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

YouTube TV Climbs to Fourth Among US Pay-TV Services

Landing NFL Sunday Ticket was a major factor in YouTube TV’s subscription growth, maintained Eric Sorensen, director for the streaming video tracker at Parks Associates, a market research and consulti...

To save money, Americans are considering ad-supported streaming offers

Tiers with advertising could help stem the loss of financially challenged subscribers from platforms, since according to a Parks Associates study, three out of ten American households unsubscribe from...

Parks Associates Study Finds 30% of Security Dealers Sold DIY Systems in 2023

Parks Associates research finds security dealers are branching out into new areas to bolster revenues and add applications that require or enrich professional installation and monitoring. The firm’s 1...

Analysis: Viewers crave streaming simplicity not more fragmentation

Parks Associates reveals that only 5% of U.S. households rely solely on traditional pay TV. Instead, smart TV apps have emerged as the new living room entertainment hub. From the article, "Analysis...