CE retailers looking for new categories in 2016 are set to invest in Virtual Reality head gear in a move that will see Samsung and Sony go head to head with HTC and Oculus.
At CES several brands showed off their VR offerings wwith the real battle set to kick off in the second half. Currently HTC is talking to both carriers and retailers about their offering following a slump in demand for their smartphones.
Samsung has already launched its second-generation Gear VR device and the Korean vendor recently introduced a handheld controller called the rink, for the Gear VR, it’s designed to expand the capability of their headset.
HTC, which claimed earlier that 2016 will be marked as the initial year for its VR business operations, announced recently that it will begin taking pre-sale orders for its HTC Vive in February and start delivering the device in April.
However there are concerns that the Taiwanese Company could be swamped by marketing from the likes of Samsung and Sony.
While Oculus has been taking pre-sale orders for its Oculus Rift since January 7, the vendor has yet to announce the availability of the VR device for the Australian market.
Among the three vendors, Samsung is expected to lead the market in terms of sales volume due to the price advantage of the Gear VR, while Oculus and HTC are more likely to compete neck and neck in the sector due to the similarity of their devices, claim analysts.
Meanwhile, the Rift has its own advantages as it supports Windows 10 and also Xbox and differentiates it from the Gear VR by focusing on digital game applications, indicated the sources, adding that the Gear VR is being used to support Samsung’s smartphones.
HTC is currently leading its VR rivals in hardware production, particularly the laser sensor incorporated in the device and the two joysticks for extra control for various applications, indicated the sources, adding that HTC may prevail in the business VR sector.
