Most Americans aren’t aware that virtual reality headsets exist

Those of us who like to stay up to date on the latest technology news are probably abundantly familiar with virtual reality headsets like Google Cardboard and the Oculus Rift, but most Americans aren’t so knowledgeable. On Monday, Horizon Media posted the results of a recent study it conducted, which found that a mere 33% of Americans are aware of the three major virtual reality headsets: Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, and Samsung Gear VR. This probably has more to do with a lack of advertising than a lack of consumer interest, and that lack of advertising is due to the fact that virtual reality is still very much in its infancy, and it’ll be a while before more consumer-friendly headsets get released.

Even with the recent popularity and coverage of smartphone virtual reality headsets, like the Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and the upcoming release of the Oculus Rift, many people are still unaware of the new and upcoming VR devices. According to a recent study, only 33% of people are aware of the major VR devices. The study by Horizon Media polled a group of 3,000 people it described as reflective of the U.S. population and came out with some interesting finds. Although only 33% of the total study knew about the new VR devices, 36% said they were interested in owning a VR device. To be clear, this study only asked people if they were aware of three specific VR devices: Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard — not if they were aware of VR in general. According to a 2015 survey by Touchstone Research and Greenlight VR, 95% of people were aware of VR, and 55% of those said they were likely to purchase a VR device in 2016. This polling group was also described as reflective of the U.S. population, but most likely was skewed toward a more tech-savvy audience given the difference in data. What the Horizon Media study shows is more likely a reflection of the lack of consumer-aimed advertising and press that virtual reality devices have received. If companies like Samsung, Google and Oculus want to step outside of their currently niche, tech-savvy markets, they need to reach out and make VR appealing to a wider audience.