Virtual reality (VR) headset adoption in the UAE is still in its infancy, but Expo 2020 Dubai, 5G and its focus on third-platform technologies (social media, mobility, cloud and big data analytics) will certainly help raise awareness in the country. Expo 2020 takes place from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021. Akash Balachandran, senior research analyst for mobile and AR/VR at International Data Corporation (IDC), told TechRadar Middle East that the lack of availability of virtual reality headsets, as well as higher average sales prices held back overall consumer adoption in the Middle East. "We have seen initiatives that have gained ground with respect to commercial use cases. In the real estate and construction market through virtual property windows, in real estate commercial space (for example, through virtual pop-up stores of the giant of IKEA furniture in countries such as Kuwait, Jordan and Morocco), as well as in the public sector with government entities such as the RTA is looking into the use of VR in training use cases," he said. "Events featuring VR deployments will enable leaders in the commercial space, in particular, to meaningfully understand and engage with VR so that they can encourage adopting the same in their own industries, in the UAE and the Region. Furthermore, he said that 39G would certainly be a boon for VR, especially for business use cases, as it enables stable, low-latency, high-bandwidth connections.
5G to be a catalyst
Sukhdev Singh, vice president of analytics and market analysis service provider Kantar AMRB, said that 5G will be a catalyst for the growth of VR and AR. "You have to generate more data to feel its richness and for that, we need 5G for latency and bandwidth." As soon as adoption rates increase, investment in these technologies will increase," he said. At present, he said app development was still very weak, but global players were active. "Local development has been limited because the contribution is also limited. While companies are massively embracing to give customers a better experience, the real magic will happen when consumers can access it on their devices and in their homes,” he said, adding that AR already has serious apps ready. , but that VR has more entertainment value. In the long term, AR and VR will "increase considerably." Balachandran said, however, that 5G alone is unlikely to spur consumers to adopt VR to short term: Although the positive impact of 5G would result in haptics, he said the resolution and lag of VR games, for example, were obvious, the average consumer in the region is unlikely to see these benefits in the short term. Although VR adoption has been slow in the region, there is no question if VR is taking off in the business world, he added.
The virtual reality market will double after 3 years.
Due to the lower cost of implementation and a strong existing developer base, Balachandran said that AR should play a role in the commercial space first. "The majority of consumers have a capable smartphone, it's easier to implement AR for the masses in order to stimulate consumer engagement with the brand and allow the consumer to have a more personalized shopping experience on the go." use cases of virtual reality in the commercial space. While the retailer may use VR for staging and display, it is unexpected to increase volume sales of VR headsets in the region in the short to medium term," he said. In addition, he said the lack of Availability and support are major hurdles in the region, as well as in the United Arab Emirates, as well as the still-significant price of the device."VR parks are rare and have not been able to raise awareness in the region enough. This is partly due to the small number of these establishments, but also because, unlike cafes and arcades, the VR experience is often perceived as too expensive and for a specific audience," he said. However, Balachandran said that Dreamscape Immersive, which brings unique experiences (for example, from the very popular How to Train Your Dragon franchise), is a big step in getting the general public to experience high-quality virtual reality.Majid Al Futtaim opened the first international Dreamscape Immersive site outside the United States at the Mall of the Emirates in the UAE.The regional VR market is expected to be worth around €32 million by 2020 and more than double to reach €69 million after three years.