50 per cent of consumers who try a VR headset enjoy it and make plans to purchase one, while 15% who try one enjoy the experience and then buy a headset. This is according to a new report by market research and consulting company, Parks Associates. 

Their findings confirm what most in the industry already knew: people who try VR love it and want to buy it! The report highlights “The importance of personal experience in driving the success of virtual reality headset sales and the need to expand demos beyond industry events such as CES and into retail settings.”

Ecosystems And Content Partnerships

Brett Sappington, Senior Director of Research at Parks Associates said, “Despite a boost in awareness in 2016, industry players must create the appropriate ecosystems, including platforms, software, content, distribution, and delivery systems, in order for them to be viable in the marketplace.”

Parks Associates report that 3.5 per cent - or 3.4 million - US broadband households own a virtual reality headset. “Gaming is a strong use case for VR and AR technologies,” said Hunter Sappington, Research Analyst. “To find success beyond the Pokémon Go phenomenon, the industry needs to forge more content partnerships.”

You can read more about the research here.