According to a recent survey conducted by Ben Bajarin, most respondents were willing to spend between $250 and $499 on a virtual reality (VR) headset. The next-largest group expressed their willingness to spend $100 to $249. Bajarin also found that 20 percent of those surveyed were open to investing $1,000 or more on VR. Additionally, Bajarin noted that travel, entertainment, and gaming apps are the most popular experiences in VR rather than work-related applications.
Meta, the company behind virtual reality platform Meta Quest, also confirmed that games are the most popular category of apps on their platform. At a recent event, Meta announced that 100 new games will be added to the Quest store, which already has over 500 games available. Over half of these new games will incorporate mixed reality. Meta showcased several virtual games and experiences on their new Quest 3 headset, demonstrating the potential appeal of gaming merged with real-world visibility.
In addition to VR news, Meta unveiled the next version of its smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban. The previous version, called Ray-Ban Stories, faced criticism for its potential privacy concerns and lack of utilization by customers. However, Meta has introduced a new design, incorporating both sunglasses and clear-lens glasses. The glasses, available in different styles and colors, feature improved video-capturing capabilities, including 1080p HD video recording and 12-megapixel still image capture. The glasses also include better audio features, enabling wearers to interact with AI-powered chatbots. Meta believes that the integration of AI and augmented reality features will be key to the adoption of smart glasses in the future.