Strategy May 19, 2016
Wearables Readers Interested in Virtual Reality
With all the hype virtual reality has been getting, we figured it was time to ask readers their thoughts on the technology, so we made VR the subject of one of our most recent Wearables polls. The majority of those who responded expressed interest in purchasing a VR headset in the near future. Let’s take a closer look at the poll results.
Roughly 64% of those who took our poll say they would buy virtual reality, though about half of that total believes the technology is still too expensive to justify the purchase right now, instead preferring to wait until the price drops. The remaining 36% remain uninterested in VR. Their objection is not necessarily price, however; instead, the anti-virtual reality contingent just doesn’t see the a bulky, unstylish headset fitting into their lifestyle.
Several readers took some time to further expound on their feelings about VR. Tom Boylson, owner of Promotion Alliance (asi/522763) in West Chester, OH, notes that he’s completely uninterested in the technology. “It seems like a kid’s toy at best,” he writes.
Other readers, however, were more positive. Michael Prieto, director of branding and marketing at Tee Shirts And Hats Dot Com in Clovis, CA, believes virtual reality is “the very near future” and has every intention of buying a VR headset. In fact, Prieto founded a company, Virtual Branders, which designs and builds augmented reality apps. Jim Grissom, owner of Initial Response Embroidery, in Boise, ID, also showed his allegiance, singing the praises of IonVR, which “makes a headset that has solved the motion sickness problem” that plagues some users. Grissom is the vice president of manufacturing for IonVR.