Research firm Gartner predicts bright future for VR hardware

By Brad Jones Published February 3, 2016

With companies like Sony, Oculus and HTC all getting their virtual reality projects off the ground, it certainly seems like the time is right for this technology to hit the mainstream. Now, noted market research firm Gartner is predicting that VR hardware will see major growth over the course of 2016 and 2017.

Gartner is suggesting that 1.4 million units of VR and AR hardware will be shipped over the course of 2016 — a considerable uptick compared to the 140,000 units sold last year. The company expects this trend to continue, with 6.3 million units anticipated to ship in 2017.

Recommended Videos

However, this positive forecast is not without its caveats. Brian Blau, a research director at Gartner, noted that the firm is “cautious that it won’t take off as fast as other technologies like smartphones” in an interview with PC World.

This stance can be attributed to the hefty price tags being attached to the hardware, not to mention the fact that most headsets require a beefy computer or gaming console to function. There’s also the question of whether content producers will be able to create compelling experiences.

There’s a chicken-and-egg issue with VR, in that it’s a very expensive endeavor for both developers and consumers. A lack of content means that audiences won’t see value in the hardware, and a small install base will discourage studios from creating content tailored to the tech.

For the moment, the large part of this content is entertainment, with plenty of crossover from the video game industry. However, Gartner has predicted that business implementation will make up a quarter of VR and AR usage by 2018.

We’ll know more about how the VR boom is set to play out as the first wave of hardware hits consumers in the coming months. The HTC Vive, the Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR are all expected to launch in 2016.

Former Contributor

Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

Topics

Emerging Tech

Anti-surveillance clothing is getting cheaper, but don’t expect an invisibility cloak

Affordable shirts now claim to confuse facial recognition, although their protection depends heavily on the camera and software watching you

Chart, Plot, Adult

Anti-surveillance clothing is starting to look less like an art-school experiment and more like something you could actually wear outside. Shirts designed to confuse facial recognition systems now cost about as much as ordinary streetwear, although buying one won’t make you disappear.

The Guardian reports that designers are using face-like prints, unusual cuts and infrared lights to interfere with computer vision. These techniques target specific weaknesses, so their success depends on what happens to be watching you.

Emerging Tech

This spinning drone hides in plain sight using a visual illusion

This drone doesn't turn invisible. It tricks your brain into thinking it has.

Phantom Twist

For decades, engineers have chased the dream of an invisible drone. The usual approaches have involved transparent materials, camouflage coatings, or complex optical systems that bend light around an object. Researchers at Northwestern University decided to take a completely different route. Instead of hiding the drone itself, they chose to fool the human eye.

The result is Phantom Twist, an experimental drone that spins so rapidly it almost disappears into the background. It's not technically invisible, but to anyone watching, it looks more like a faint blur than a flying machine.

Emerging Tech

This smart knitted fabric can flip switches, count your steps, and even change shape

Grandma's knitting just entered its Iron Man era

Representative Image

For most of us, knitting brings to mind sweaters, scarves, and perhaps an ambitious grandmother determined to make winter more fashionable. Researchers at Harvard University, however, have a far more futuristic vision. They've transformed ordinary knitted fabric into a programmable material capable of changing shape, acting as an electrical switch, sensing movement, and potentially forming the foundation of tomorrow's wearable technology.

The research, published in Advanced Functional Materials by scientists at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), demonstrates how machine-knitted textiles can "snap" between multiple stable shapes without relying on motors or rigid mechanical parts.