Digitaltveurope.com

Global revenues related to virtual reality (VR) will top US$18 billion (€16.6 billion) by 2025, according to new research.

The Diffusion Group (TDG) study claims that by 2025 VR will have a global user base of more than 275 million people – with 60 million of those based in the US.

“Driven initially by gaming applications, the trend toward personalised video experiences will pave the way for the adoption of virtual reality (VR) as the next screen,” said TDG senior analyst, Joel Espelien.

“Low-cost, mass-market VR headsets (using either a smartphone or PC for processing) will hit the market in 2016, and content providers and advertisers of all stripes are currently developing content for this new platform.”

‘The Future of Consumer VR and Its Impact on Video Viewing, 2016-2025’ report predicted that VR headsets will experience “notable growth over the next decade”, despite limiting factors.

These include competition from other screens, physical limitations like “VR nausea”, social concerns and constraints and reluctance by an aging population to accept VR, according to the study.