Nielsen Says Mainstream Consumers Really Are Interested In Virtual Reality

The question of whether virtual reality will become a mainstream medium has in some ways been more of a “chicken or egg” dilemma. Some say there needs to be enough content created to warrant paying for expensive VR headsets, while others say there needs to be enough headsets in the market to give advertisers and media companies a good reason to invest in the burgeoning medium. Still, the majority of the country hasn’t yet had a chance to even try VR—whether that’s with high-end systems like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, or more financially feasible models like Samsung’s Gear VR or Google Cardboard. But that hasn’t stopped people from getting started. Now, a Nielsen survey of 8,000 consumers found that many might actually be more ready for VR than some might have guessed. According to a report released today by Nielsen’s Media Lab, nearly one-fourth (24 percent) said they will likely use or purchase VR in the next year. Another 20 percent said they don’t plan to try it, but expressed increased interest after learning just a little about the basics. Read more at Adweek.