30% of people had AR/VR experience in last six months
The global pandemic has limited physical interactions in the real world and new research by Verizon Media indicates that people have turned to Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The study in seven European markets shows that 30% of people have had an immersive AR or VR experience in the last 6 months. More consumers are buying AR and VR technology with a projected 5.5 million AR/VR headsets expected to be sold worldwide this year, rising to 11 million in 2021. During the first lockdown, Oculus Quest was out of stock and opportunist eBay sellers were offering VR headsets for twice the recommended retail price! Demand for virtual experiences is therefore accelerating into the early majority phase of technology adoption as AR and VR connect people to real world experiences.
69% of people excited about AR/VR experiences
There has been a substantial rise in the number of consumers interested in immersive content with a 19% uplift since March 2020. Interestingly, this demand is trending across demographic groups with over 45s seeing the biggest increase in appetite for AR/VR experiences. In our consumer research studies across representative population samples we frequently deliver immersive experiences to people in the 65+ age group so this doesn’t come as a surprise. Studies show that 3D AR products are 174% more realistic than 2D screen-based images of products and 91% of people using VR feel ‘present’ in the room. The magic of immersive technology and its ability to replicate the physical world has shifted demand from the early adopters a few years ago to the late majority now.
19% increase in AR/VR retail experiences
The retail sector has seen the greatest uplift in immersive technology as bricks and mortar business models move online. More people are now reporting that they see the role for Augmented Reality, not only as an aid to shopping, but also as a way of seeing and interacting with products before they buy them. Lockdown has made both these use cases jump in consumer consideration so now, especially amongst young demographics, nearly two thirds want to ‘try before they buy’. Virtual try-ons, from glasses to garments, are becoming mainstream and consumers have more confidence when buying the perfect coffee machine when they can explore a 3D AR version on their kitchen counter before the bubble wrapped version arrives.
Trend towards AR/VR as consumer research tool
As ‘futurists’, the market research industry is in the business of predicting which new products people will buy and the brand positioning which delivers impact in store. As the world’s leader in mobile AR/VR technology for consumer research, we’ve pioneered new research methodologies to ensure brands and research agencies keep ahead of the consumer curve. This new consumer study by our friends at Verizon Media further underlines the benefits of AR/VR and the need for the research industry to accelerate the adoption of new technology before their subjects – consumers – do it for them.
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