Consumers expect AR and VR to merge

Ericsson has published its latest ConsumerLab report – Merged Reality – revealing insights into how consumers expect virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to merge with physical reality and 5G will be a key technology.

The report reveals that when boundaries between people’s perception of physical and virtual reality start to blur, this could result in a drastic impact on lives and society. The way we live, work, and consume information and media will fundamentally change.

Early adopters of VR/AR expect next-generation networks like 5G to play a central role. Thirty-six percent have expectations on 5G to provide VR/AR mobility through a stable, fast and high-bandwidth network. Thirty percent of early adopters also expect 5G to enable tethered headsets to become wireless. 

Key findings of the latest report include that 7 out of 10 early adopters expect VR/AR to change everyday life fundamentally in six domains: media, education, work, social interaction, travel and retail. Media is already being transformed and consumers expect virtual screens to start replacing televisions and theaters in less than a year.

In the quantitative part of the study, the report presents insights from a survey of 9,200 consumers in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the US, aged between 15-69 with awareness of the concept of VR.