Virtual reality headsets have almost ceased to be sold. This is reported in a study conducted by Valve Corporation.
The data was collected among Steam users. It turned out that the number of HTC Vive owners in July increased by only 0.3%, and in August the growth was zero. For Oculus Rift, the figures were 0.3% and 0.1%, respectively.
As of the end of August, only 0.18% of Steam users owned HTC Vive. There are even fewer Oculus Rift users – 0.1% of the service’s audience.
The figures are very revealing, since starting in July, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift went on free sale. In other words, VR helmets no longer had to be ordered and waited for a long time – it became possible to simply purchase devices in an online store or in a store.
The VentureBeat resource shared its thoughts on why the devices are selling so poorly. Perhaps the fact is that those who were willing to spend several hundred dollars on high-tech devices have already done it. To start winning over the remaining audience, VR helmet manufacturers will have to make the devices much cheaper.
Recall that at the moment the cost of the Oculus Rift is $ 600, and the HTC Vive is $ 800. Both devices require a powerful computer or laptop.
Source: Steam