Survey shows that teenagers are using more VR devices in the US

The AR/VR device market has always been considered a niche. Even with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro earlier this year, there was no expectation of major changes due to the high price tag of $3,500. However, a new survey by Piper Sandler has revealed that teenagers are using more VR headsets, at least in the US.

Use of VR devices grows among teenagers in the US

According to the survey published this week, the weekly use of virtual reality devices increased from 10% to 13% compared to the fall of 2023. Although this is still a low figure, it shows that people are becoming more interested in such technologies.

At the same time, the Piper Sandler study points out that 33% of teenagers in the US now own a VR device. Last year, that figure was 31%.

The increased interest in virtual reality devices coincides with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, which arrived in stores in February – although it was announced by Apple last year. Again, the high price of the device is still a factor in preventing more people from getting one, but it does seem that Apple has succeeded in making people more curious about having AR/VR headsets.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the hype created by Apple Vision Pro also ends up benefiting its competitors who offer more affordable devices. According to analysts, Apple expects to ship up to 250,000 Apple Vision Pro units in the US by the end of the year.

More from the survey

Piper Sandler’s survey also reveals some other interesting data about teenagers’ interactions with technology. For instance, Instagram has seen a “big improvement” and is now the #2 favorite app among teens in the US. TikTok remains in first place, while Snapchat has fallen to number 3.

Some other data include:

• Teens spend 29% of daily video consumption on Netflix (-210 bps vs. spring ’23) and 27% on YouTube (-130 bps vs. spring ’23).
• Phone remains the No.1 preferred method for customer service interactions (~50% share); Text/SMS showing best secular growth trends.

You can find the full survey on Piper Sandler’s website.