Despite the gaming industry’s recent challenges, XR (Extended Reality) development seems to be holding steady. According to the annual Game Developer Conference (GDC) State of the Game Industry Survey, a notable 35% of developers are still actively working on XR projects.
The GDC, held in San Francisco, is a crucial hub for game developers worldwide. It provides an unparalleled platform for studios to showcase their latest creations while enabling them to connect with peers and gain invaluable insights from leading platform holders and top gaming companies.
Conducted online toward the end of the year, the GDC’s survey ensures timely data collection, and this time around, it specifically focused on XR content creation for the first time. The findings were intriguing.
Amongst developers, these have emerged as the top five most captivating platforms: Meta Quest leads with 63%, followed by SteamVR at 45%, Apple Vision Pro at 26%, PlayStation VR/2 at 25%, and Apple’s ARKit at 12%. You can take a closer look at the detailed image provided.
However, it’s important to note that these percentages don’t necessarily reflect current development focus. In reality, developers are primarily creating games for Quest (59%), SteamVR (31%), and PSVR 2 (16%).
Although there’s a 26% interest in Apple’s Vision Pro, only about 8% of developers are actively crafting content for Apple’s mixed reality device. This is according to the survey data.
Since this was the debut year for the XR-specific question in the survey, GDC admits there’s no previous data for comparison. However, they suggest that the number of XR developers and their preferred platforms have remained stable, as inferred from various informal insights over the years.
This steadiness in XR efforts is a bright spot amid difficult times for the gaming industry. Recent years have seen layoffs and studio closures affecting both traditional and XR-focused teams.
The consistency in XR development is promising, especially given the smaller market for XR games and experiences, which might otherwise have prompted studios to shift focus to more financially secure ventures.
As this year’s GDC approaches, from March 17th to 22nd at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, we’re excited to uncover more insights and see where XR development is headed next.
