New Research Reveals More Than 50% of Developers Cite HTC Vive as Most Popular VR, AR, or MR Platform
Virtual Reality Developers Conference Fall 2017 (VRDC) reveals industry trends in second annual VR/AR Innovation Report
SAN FRANCISCO(23 Jun 2017)
Today, VRDC Fall 2017 released its second annual VRDC VR/AR Innovation Report, compiled from survey responses from over 600 professionals involved in the development of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) experiences. The research report offers an inside look into the industry, from funding, to platform preferences, market challenges, and more.
For more information and to download the report, please visit: ubm.io/2017InnovationReport.
In the last year, the VR, AR, and MR industries have experienced tremendous growth and success, evolving and maturing with the debut of consumer-grade headsets such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the creation of Pokemon Go, and major investments from companies including Google and Microsoft.
As these industries continue to expand, VRDC is leading the charge as the primary resource for the latest industry information, with its fourth event in San Francisco from September 21 – 22 at the Hilton Union Square. VRDC Fall 2017 brings together creators of immersive experiences of all kinds including games, entertainment, brand experience, healthcare, training, and more to share best practices and learn about the latest technology.
Findings within the report are organized into five facets – each providing valuable takeaways on current trends in VR, AR, and MR:
What kinds of experiences are VR, AR, and MR developers creating?
78% of respondents, when asked about the focus or focuses of their current or potential work in VR, AR, and MR development, selected Games and Entertainment, 27% selected Training and Education and 19% said Branded Experiences, such as car showrooms or vacation hotspots rendered in VR, were focuses.
HTC Vive remains the most popular platform for VR, AR, or MR developers
When asked which hardware industry professionals were targeting for their current work, 56%, said HTC Vive, followed closely by Oculus Rift at 49%. When respondents were asked which platforms their next project would be released on, 52% said HTC Vive and 50% said Oculus Rift. When compared to the first-ever VR/AR Innovation Report, there was a small but notable uptick in developer interest in the HTC Vive and the Rift, suggesting that Rift is poised to close the gap and is becoming a more attractive platform.
Platform exclusives are becoming a bit more common
Roughly 31% of survey respondents said their next project would be released exclusively on a single VR, AR, or MR platform, up 10% from the 2016 Innovation Report, suggesting there is rising interest in developing an experience for one platform initially, to either gauge chance of success or to work on other platforms at a later date.
When asked which platform their next project would be exclusively released on, the most popular response was HTC Vive at 35%, followed by Oculus Rift and Samsung's Gear VR headset each at 13%.
Challenges with VR, AR, and MR
When asked what they thought the biggest unsolved problem was in terms of technology or design, respondents cited high risk of causing nausea and physical discomfort. Similarly, in the 2016 Innovation Report, nausea was also cited as challenge faced by the industry.
Impressive experiences to-date
When survey respondents were asked for examples of innovative, groundbreaking and impressive VR, AR, and MR experiences, they cited VR pain management apps, empathy-building games, industry leaders like Pokemon Go, Google Earth VR, and everything in-between.
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About Virtual Reality Developers Conference
Virtual Reality Developers Conference brings together creators of amazing, immersive VR, AR, and MR experiences to share best practices and demo new technology. Brought to you by the organizers of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), VRDC Fall 2017 brings you the state of the art in producing content for immersive experiences of all kinds including games, entertainment, brand experience, healthcare, training, and more. VRDC Fall 2017 will take place September 21 – 22 at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco, CA. To learn more and to register, visit: vrdconf.com