Among developers, the HTC Vive is the preferred virtual reality headset for video games, according to an industry report by UBM Game Network.
The news is a big boost to HTC Vive, as in addition to the platform itself, consumers looking to get into virtual reality are also looking at the software that comes with the VR headsets.
According to the report, 49 percent of developers are working on software for the HTC Vive, while only 43 percent were working on the Oculus Rift and 34 percent on the Samsung Gear VR. In addition, 29 percent were developing software for Google's inexpensive Cardboard, while 15 percent were working on something for Google's more powerful smartphone-powered VR platform, Daydream.
The gap at the top between the HTC Vive and its competitors widened when the type of software narrowed down to video games, with almost 35 percent creating a game for the HTC Vive and only a bit over 23 percent working on a title for the Oculus Rift.
The study does not really delve into the explanation on why the HTC Vive is generating a lot of support from developers. However, just looking at what the VR headset offers could explain the reason behind such support.
The HTC Vive's rival, the Oculus Rift, is mostly focused on sit-down VR experiences with conventional controls, but the HTC Vive released with support for room-scale virtual reality and motion input. There is just so much more that can be done with the HTC Vive compared with the Oculus Rift, especially in the highly imaginative and immersive world of video games.
In addition, the HTC Vive's room-scale 3D tracking system, known as the SteamVR Tracking technology, was recently open sourced by HTC and partner Valve, further increasing the HTC Vive's attractiveness to developers.
One other important thing that was highlighted in the UBM Game Network report was that most of the developers working on VR software are paying for costs with their personal funds, with 49.7 percent of respondents stating that they were doing that. This information points to the fact that the independent game developers would have as much of a presence as the big game publishers in the VR scene, which would be good for diversity in the industry.
Almost all of the respondents, at 95.5 percent, believed that virtual reality and augmented reality are sustainable long-term markets. However, among the fears that the respondents narrated was bad experiences such as nausea driving away customers. Another fear was the high price of the technology, as in addition to the cost of the VR headset, most devices also require to be powered by a powerful and costly PC.
