‘Lukewarm’ VR use casts further doubt on metaverse

Virtual reality mass adoption is virtually a fantasy, according to a US survey, despite media industry excitement about the metaverse in recent years.

According to a new survey from Piper Sandler — an American investment firm and financial services company — while 29% of US teens own a VR headset, only 4% of this group actually use it on a daily basis and only 14% use it on a weekly basis.

The survey of 5,600 American teens also found a striking lack of interest in buying forthcoming VR headsets, with only 7% of respondents saying they planned to purchase a device in the future. In comparison, 52% replied that they were either unsure or uninterested.

Piper Sandler analysts said: “The lukewarm usage demonstrates that VR remains ‘early days’ and that these devices are less important than smartphones.”

With the recent announcements that both Microsoft and Disney are cutting their metaverse divisions, the unimpressive use rate of VR among teens might cast further doubt on the future of the metaverse.

At the Future of Media conference in London last year, Ed Greig, Chief Disruptor at Deloitte Digital, argued that the metaverse experience is not mediated by VR headsets alone, but will be a destination which is multi-platform and allows people to access it from whichever device they wish.

Grieg compared the metaverse with the internet, with your choice of device depending on whether you are “walking down the street or having a more solid browsing session at home.

“How you consume content will depend on where you are.”

When asked about the inconvenience of wearing a VR headset, he replied that there are already glasses delivering augmented reality experiences, and that the technology for VR glasses is developing rapidly.