In some circles, VR is considered a fad that has seen its day in the sun, and as the hype begins to die down, it will land in the scrap pile of curios from gaming’s yesteryear alongside the Kinect and the Power Glove. Others deny that claim, not least of whom is the team behind the Vive, one of the preeminent pieces of VR tech.
It was prompted by a Digital Trends piece that made waves with its harrowing figures, painting a grim future for virtual reality and a consistent drop across the board. Within a week, HTC fired back with their counterpiece, stating that these eulogies come “once a year”, and that they are “greatly exaggerated”.
Their argument hinges largely on the shifting market, wherein interest in low budget, underperforming VR mediums has waned, while investment in quality tech is on the rise. They go on to cite market share figures given by International Data Corporation, which show that HTC Vive holds a commanding 35.7% in Q1 2018, while the Vive Wave dominates in China.
It’s definitely worth a read, both to observe HTC’s reasons for optimism, and for the hint of aggression in its tone. No matter what side of the fence you stand on, it’s clear that the Vive won’t be going down without a fight.
