Despite the ups and downs the industry has faced, the world of extended reality (XR) development seems to be holding its ground. That’s the takeaway from the annual State of the Game Industry Survey conducted by the Game Developer Conference (GDC). According to the survey, 35% of the developers surveyed are actively working on XR projects.
The conference, located in San Francisco, has established itself as a crucial gathering for game developers worldwide. It provides studios with a platform to showcase their latest creations, network with industry peers, and absorb the latest insights from some of the leading game and platform companies.
Though typically convened in March, GDC conducts its surveys online towards the end of each year. This means the data we’re sharing is pretty fresh. Notably, for the first time, this year’s survey included specific questions about whether developers are working on XR content, uncovering some intriguing results.
According to the findings, the five platforms that piqued the most interest among developers are Meta Quest (63%), SteamVR (45%), Apple Vision Pro (26%), PlayStation VR/2 (25%), and Apple’s ARKit for smartphones (12%).
However, these interests don’t necessarily translate into active development. Organizers noted that developers have predominantly been focusing their efforts on Quest (59%), SteamVR (31%), and PSVR2 (16%).
Interestingly, even though 26% expressed interest in Apple’s Vision Pro, only about 8% are actually developing content for this mixed reality “spatial computer,” as the survey revealed.
Since it’s the first year GDC has included these questions in their survey, there aren’t historical figures for a direct comparison. However, organizers suggest that the number of XR developers and their preferred platforms have remained fairly steady, drawing from their less formal polling methods.
This consistency in XR development emerges even as the gaming industry endures a tough period, marked by studio closures and significant layoffs since 2023, affecting both the traditional and XR sectors.
It’s encouraging to hear that XR development has not waned, especially considering the smaller install base for XR when compared to traditional gaming platforms. This scenario could have easily dissuaded studios from investing in XR, leaning instead towards safer projects.
We’re eager to delve deeper into these findings at the upcoming GDC, scheduled from March 17th to 22th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
