SuperData Say Samsung Frontrunner Of VR Landscape

Analytics firm SuperData has released a detailed report on the state of virtual reality industry, highlighting Samsung and Sony as sales leaders for the category.

SuperData says that “As with any new medium, consumers were slow to adopt VR. However, it gained widespread awareness due to the caliber of companies getting involved: Facebook, HTC, PlayStation, Samsung and Google all contributed to the 6.3M devices shipped to consumers.”

The firm says that Samsung came out on top, accounting for 4.51 million of the 6.3 million VR devices shipped in 2016.

SuperData says that “The low barrier to entry for mobile gave Samsung an edge over its other high-end competitors before the Google Daydream View came out. Acer giving away hundreds of thousands of headsets with S7 preorders, they were able to get devices into the hands of consumers at a critical Mme. Google’s new headset has been slow out the gate, coming out late last year and compatible with only the Google Pixel. However, as more phones become compatible this year it will be stiff competition for Samsung, especially since the Daydream View is $20 cheaper than the Gear VR.”

When it comes to non-mobile VR, Sony’s PSVR leads the pack with HTC’s Vive following closely behind.

The firm claims that “Sony’s headset flew off shelves, selling out virtually everywhere within a few days. The company’s lack of fulfilment is an indication of a cautious start, while HTC and Oculus are going full force with their PC devices. Oculus has shown a strong interest in gaming and social applications, so consumer penetration will be most important for the Ric. Meanwhile, HTC Vive is becoming the device of choice for enterprise developers Acer selling more than 400K at its $800 price point.”

Their report also touched on the short-length of VR use-sessions by users.

When it came to games, SuperData says, “play sessions were short — roughly 10 minutes — they were engaging enough to keep players coming back again.”

The firm expects 2017 to bring VR content that is better suited to longer periods of immersion – and that the tolerance of users to the intensity of those experiences will rise accordingly.