Young Americans eager to get their hands on VR handsets

Rather than delivering a dramatic shift in how we interact with games (and with one another), the virtual reality revolution has been a slow but steady burn. All the biggest tech firms are investing in VR, ushering the tech from an expensive niche product segment to an affordable and accessible mainstream way to communicate.

Continuously collected YouGov data indicates that transition is now in full swing.

YouGov data shows intent to purchase a VR headset among America’s Gen Z saw a massive jump in the last 12 months, with the proportion indicating a likelihood of purchasing a headset in the next year doubling from 8% in October 2020 to 16% in October 2021. A similar - though less dramatic - increase is seen among America’s Millennials, whose intent rose from 15% to 21% in a year.

Intent among Gen X and Baby Boomers in the US has either remained flat or has declined slightly.

The story in the United Kingdom is much different than in the US. Year-over-year intent to purchase a VR headset has remained flat across all age groups. Like in the US, intent is most prevalent among Millennials (10%), as they’re more likely to be tech savvy and have the disposable income to make the purchase.

Earlier this year, YouGov explored what consumers are interested in doing in virtual reality, including watching movies with friends, looking at holiday destinations, attending live concerts, and of course playing video games.

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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.