We are still at the early stage
when it comes to Mobile VR (Virtual Reality) in terms of content, and adoption,
market and maturity. In fact, the capabilities continue to evolve, as currently exclusive to PC and game
consoles.
To many in the industry, Smartphones for example are the perfect
platform for the VR market, because they already have the power and
technological functionality necessary to create a fun, in-depth simulated
environment.
The ecosystem is expanding, with a growing number of vendors like Samsung,
LG, etc, that are releasing their own VR accessories as a value-add to their
smartphones.
Currently Occulus (Facebook) is shipping its first devices. The
Oculus/Samsung partnership is on an interesting curve. HTC’s VIVE showed
continued maturity in its adeptness for PC gamers; Google Cardboard seduces
with a milestone of 5 million Cardboard shipments reached this January, since
its debut at Google I/0 2014.
ABI Research anticipates mobile VR device shipments to hit
more than 50 million by 2020, an impressive CAGR of 84.5%.
One can also observe that, the
VR content ecosystem is diversifying to include inter alia casual and
traditional VR gaming, health and education experiences. 360-degree video saw
notable investment from Facebook and YouTube.
Among others promising VR growth opportunities, we have VR
in core gaming and augmented reality.