After trying VR, nearly half plan to buy

According to a new survey by Parks Associates, nearly 50 percent of U.S. broadband households who try a virtual reality headset plan to buy one.

In addition, 3.5 percent of broadband households, or about 3.4 million households, already own a virtual reality headset.

Despite the recent media attention to virtual reality, however, many people are still unfamiliar with the technology.

“Currently, more than 60% of U.S. broadband households claim to know little or nothing about virtual reality,” said Brett Sappington, senior director of research, at Parks Associates, in a statement.

According to the report,  virtual and augmented reality technologies have potential beyond the limits of tech enthusiasts, with benefits to multiple industries, but companies first need to expand consumer familiarity and comfort before they can reach even early mass-market penetration.

The Oculus Rift was the best-known of the brands, recognized by about 4.5 percent of respondents, followed by the Samsung Gear VR, PlayStation VR and Google Cardboard at around 3 percent each.