Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

How Many Consumers Actually Have VR Headsets?

Parks Associates released new consumer research this week showing that 2 percent of U.S. broadband households, or 2.3 million households, own a virtual reality headset. The survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband households reportedly reveals that 5 percent of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a VR headset in 2016, an increase from only 1 percent who made a purchase the year prior.

“The big change in VR for 2016 has been the availability or pending availability of VR headsets from companies such as Facebook (Oculus Rift), Google (Google Cardboard) and HTC (Vive). Sony PlayStation VR is expected to be released in October. We expect gamers to be the initial market for VR,” Barbara Kraus, Parks Associates director of research, says. “VR is an immersive experience, and more is better for gamers – more immersion, better sound, better graphics, and more players. The mass market is more likely to adopt mobile VR, which will be less expensive and uses a tool – the smartphone – that the majority of U.S. consumers own.”

From the article "How Many Consumers Actually Have VR Headsets?" by Laura Hamilton.

Previously In The News

Top 5 Alternatives to the Best Wired Doorbell Camera for Enhanced Home Security

A survey by Parks Associates revealed that 28% of consumers consider installation difficulty a major barrier to adopting wired surveillance technologies.  From the Joytimer article, "Top 5 Alternat...

TV Upfronts 2025: Themes and Takeaways

Parks Associates research shows that the streaming stack has been flat for several years, with streaming video subscription plateauing at 89% of US households and each streaming household subscribing...

Is AI branding backfiring?

Recent findings, including a study by Parks Associates, reveal a paradox that marketers must tackle: branding a product as “AI-powered” may alienate more consumers than it attracts. Parks Associate...

The Education of Roku’s Anthony Wood

As viewers across America embraced streaming TV, the number of households watching TV on Roku-powered devices mushroomed from 9.2 million to 90 million between 2015 and 2024. Its platform revenue expl...