Extended Reality: Brave new virtual world – What's currently happening (2018) in virtual reality

This article is from August 24, 2018, and was brought back to light today (November 9, 2022). What has happened in the meantime? How has virtual reality developed?

+++ What Germans are doing in virtual reality +++ Projected sales increase for virtual reality products by 2020 +++ Germans prefer personal contact +++ The future of VR headsets in the gaming market +++ Virtual reality is particularly attractive for gaming +++ A bright future for augmented reality +++ Facebook boosts Oculus sales +++ Planning your vacation with virtual reality? +++

What Germans are doing in virtual reality

89 percent of Germans have heard of virtual reality – but only one in six has ever experienced it. This is according to a study by the Digital Association Germany.

But what do Germans do when they find themselves in this virtual reality? 72 percent of those surveyed who have tried VR glasses used them to play video games. Exploring travel destinations and watching films ranked second and third among the most popular activities. Only 8 percent of VR users invested time in educational or learning projects.

Projected revenue increase for virtual reality products by 2020

VR technology, especially VR headsets, is suitable for experiencing computer games up close, but also for attending concerts from the comfort of your own sofa or virtually walking through an apartment on the other side of the world. As our graphic shows, it is primarily the revenue from content that is expected to grow rapidly. The hardware market could already show initial signs of saturation as early as 2019, as data from Deloitte and Bitkom suggest.

Germans prefer personal contact

We can now reach large parts of the world from our desks. For example, we can contact our health insurance company via chat or explore our next vacation destination in advance using Google Street View. A GfK study shows that Germans are rather suspicious of this. Only 13 percent of German online users agree with the statement "virtual contacts with people or places can be just as good as personal contacts or actually being there in person," while one in three explicitly disagrees. In contrast, for example, a third of Brazilians and Turks find virtual interactions just as good as personal contact. A total of 27,000 internet users from 22 countries were surveyed for the study.

The future of VR glasses in the gaming market

According to a survey by the German Games Industry Association (BIU), there are just over 34 million gamers in Germany. Of these, 18.4 million play on PCs and 15.6 million on game consoles. For many of them, the virtual world is likely to expand soon – provided they decide to buy a virtual reality headset. The industry association Bitkom estimates the potential buyer potential in Germany at 20 million. And the market is on the verge of mass adoption. Consumers now have a choice between a number of sophisticated models. In 2016 alone, three systems from well-known manufacturers – Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR – were launched.

VR glasses are now used for a wide variety of purposes

For private use, potential VR headset users are most attracted to the enhanced gaming experience, which feels even more realistic thanks to the device. In a Bitkom study, 41 percent of respondents stated that this application interested them most. As the graphic shows, 35 percent could imagine taking virtual trips with VR headsets.

A bright future for augmented reality

Facebook is focusing on augmented and virtual reality. That the world's largest social network is further developing its offerings in this direction seems logical. Analysts predict a bright future for technologically enhanced reality. IDC, for example, expects augmented reality to reach a revenue volume of around 49 billion US dollars by 2021, with a further 19 billion US dollars expected from applications and devices in the field of virtual reality.

Facebook increased Oculus sales in 2017

A total of 2.1 million AR and VR headsets were sold worldwide in the second quarter, according to IDC – with the vast majority likely being VR glasses. One example is the Oculus Rift, of which Facebook (which acquired the VR headset manufacturer in March 2014) sold approximately 247,000 units. This increased Oculus' market share from 4.4 percent in the previous quarter to 11.6 percent. The reason for this surge is likely the lower price of the VR headset. Market leaders, however, remain Samsung and Sony, who together sold almost 1.1 million devices. According to a forecast from April, IDC market researchers predict a bright future for augmented reality.

Planning a vacation with virtual reality?

What potential and opportunities does virtual reality offer in the online booking process for vacations? A representative survey of German internet users was conducted to investigate this. Users already tend to minimize the risk associated with booking travel by utilizing various digital platforms before making a reservation. Sixty-two percent of respondents can already imagine using virtual reality to get a feel for their travel destination. Thirteen percent would even be willing to pay for such a service. This puts virtual reality on a similar level to street view services and ahead of photo and video platforms.

 

 

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