- Virtual reality headsets are still trying to prove their use cases.
- You might think that teens would be the early adopters of devices like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest.
- However, new research from Piper Sandler shows that 56% of teenage VR device owners rarely use their VR devices.
The vibe of Apple’s Vision Pro is mixed at best. People like this technology but don’t really understand why they should use it. This is a problem for devices that sell for more than $3,500.
But what about high-tech goggles that aren’t that expensive and have things you can do with them, like playing games?
Well, they have their problems too. On the other hand, people are buying them. As of 2023, Meta has sold over 20 million Quest headsets, which start at around $500. But they don’t use them much.
More specifically, a new study from Piper Sandler found that teenagers (the group that seems to have the most time and propensity to tinker with headsets) don’t bother wearing devices they already own. He says he can’t.
According to Piper’s semi-annual report, 33% of teens report owning some kind of VR device. But 56% of them say they rarely use them, up from 48% two years ago. (The company surveyed 6,020 U.S. teens with an average age of 16.1 years)
But if you’re a fan of VR/AR/other devices and looking for someone to make lemonade out of this data, I’ve got something for you. Piper says a survey respondent expects to spend $225 on video games worldwide. In the first half of 2024 alone.
Now, the key is to get people to spend that money and time on VR devices rather than gaming consoles or mobile phones.
Good luck!
