VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) headset shipments are showing no signs of slowing, as the quarterly total exceeded 1 million units for the first time in the third quarter this year, data from a market analyst firm showed.

According to Canalys’ quarterly market tracker released on Nov. 27, Sony took the lead, shipping more than 490,000 PlayStation VR (PS VR) sets in the third quarter. It was followed by Oculus, which shipped 210,000 of its Rift headsets. HTC took third place, shipping 160,000 Vive VR units. Collectively, Sony, Oculus and HTC made up 86% of the total market in Q3 2017.

VR headset shipments peak as prices drop

Oculus increased shipments of its Rift headsets by cutting the price to US$399 for a limited time, matching that of the PS VR. “VR adoption in the consumer segment is highly dependent on price, and Oculus’ strategy of lowering prices has definitely helped drive adoption,” said Canalys Research Analyst Vincent Thielke in a statement.

Canalys defines a virtual reality headset as a device with a display designed to be worn on the face that immerses the viewer in a virtual world, and it excludes simple viewers, such as Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Daydream View.

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