PC VR Defies Predictions of Its Demise and Continues to Grow

The world of XR has shifted dramatically over the past five years, with standalone headsets taking the forefront and tech giants like Apple, and soon Google, stepping onto the scene. Yet, amid these rapid developments, the PC VR platform has been quietly but consistently on the rise.

Reflecting on the VR landscape since early 2020, it’s astonishing what has transpired. Imagine explaining to someone back then that Facebook is no longer Facebook; the brand dissolved its iconic ‘Oculus’ name, yet still transformed its standalone Quest headset into the market’s frontrunner. And that’s not all – who could have predicted Apple venturing into VR with its own headset priced at a staggering $3,500, followed closely by Google’s launch of its comprehensive Android XR operating system, which supports a high-end headset by Samsung? As for Microsoft abandoning its Windows MR platform and the HoloLens project, well, perhaps that’s not as surprising.

Despite all these upheavals, the original PC VR platform hasn’t waned; rather, it has steadily expanded.

Let’s delve into Valve’s data from Steam over the past five years to better understand this growth story. Each month, Valve gathers stats from its users to gauge the hardware and software trends within its community, including VR headset usage. They compile data showing the number of headsets connected to Steam each month, calculated as ‘monthly-connected headsets.’ However, bear in mind that this figure doesn’t reveal how many headsets actually get used, only how many are hooked up.

Though Valve’s data helps identify the most popular headsets on Steam, it’s tricky to discern the real trend of connected headsets. This difficulty arises because the information is expressed as percentages in relation to Steam’s user base, which itself is an unsteady and growing figure. If you just took the percentage of VR users at face value, you might conclude that the category is in decline.

But the truth is different. The Steam user base has nearly doubled over those five years. To untangle this data, Road to VR created a model based on historical survey data and directly sourced numbers from Valve and Steam, aiming to calculate how many headsets are truly in use—not just the percentage.

Through this approach, we discover a modest yet consistent rise in the number of VR headsets operating on Steam. So, while Steam’s overall growth outpaces the VR user growth rate, the total count of VR enthusiasts is indeed climbing. In other words, even though the percentage of VR users compared to Steam’s total players dips, the actual number of potential VR consumers is on the rise—a positive sign for developers.

This expansion wouldn’t be feasible without Valve’s decision to open up SteamVR as a platform accessible by any headset maker. This inclusivity ensures a diverse ecosystem, with around 24 different headsets in use monthly on SteamVR, making it the most expansive PC VR environment by far.

The PC VR sector also owes a nod to Meta for its sustained momentum. The Quest headsets, both affordable and widely available, have introduced a plethora of newcomers to VR, many of whom transition to using them with PC VR as well. Remarkably, Meta headsets account for 70% of Steam’s monthly-connected headsets today.

As we gaze ahead, the question remains: What exciting developments will shape PC VR in the next five years? We’ll check back in 2030 to explore that future!