• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, June 20, 2016

Virtual reality is graduating from the gaming world and finally going into areas like travel, movies and live events.

And based on current consumer interests, gaming is actually at the bottom of the list.

Internet-connected headsets are expanding in the IoT world as technology finally catches up with the promise of virtual reality, which has been kicking around for years.

Of consumers who have used virtual reality, 86% rate their experience as positive and they are highly likely to try it again, based on a new study.

National and entertainment brands are among those that consumers are interested in getting VR content from, according to the study by the research company Greenlight VR.

The study comprised a survey of 1,300 U.S. adults who were part of the Peanut Labs panel of consumers who self-selected for participation. The consumers surveyed also had to be technologically-aware, although not all were considered to be early adopters.

Topping the list of what VR content interested consumers were travel and movies. Here are the top categories of usage that interest consumers:

• 74% -- Travel, tourism adventure
• 67% -- Movies and recorded videos
• 67% -- Live events
• 66% -- Home design
• 64% -- Education
• 61% -- Gaming

For content, consumers are looking to entertainment companies and online companies, though the majority (53%) also want content from national brands. Here are the content providers from which consumers want VR content:

• 75% -- Entertainment company
• 64% -- Online company
• 61% -- Videogame company
• 57% -- Music artist or brand
• 53% -- Media company
• 53% -- National brand
• 50% -- Sports brand

Virtual reality has been a work in progress for some time.

Google Cardboard gave VR a boost by selling inexpensive cardboard that could easily be folded and have a phone inserted to provide at least rudimentary VR.

But the hottest VR device at the moment is the Samsung Gear VR.

The Samsung headset leads the pack of VR devices that consumers are interested in buying, more than two times those who want to purchase Google Cardboard.

This is totally understandable, at least based on my experience with both.

The Samsung VR headset, by VR pioneer Oculus, is solid plastic and easy to get up and running.

Perhaps the smartest feature Samsung built in is that when the required Samsung phone is inserted into the headset, the Oculus app is automatically triggered and the viewer is instantly in a VR experience, with various options, including impressive short videos only fitting for VR.

Connected headsets are evolving to combine digital and physical worlds.

They ultimately will be connected by consumers in their homes where the screen for information they receive is as up close and personal as you can get.

And that will go well beyond games.

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The MediaPost IoT Marketing Forum is being held Aug. 3 in New York. Check it out the agenda here