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45 Million VR Headsets Will be 'Actively Used' by 2025, Research Says

VR headsets experience an increase in popularity during 2020 and that momentum will continue, with 45 million VR headset users by 2025.

gamerant.com

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, virtual reality headsets have increased in popularity and many more have found homes. Researchers at Omida, an independent analyst agency, have released their findings about VR headsets, which say that these headsets will continue to grow in popularity and there will be 45 million active users by 2025.

During a global pandemic that forces everyone to stay home, there are a good number of people that decided to buy VR headsets and play games like VRChat to pass the time. Thanks to the COVID-19 shutdowns, gamers have spent a total of $1 billion on VR games across multiple different headset models.

On actual headsets, the model predicts that by the end of 2020, there will be a total of $6.4 million different headsets sold. This includes tethered headsets, standalone headsets, and everything in between. By 2025, these numbers will increase to 45 million VR headsets being actively used and a total of $4 billion in VR games bought by VR players all over the world.

 

[waquzy]

I won’t be one of them, it’s headache inducing rubbish

 

[Slings and Arrows]

If the PSVR 2 is a mass-market success along the lines the Wii, i would reckon those numbers would be revised up, by a lot.

 

[mcz117chief]

VR is okay, but we still aren't even close to making it a viable device for active use. An hour or so a day is ok but more than that it is just uncomfortable and annoying. Nice distraction for sure.

 

[LisaMariaMartin]

I won’t be one of them, it’s headache inducing rubbish

It's definitely a next gen moment the first time you use it though. I tried Alyx at a friends house and it was incredible. At least for a few minutes before I got dizzy.

 

[STARSBarry]

The sad thing is that Facebook really knocked it out of the park with their new Occulus Quest 2 and more specifically the Occulus Rift S...

They then proceeded to fuck it up by the "you must have a real Facebook account so we can trace everything you do"

Honestly.... if only anyone but Facebook owned the Occulus they would be far more popular, that price/preformance is uttely solid.

 

[Rudius]

PSVR 2 needs to be release soon and for a good price. That should help to boost the numbers.

 

[Matt_Fox]

THIS is the year of VR!

(said every year since VR began)

 

[ZywyPL]

Two decades to reach XB1 figures, just let it die already...

 

[Resenge]

Two decades to reach XB1 figures, just let it die already...

How about no.


2 Decades? what are you talking about? VR has only been really truly viable for 4 years and in that 4 years we have gone from this..

$599

to this

$299

Truly wireless VR, no external sensors needed with PC quality graphics and apparently comparable to the Xbox one S in performance ( I don't know if that is entirely true, it's surely more powerful than a Switch), before that it was all experimentation. Who knows how far the tech will go In another 5 years.

This is like saying touchscreen phones should have died because the tech has been around since 1992, touchscreen phones didn't become mainstream until 15 years later. Thank god no one is listening to people like you or we would still be living in caves.

 

[Tranquil]

Make it comfortable and wireless and I'm in.

I have an Oculus that I never use and I had a PSVR but sold it because they are both cumbersome and I feel like the borg when I put it on.

 

[Sir Vilhelm]

My oculus was fun for about a week. The content just isn't very good

 

[Ascend]

We're all gonna end up in a world like the movie Ready Player One in 10 years if this keeps up.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I won’t be one of them, it’s headache inducing rubbish

This is what lots older people say about videogames

 

[DarthBuzzer]

I won’t be one of them, it’s headache inducing rubbish

In 2025, only regular screens will induce headaches. VR will actually be the most comfortable platform, incapable of causing headaches or eye strain.

Not to mention the actual quality will be almost too good to skip if you call yourself a gamer, even if you use it to play non-VR games on.

 

[DarthBuzzer]

Two decades to reach XB1 figures, just let it die already...

Two decades? More like 9 years by 2025, although this is active users not total sales.

And just so we're clear, it took PCs, phones, TVs 15+ years to go mainstream.

 

[Larlight]

I’ll buy PSVR2 if that shit comes out as wireless. I hate wires and am clumsy enough to rip them by accident.

 

[ResilientBanana]

I bought a Quest 2 and I'm really happy with it. The Wired and Wireless modes really make it viable to enthusiasts and new comers. All hail John Carmack.

 

[Kev Kev]

to the people coming in here just to say "it's dead": contribute to the thread, or shut the fuck up.

it clearly isn't dead as it has been gaining in popularity for the last 5-10 years. new headsets and games are being developed, and we now know next gen headsets are also in the works. if you dont like it thats fine but stop wasting your time coming into to every VR topic just trying to jerk off on everyone elses fun.

twats

I won’t be one of them, it’s headache inducing rubbish

see ^ now thats a fair post. and i actually have to agree a little bit there, the psvr headset was so tight it gave me a headache for the first month or two till it stretched put, not to mention just being in VR for the first 5-10 hours can be a dizzying and headache inducing experience (it was about that long for me, i was good to go after a week or two). i will say, in rebuttal to that, that you do get used to it after a while. and if you are doing it right, you should be starting off with a static game where there is little to no movement, then over time work your way up to a first person game like skyrim or half life alyx.

in the end tho, VR just isnt for everyone. i think part of it is that i was so determined to love vr that i made it through all the beginning "headaches" and earned my VR legs. now it feels like nothing and its fantastic. cant wait to see the future of vr, whcih for me, is the future of gaming (calm down i said for ME lol, not necessarily for everyone. flat screen gaming isnt going anywhere)

 

[reptilex]

I work in VR. But I also used to work in trend analyst (the legit paid private one).

Crooks and manipulators who exaggerated false projection for PR doesn't work, just fucking stop it.

 

[bumleforce]

isn't psvr the most popular with 5 million. so what wouldn't that mean less than 10 million between all companies. I dont think that world be realistic for 5 years from now unless my info is wrong. I hopeits true vr is awesome

 

[Kerotan]

Hopefully 10M of them are PS5 VR headsets!

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

There's not enough Porn VR to suffice that many people.

 

[namekuseijin]

It's definitely a next gen moment the first time you use it though. I tried Alyx at a friends house and it was incredible. At least for a few minutes before I got dizzy.

a week or so with it you won't feel dizzy any longer

 

[phil_t98]

If the PSVR 2 is a mass-market success along the lines the Wii, i would reckon those numbers would be revised up, by a lot.

they need full games with it though and not expieriences, there were a few good games on PSVR but most things were tacked on

 

[LucidFlux]

Makes sense. I think we're finally on the cusp of a VR explosion.

Screen resolution, frame rates, affordability, comfortability are all finally coming together. But like all platforms it comes down to content. Either everything must become VR compatible or we'll need a Ready Player One type app to bring in the masses.

 

[Slings and Arrows]

they need full games with it though and not expieriences, there were a few good games on PSVR but most things were tacked on

PSVR was tacked on in all fairness.

It came out when most people believed Sony would release a weak console and then would go bankrupt.

Instead, they went 'The A-Team' and scraped together old bits of shit laying around at Sony HQ (move controllers, old vita screens) and made a VR headset while palmer lucky was still sucking off Zuckerberg.

It will be interesting to see what they can do with a dedicated headset, made for dedicated hardware (Ps5) with a proper screen, proper controllers (dual sense tech).

But yeah I agree 100%. They need a killer app.

 

[Romulus]

Two decades to reach XB1 figures, just let it die already...

VR restarted in 2016, and even then it was mostly enthusiasts. Even psvr. Theres only been 2 recent attempts at going after the mainstream. So really in the last year has been the only measuring stick for mainstream and Quest 2's launch was 5x the original sales.

Its just now edging into a viable wireless option.

 

[namekuseijin]

Two decades? More like 9 years by 2025, although this is active users not total sales.

And just so we're clear, it took PCs, phones, TVs 15+ years to go mainstream.

kids don't get this

TVs were born in the late 20s. It was a curiosity for a few people with enough money until well into the 50s when finally broadcast began popularizing with actual original content. Does it ring a bell?

Now, I don't think wearing a helmet will ever be that popular. Still, you do wear a helmet when you ride motorcycles, when go skiing, skuba diving etc - why not when you want that extra immersion in games?

the problem is conflict between graphics whoring of tv gaming and the needs of high performance and resolution of VR - which is why you rarely see ports of current games, only old games that run better. In any case, lack of renowned names hurts VR - and even when Half-Life or Medal of Honor come, they're still met with mind-blowing ignorance. If only you guys knew how much immersion adds to a shooting or racing game, you'd sell that crappy 4K tv, buy a headset and pester high profile studios for ports...

 

[DarthBuzzer]

kids don't get this

TVs were born in the late 20s. It was a curiosity for a few people with enough money until well into the 50s when finally broadcast began popularizing with actual original content. Does it ring a bell?

Now, I don't think wearing a helmet will ever be that popular. Still, you do wear a helmet when you ride motorcycles, when go skiing, skuba diving etc - why not when you want that extra immersion in games?

the problem is conflict between graphics whoring of tv gaming and the needs of high performance and resolution of VR - which is why you rarely see ports of current games, only old games that run better. In any case, lack of renowned names hurts VR - and even when Half-Life or Medal of Honor come, they're still met with mind-blowing ignorance. If only you guys knew how much immersion adds to a shooting or racing game, you'd sell that crappy 4K tv, buy a headset and pester high profile studios for ports...

Once foveated rendering and full body tracking is finally cracked, people that rely on eye candy will be able to look at VR trailers and gameplay and actually came away impressed.