While virtual reality gaming was set to be one of the biggest things to happen in the gaming industry in a long time, it hasn’t been something that has been widely adopted due to the many barriers of entry. While there’s been some solid experiences to check out recently, it looks like the demand for these devices at the current time just isn’t there.
This news was revealed by VentureBeat, which noted a recent Steam Survey that revealed that HTC Vive ownership grew just 0.3% in July and didn’t grow at all in August. These numbers are very similar for the Oculus Rift, which also grew only 0.3% in July and grew just 0.1% in August.
It was also revealed that the sales numbers for these devices aren’t very positive overall, either, with just 0.18% of Steam users owning the Vive and 0.10% of them owning the Rift.
These numbers are even more concerning as July and August marked the first time where there were no supply constraints, with consumers being able to go online or to an actual store to pick up either of the VR devices. Despite the availability, however, the demand just isn’t there.
While the lack of killer apps for these devices is definitely part of the problem, the massive price points and space requirements also weigh heavily on the fact that consumers aren’t rushing out to grab these things. PlayStation VR will be launching next month and brings the lowest barrier of entry yet with the lowest price and the fact that it runs off of PS4 rather than a high-end PC, though whether or not that makes a difference is anybody’s guess.
- This article was updated on March 8th, 2018
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