Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

How Many Consumers Actually Have VR Headsets?

Parks Associates released new consumer research this week showing that 2 percent of U.S. broadband households, or 2.3 million households, own a virtual reality headset. The survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband households reportedly reveals that 5 percent of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a VR headset in 2016, an increase from only 1 percent who made a purchase the year prior.

“The big change in VR for 2016 has been the availability or pending availability of VR headsets from companies such as Facebook (Oculus Rift), Google (Google Cardboard) and HTC (Vive). Sony PlayStation VR is expected to be released in October. We expect gamers to be the initial market for VR,” Barbara Kraus, Parks Associates director of research, says. “VR is an immersive experience, and more is better for gamers – more immersion, better sound, better graphics, and more players. The mass market is more likely to adopt mobile VR, which will be less expensive and uses a tool – the smartphone – that the majority of U.S. consumers own.”

From the article "How Many Consumers Actually Have VR Headsets?" by Laura Hamilton.

Previously In The News

26% Own A Smart Device, 53% Installed It Themselves

The study, by Parks Associates, found that more than a quarter (26%) of U.S. broadband households own at least one smart home device, such as smart thermostat, video doorbell or smart door lock. Of...

Consumers Tapping Voice Assistants To Buy More Things

The smart speaker is turning out to be one of the most significant of smart-home devices. Already, 26% of U.S. broadband households own at least one smart home device and household penetration of smar...

Sales Of Emergency Devices For Elderly Grow, But 'Can't Get Up' Too Much

Marketers do see an uptick. Parks Associates estimates that over 10% of the 65+ population will own a PERS system by 2021, and that figure will jump to 15% for seniors 75 and over. By that year, more...

Smart Home Devices Working Together Tops Brand Loyalty

This matters, since about a third (32%) of U.S. broadband households already own at least one connected device and a whopping 50% of households intend to purchase one in the next year, according to th...