With the introduction of offerings like the metaverse and Apple Vision Pro, consumers increasingly have augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology at their fingertips. However, AR and VR technology doesn’t have to be complex – simple applications like allowing a new home buyer to virtually picture furniture in their empty home with their smartphone or being able to virtually try on pairs of glasses enable average consumers to take advantage of these technologies.
As brands look for new ways to communicate and interact with consumers, AR and VR technology offer brands creative and innovative paths forward. Our recent survey of US consumers explored their experiences with VR and AR, common pain points, and how brands can improve in the future.
Consumer Experiences with AR & VR
Despite the hype around AR and VR, many consumers are largely unfamiliar with using these emerging technologies. While nearly two in five (39%) consumers say they have used AR, nearly half (47%) say they have never used AR. Similarly, forty-two percent of consumers have used VR, while half (50%) state that they have never used VR technology.
Younger generations are more likely to have experience with AR and VR technology, as nearly two-thirds (63%) of Gen Z and over half (51%) of Millennials have used AR. Approximately three-quarters (75%) of Gen Z and over half (53%) of Millennials have used VR.
Of those who have used AR and / or VR, the top use case is gaming (54%), followed by entertainment (35%) and fitness / wellness (28%). Limited adoption across other use cases indicates that there is room for brands to provide greater education to consumers on other use cases for AR and VR technology.
Consumers are using AR and VR largely for entertainment purposes and this translates into consumer experiences with these technologies. Of those who have used AR, nearly two in five (39%) best describe their experience as enjoyable. Only one in four describe their experience as valuable (28%) or educational (25%). There is a parallel trend with those who have used VR, as over half (53%) describe their experience as enjoyable. Only one in four (24%) describe their experience as valuable, while one in five (17%) say their experience was educational.
These gaps in experience indicate an opportunity for brands to not only tap into entertainment-focused applications of AR and VR, but also expand into new use cases. In order for AR and VR to be successful long-term, consumers will need to see AR and VR technology as more than just entertaining and embrace the value that these technologies can offer.
Consumer Pain Points
Despite positive experiences with AR and VR, many consumers indicate pain points or challenges they have encountered while using these technologies. Among consumers who have used AR, top challenges include the technology being slow to load (22%) and a lack of data security / privacy (20%). Approximately one in five VR users say the technology was not compatible with their device (20%) or was slow to load (19%).
Top challenges consumers have encountered when using AR or VR technologies:
| AR | VR | |
| Slow to load | 22% | 19% |
| Lack of data security / privacy | 20% | 17% |
| Poor quality of content | 19% | 17% |
| Difficult to use | 17% | 16% |
| Not compatible with my device | 16% | 20% |
| Lack of accessibility features | 12% | 13% |
However, brands can take a variety of steps to improve consumer experience with these emerging technologies, including increasing the quality of content and improving device compatibility. When asked how brands can enhance the consumer experience when using AR, the top responses were increasing quality of content (36%), making it easier to use (30%), and enhancing data security / privacy (26%). By taking these steps, brands can ensure that consumers have a better experience and are more likely to return.
Wrap Up
The data shows that while there is higher usage of AR and VR technologies among younger generations, there is room for greater adoption within those generations and expansion into older demographics.
While use of these technologies has largely been limited to gaming and entertainment-focused applications, brands should leverage these technologies as another way to interact with potential and existing customers. Brands should prioritize fast load times, high-quality content, and good data security or privacy practices in AR and VR technologies to drive positive customer experiences.
Taking these steps will allow brands to communicate with customers in more creative ways and help brands stand out from their competition in an ever-crowded digital environment.
SEE MORE: TEAM LEWIS’ work in the Metaverse with Skyscanner
Methodology
This Research Roundup feature is brought to you by our market research division within TEAM LEWIS.
TEAM LEWIS surveyed 1,000 individuals aged 18 and older across the United States. The sample was census-balanced across age, race, gender, and region. Responses were collected in an online survey platform from February 26 to March 1, 2024. The respondents were independently sourced from Paradigm Sample.
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