New Survey Report: The State of Virtual Reality in 2016

The survey report explores:

• Key challenges and opportunities in the VR space
• Diverse industries where VR is gaining traction
• How well the VR development process is understood
• Average time horizons for VR projects
• Common obstacles to progress
• Which platforms & devices are being focused on

“Our team is extremely excited about the emergence of virtual reality and what it can do for both enterprises and consumers ,” said Yeti CEO Tony Scherba. “We decided to conduct this survey in an effort to see how excited other product developers were, and - more tangibly - how the burgeoning interest in VR is actually playing out.”

One of the biggest surprises revealed by the survey is that 54 percent of respondents said they were more optimistic about the long-term future of augmented reality (AR) versus VR, compared to 34 percent who were more optimistic about the future of VR. Twelve percent indicated that they weren’t sure.

Additionally, 85 percent said they either already have VR projects underway, or will within 1-2 years. The majority also already have at least one VR-capable developer on staff, but recognize that they are not staffed to handle their larger VR-related ambitions. Over half indicated they would be likely to hire external support.

However, the growth of VR is not without challenges. As with most emerging and as-yet unproven technologies, VR projects face budget challenges. Forty percent of respondents cited this as a major obstacle in moving VR ahead in their organizations. Additionally, despite the enthusiasm for VR that respondents demonstrated, 40 percent admitted to having only an average or below average understanding of the VR development process.

After seeing the results of the survey, the Yeti team offers seven recommendations for product developers or others interested in incorporating VR into their plans, including:

• Learn, then lead the charge. Leverage whatever documentation is available for your VR projects, and learn from your peers’ projects — but with the understanding that you will likely need to pioneer new territory and create some of the map yourself. Also, learn from how VR is used in other industries to create innovative VR experiences for your own.
• Educate. There is no shortage of compelling evidence supporting VR to help sell your vision - don’t hesitate to use it & educate key decision makers within your organization about the strategic importance of VR.
• Aim for cross-device and cross-platform compatibility. Cross-device compatibility within your target platform is essential, and cross-platform compatibility is also worth considering. Quite simply, the more places your VR experience is supported, the more places your target users can find it.

For more information, please read the full report or visit Yeti’s Resource Center.