45 Virtual Reality Statistics In 2022 – Latest Research

Get ready for some mind blowing VR statistics and research. Virtual reality (VR) is a term most are familiar with. It has been talked about in the technology industry for years and its potential applications mesmerize and amaze. Progress on this technology has been slower than expected, but in recent years it has really been the driving force for many tech companies.

These days many think of gaming when hearing the term “virtual reality”, however there are many more applications it can be used for.

Experts believe that VR technology is not far off in becoming part of our day to day lives. With popularity growing, especially during the times of Covid-19, below are some key statistics that everyone needs to know about this futuristic technology.

VR Market Statistics

1. The global market size of VR (virtual reality) gaming market is set to hit around the $100 billion mark in 2027. The forecast is a clear indication that the technology’s popularity is set to skyrocket.
2. The market leader for VR hardware such as headsets is Facebook’s Oculus with around 38% of the total global market.
3. Other big players in the market apart from Meta (Facebook) are Sony (22%), Pico (9%), DPVR (9%) and HTC (5%).
4. Statistics show that nearly 20 million VR headsets have been sold. It is estimated to double by the year 2024.
5. The AR (augmented reality) market is set to reach an estimated $77 billion in 2025.
6. 53% of the total VR spend comes from the consumer sector. This is followed by distribution (16%), manufacturing (14%), public (13%) and infrastructure (2%).
7. Consumer spending is estimated to reach $77 billion by 2024.
8. China is the world leader when it comes to VR spend by country with 5,8 billion, followed closely by the U.S. at $5,1 billion.
9. China also holds the largest market share in the VR sector with 44% of the total market.
10. It is predicted that the largest investment growth in 2024 will be in the commercial use space.
11. Meta’s Oculus Quest 2 VR headset is the top selling headset with the data showing an estimated 15 million units sold.
12. The 4th biggest sector for VR investment may be education as studies show almost 97% of students have expressed an interest in VR courses.
13. Investment for VR training is set to reach 4,1 billion in 2024.
14. Research has shown that an estimated 171 million people around the world use VR technology in some form or another.
15. Further research indicates that 1 out of 5 Americans have used or is currently using some form of VR technology.
16. Users between the ages of 25-34 years old make up 35% of the VR market, followed by 35-44 year olds at 26%.
17. Over half of users who have tried VR experienced motion sickness. This is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome for the technology.
18. Studies have shown that women are almost twice as likely to experience motion sickness than men.
19. The Youtube virtual reality channel has 3,4 million subscribers.
20. Spark AR on Facebook and Instagram have an estimated 600 million users each month.
21. There are around 400 000 AR effects creators from all over the world that contribute to AR effects on Facebook and Instagram.
22. At least 1 game has been purchased by 70% of VR headset users.
23. Less than 30% of VR headset owners use their device daily. Young males are the most frequent users of VR hardware.
24. A survey conducted indicated that 77% of VR users would like to have more social engagement applications.
25. Recent research has shown that just 20 minutes of using a VR headset could have an impact on the ability of children to distinguish between the distances of objects. VR engineers are working to try and overcome this aspect.
26. A study done by Forbes on their most valuable brands indicated that 70% of them are using VR technology.
27. Progress in the VR industry is slowed due to the lack of content availability. 27% of companies surveyed indicated that the user experience is hampered by not enough content.
28. Research has shown that workplace injury can be reduced by 43% when VR training is given.
29. Germany conducted research that shows 50% of people would use VR technology to select a holiday destination provided that it was free to use.
30. In less than a year, 60 games released for the Oculus VR headsets made an estimated $1 million in less than a year.
31. The Marriott hotel chain has used VR travel stories to entice their customers to use some of their other hotels. More than half of users have indicated that they would like to visit Marriott hotels at other locations.
32. Phasmaphobia has generated the most revenue for a game on Steam surpassing the previous number one game Half Life: Alynx.
33. The number one selling game of all time is Beat Saber generating almost $70 million. It is produced by Beat Games and can be played across multiple channels.
34. The “Telesphere Mask” is the first patented VR headset by inventor Morton Helig in the 60’s. However, the invention of the technology is not credited to one single person as many others have contributed.
35. In 1980, Jaron Lanier created a VR headset and gloves (EyePhone 1/HRX) which cost $49 000. He is also credited for coming up with the term “virtual reality” in 1987.
36. VR technology is used in healthcare applications to treat depression anxiety and PTSD disorders.
37. Varjo is a VR startup company that is developing technology to behave like the human eye. This will create a virtual world that looks and behaves very much like the real world we live in.
38. Sony developed the PSDR headset from a group of engineers trying out different things on their own without any company directive.
39.  NASA has invested in VR technology to connect their engineers with equipment that they send into space.
40. The U.S. military uses VR to recruit and train soldiers before they are deployed. Soldiers are put into simulated scenarios that prepare them to work as a team in the chaos of combat situations.
41. There are five different types of VR experiences namely; non-immersive, semi-immersive, fully-immersive, augmented reality, and collaborative VR.
42. A popular augmented reality (AR) mobile game is Pokemon Go where the character appears on the screen as if it was in front of a user.
43. Merrell, a company that produces hiking shoes, gave their customers a VR experience that allowed them to walk on different surfaces.
44. Donations to Amnesty International increased by 16% after their VR campaign was launched.
45. The Climb 2 is a VR game where gamers use their hands for rock climbing in a variety of different habitats.

Final Words

VR technology is not only limited to gaming, but is used in many other industries and applications such as manufacturing, healthcare and even the military. Economists are predicting that the industry will continue to experience substantial growth for the next decade in key investment areas such as education and training.

VR technology is far from complete and industry engineers still have many hurdles to overcome. What is certain though is that VR technology will continue to grow until it becomes an integrated part of our everyday lives.

Sources and References

• de Freitas, F.V., Gomes, M.V.M. and Winkler, I., 2022. Benefits and challenges of virtual-reality-based industrial usability testing and design reviews: a patents landscape and literature review. Applied Sciences, 12(3), p.1755.
• Jin, W., Birckhead, B., Perez, B. and Hoffe, S., 2017. Augmented and virtual reality: Exploring a future role in radiation oncology education and training. Appl Radiat Oncol, 6, pp.13-20.
• Smutny, P., 2022. Learning with virtual reality: A market analysis of educational and training applications. Interactive Learning Environments, pp.1-14.