Virtual Reality Struggles to Capture American Teen Interest, New Survey Shows
A recent survey from Piper Sandler reveals that virtual reality (VR) has not gained much popularity among American teens. While 29% of the surveyed teens owned a VR device, in contrast to 87% who owned iPhones, only 4% of headset owners used them daily, and just 14% used them on a weekly basis.
The survey also indicated that teenagers were not particularly interested in purchasing forthcoming VR headsets. Only 7% expressed plans to buy a headset, compared to 52% who were unsure or uninterested.
These findings add to the negative outlook on VR, as headset shipments declined by 21% in 2022, according to IDC. Furthermore, Bloomberg reported that Sony’s PlayStation VR2 Headset was projected to sell only 270,000 units by the end of March, falling significantly short of its original goal of 2 million units.
Rolf Illenberger, the managing director of VRdirect, a VR enterprise software solutions provider, stated that the current state of VR is mainly business-focused. He believes that the release of new devices will have a greater impact on developers building practical use cases than on teenagers seeking entertainment.
However, IDC data shows that both consumer and enterprise interest in VR declined last year. Major companies like Microsoft have also scaled back their VR and augmented reality (AR) plans, signaling a shift away from the technology.
The decline in VR’s popularity has been exemplified by recent events. Google recently announced the discontinuation of Google Glass Enterprise, and Disney closed down its metaverse team. Walmart also shut down its virtual experience on the Roblox platform, according to the Truth in Advertising nonprofit advocacy group.
The diminished interest in VR has led to speculation that AI, rather than VR, will dominate the technology landscape. Mark Zuckerberg’s letter announcing layoffs and a shift in focus towards AI at Meta (formerly Facebook) further suggests a change in priorities.
Despite these developments, OpenSim, a general-purpose virtual world platform, continues to operate successfully without the need for advanced graphics. However, as AI-powered environment generation and immersive experiences become increasingly accessible through platforms like Unreal and Unity, developers may question the need for similar AI features in OpenSim.
On a positive note, AI tools are rapidly advancing in various fields, enabling accelerated software development and documentation. As major players scale back their investment in enterprise VR, the OpenSim platform has an opportunity to leverage these AI tools and potentially lead the way in the future interconnected metaverse.
Headlines (HTML tags for WordPress article):
Virtual Reality Fails to Gain Traction Among American Teens, Survey Finds
Only 4% of VR Headset Owners Use Them Daily, Survey Reveals
Teens Show Limited Interest in Buying Future VR Headsets, New Study Shows
VR Headset Shipments Declined 21% in 2022, According to IDC
AI Takes the Spotlight as Interest in VR Declines, Industry Data Indicates
Bold words (HTML tags for WordPress article):
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