Virtual reality to grow massively in 2019?

It has been said that the virtual reality (VR) sector is beginning to embark on the last stage of the Gartner Hype Cycle – the high-growth adoption period. It’s been more than five years since the first VR headset kits reached our stores from Oculus and Facebook. Within that period, the industry has been forced to iron out several kinks to design and build VR products that have garnered initial mainstream appeal. Whether it’s extended battery life, headsets designed for comfort, a price tag that curries favour with a broad base of consumers or the fast-growing portfolio of VR games and entertainment applications, VR as an industry is here to stay. Revenues in the global VR sector were encouraging in 2018 too. According to data from SuperData Research, revenues topped $3.6 billion – up from an initial forecast of $3.3 billion – representing a 30% year-on-year increase. The most popular VR headsets last year were the Oculus Go (550,000 units), the Oculus Rift (160,000) and the HTC Vive (130,000). IDC’s Worldwide Semiannual Augmented and Virtual Reality Spending Guide also predicts that consumer spending on VR headsets and gaming will break the $4 billion barrier this year. It’s therefore clear to see that 2019 really could be the year that VR breaks through and experiences mainstream adoption.