FitXR, a virtual reality (VR) fitness games, announced survey results offering deep insights into the videogame industry. Executed in collaboration with Propeller Insights, the survey polled more than 1,100 consumers in the U.S. about their gaming hardware and applications, usage habits, playing time, preferences for social gaming, and interest in gaming-related fitness.
In terms of gaming hardware and its use, more than half of respondents (56 per cent) said they play video games, with 21 per cent of those surveyed owning a VR headset. Among those who own VR headsets, 83 per cent said they use them to play video games. Behind gaming, the second most popular use of VR headsets was watching TV and movies (21 per cent), illustrating the growing presence of this technology in the entertainment space. Using VR headsets for exercise was the third most popular use of the technology (14 per cent).
“The survey results align closely with what we’re seeing in the gaming space and with what our players tell us. As the data projects, the next wave of gaming is trending toward technologies like VR to drive new applications and provide experiences that integrate with other aspects of people’s lives, such as making new friends and integrating fitness into gaming routines. We’re excited because the future is so wide open for technology to make gaming much more than a solitary, sedentary and 2D activity,” observed FitXR co-founder Sameer Baroova.
Gaming usage habits were also explored. Of the respondents who reported playing video games, more than half (51 per cent) reported playing at least a few hours a day, with a subset of that group playing eight hours a day or longer. Specifically:
49 per cent reported playing “a few hours a week”
32 per cent reported playing “a few hours a day”
11 per cent reported playing between “four and eight hours a day”
6 per cent reported playing “more than eight hours a day”
1 per cent reported playing “all day”
Social gaming
Social gaming also proved popular, with 58 per cent reporting that they play social video games that allow them to compete with their friends, family and online acquaintances. In fact, 56 per cent of respondents said that they’ve “met and made new friends while playing a video game,” with 23 per cent reporting that they made one to two new friends, 42 per cent reporting that they made three to five new friends, and 35 per cent saying that they have made six or more new friends while playing video games. Some 55 per cent of respondents says they have met those friends in real life.
Recognizing the need for fitness
Amidst all of the time spent gaming, there is a recognition that fitness – and short fitness breaks – would be welcomed by gamers to combat the sedentary aspects of their hobby. When asked about short one- to two-minute “fitness breaks” during long gaming sessions, a total of 59 per cent of respondents said that they would either “love the idea” or “it would be a good way to reset and get my body moving.” Conversely, 22 per cent of gamers indicated that they “work out on my own time, so I wouldn’t need this.”
Gaming trade-offs
The survey also explored what gamers would be willing to give up other than their “gaming time.” And, while 22% wouldn’t give up anything, some of the trade-offs that people were willing to make included:
24 per cent would give up their Amazon Prime subscription
29 per cent would give up their morning smoothie or juice
31 per cent would give up podcasts
34 per cent would give up a food delivery, such as Caviar, Seamless or Uber Eats
37 per cent would give up beer or wine