Commentary
63% Prefer VR To Visiting Physical Store: Study
- by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, December 16, 2018
Many consumers say they would be interested in using VR to test products before purchasing them.
The majority (65%) of consumers anticipate that virtual reality will become part of daily life, according to a survey of 11,000 adults in 11 countries conducted by Crowd DNA for Facebook. There are differences by market, with 60% of those in the U.S. anticipating a VR future compared to 87% in India, 77% in Brazil, 58% in the U.K. and 45% in France.
Facebook placed its own bet on virtual reality with its purchase of Oculus for $3 billion a few years back, while studies consistently forecast augmented reality being significantly larger than virtual reality in the long term. The majority (63%) of internet users say they already have tried augmented reality created by a brand.
For using virtual reality, the survey showed a wide range of interests in using the technology to test a product before making a decision to buy it.
Most (71%) would be interested in using VR relating to travel, to check vacation destinations or hotels, followed by entertainment (59%), retail (58%), auto (49%) and gaming (48%). The majority (63%) of internet users are interested in using virtual reality to view products without having to visit a physical store.
The growth of virtual reality still faces significant challenges. For example, most people don’t have a traditional VR headset, nor the computing processing power needed to support them, both of which can be costly.
Virtual reality is likely to grow in usage, but not as some may expect.
Rather than individuals buying VR headsets and diving in themselves, businesses, such as travel agencies, car dealers and retailers, are turning to VR to expand their offering beyond their physical location.
Using virtual reality for marketing products and services is the more promising bet.
Chuck Martin is Editor of the AI & IoT Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily Connected Thinking column. He is a NY Times Business bestselling author and his latest book is “Digital Transformation 3.0” (The New Business-to-Consumer Connections of The Internet of Things.) He is CEO of Net Future Institute and a frequent keynote speaker internationally. Follow him on Twitter @chuckmartin and contact him at Chuck@MediaPost.com.
Facebook, who is desperate to save their massive investment in VR, just told us that huge numbers of people think it's incredibly valuable?
This isn't what VR sales numbers show nor is it compatible with my own tests of so-called VR. It's not VR... In fact, what we have today is essentially strapping a battery on your head and getting a screen that moves with you and some sound. There's nothing helpfully tactile (even with gloves) nor any true "reality" about it.
So, I'm a full skeptic. I'm not sure how Facebook ensured the research would return the results it wanted, but this research should be taken as highly suspect (especially without a link to the study).
Doug's right. This is criminally self-serving bullshit "research" meant to feed the lie about their rosey chances for their failed bet on VR ever paying off. This is a shareholder stunt. Please don't play along.
And to your question and point Doug, yes - you can bet the screener, the stimulus AND the analysis were all rigged to tilt the table towards "winner" for "VR".
Well stated, Doug. As mentioned, numerous studies project augmented reality to be significantly larger than virtual reality.
Anyone who has chosen a clothing color from the internet knows this seldom works, plus you have no sense of the texture quality of garments.
I can imagine the wording on the survey, "Would you prefer to avoid the hassle of going to a store if a magic helmet could replicate the experience?"
Well put, Douglas Ferguson. Love the "magic helmet". :-)