With PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and many more devices nearing release, analyst SuperData has claimed VR’s install base will swell to 70 million before the end of 2017.
Based on that projected figure, the industry will witness close to $8.8 billion in hardware sales, while software sales will account for approximately $6.1 billion.
That’s according to the company’s Director of Research Stephanie Llamas, who predicts that entry-level products such as the Samsung Gear VR will open virtual reality to a wider audience, subsequently raising awareness of the more premium products such as PlayStation VR.
“Initially, affordable smartphone devices will drive the bulk of sales as consumers first explore virtual reality before committing to the more expensive platforms. After this first wave, however, it will be especially console gamers that will spur growth of high-end VR devices.”
Further in the report, SuperData’s research reveals that 31 percent of American console gamers plan on picking up PlayStation VR, while the total number of mobile VR devices will swell to 18 million in total by the year’s end. For a play-by-play prediction of the medium’s purported growth across console, PC and mobile, here is SuperData’s forecast.
[Sources: SuperData (1), SuperData (2), VG247]
