2019 19.9%
- 2020 12.7%
- Never 14.8%
Insights: Apple Revealing AR or VR technology
The majority of survey respondents (40.6%) believe Apple will reveal their AR or VR technology in 2018, followed by 19.9% who believe they will release it in 2019. 12.7% believe they will release in 2020, 12% believe they will release in 2017, and 14.8% believe they will never release a VR/AR technology.
What do you think Virtual Reality needs to achieve mass adoption?
- Cheaper Headsets 46.5%
- Better Content 20.3%
- Better Distribution (using WebVR) 20.2%
- Other 13%
Insights: Virtual Reality Mass Adoption
46.5% of respondents believe cheaper headsets will increase VR adoption ( a 3.5% increase from the previous quarter), 20.3% believe better content will increase adoption (down 11.6% from the previous survey), and 20.2% believe better access to content and better distribution (through advancements like WebVR) will be the answer to increasing VR adoption (an 8.9% increase from the previous quarter). Other notable answers include: cheaper supporting hardware requirements and more applications that solve existing problems.
Which industry vertical do you think will be most impacted by Virtual Reality in the next 5 years?
- Gaming 49.1%
- Education 18.1%
- Health/Medicine 10.7%
- Business 5.8%
- Social 5.5%
- Defense 5.4%
- Other 5.5%
Insights: Top Virtual Reality Verticals
The majority of respondents (49.1%) believe gaming will be most affected by VR in the next 5 years (a 5.4% decrease from the previous quarter). Education comes in second place with 18.1% of the votes (a 1.5% decrease from the previous quarter), followed by health/medicine (10.7%), business (5.8%), social (5.5%), and defense (5.4%). Other notable responses include: adult industry, construction, art, and advertising.
Do you currently produce 3D or Virtual Reality content?
- Yes 49.1%
- No 50.9%
Insights: 3D/Virtual Reality Content Production
50.9% of the survey respondents currently produce 3D/VR content. 49.1% do not.
Do you plan on buying a Virtual Reality headset in 2017?
- No 62.7%
- Yes 37.3%
Insights: Virtual Reality Headset Purchases in 2017
37.3% of survey respondents plan on purchasing a VR headset in 2017 (down 8.3% from last quarter), and 62.7% are not planning (an 8.3% increase from the previous quarter).
Which Virtual Reality headset(s) do you plan on buying in 2017?
Insights: 2017 Virtual Reality Purchase Forecast
Of the respondents planning on purchasing a VR headset in 2017, 30.5% are planning on buying an HTC Vive (a 5.7% increase from Q1), 21.67% are planning on buying an Oculus Rift (a 7.47% increase from Q1), 10.75% are planning on buying a PSVR (a 3.5% increase from Q1), 9.63% are planning on buying a Google Daydream (a 6.47% decrease from Q1), 9.47% are planning on buying a Samsung Gear VR (a 3.37% increase from Q1), and 6.42% are planning on buying a Google Cardboard (a 0.58% decrease from Q1).
Time spent browsing Sketchfab 3D Scenes
Insights: Time Spent in VR (MM:SS)
Sketchfab users spend on average 16:12 in Desktop VR (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, etc…), a 2:23 decrease from last quarter; 7:11 in mobile VR (Cardboard, Gear VR, etc…), a 32 second increase from the previous quarter; 1:40 on Desktop devices (a 7 second increase from the previous quarter), and 1:07 on mobile devices (a 35 second decrease from last quarter).
Sketchfab VR Consumption: Desktop vs. Mobile
- Mobile VR 91.7%
- Desktop VR 8.3%
Insights: VR Consumption
The most popular method of consumption is via mobile VR headsets using smartphones (91.7%). This is a 15.4% increase over last quarter. Desktop VR consumption stands at 8.3%, a 15.4% decrease over last quarter.
Geographic distribution of Sketchfab VR Users
Insights: Geographic VR Distribution
The top 5 countries consuming VR are: United States (19.64%, previously 63.85%), Russia (6.27%), United Kingdom (5.66%, previously 10.79%), France (4.52%, previously 8.46%), Germany (4.40%). Other countries include: Spain, Poland, Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Canada, Netherlands, China, Japan, Taiwan, Ukraine, Australia, and Mexico.
* This survey is based on 1600+ responses from the Sketchfab community.