Although the gaming industry has been through a rough patch, development in XR remains steady, according to the annual Game Developer Conference (GDC) State of the Game Industry Survey. The survey reveals that 35% of respondents are creating content for XR technologies.
For those immersed in the world of game development, the San Francisco-based GDC is a pivotal event. Beyond showcasing the latest studio creations, it’s a place to mingle with the gaming community and gather forward-thinking insights from top-tier platform holders and game companies.
Even though GDC takes place each March, its surveys are carried out online towards the end of the previous year. This process ensures that the data is quite recent. Notably, the latest survey included a new section focusing on XR content creation, shedding light on fresh statistics.
When it comes to platforms sparking developers’ interest, the front-runners included Meta Quest at 63%, SteamVR at 45%, Apple Vision Pro at 26%, PlayStation VR/2 close behind at 25%, and finally, ARKit from Apple with 12%. For a closer look, you can check out the image below.
However, it’s essential to note that the platforms developers are actually working on don’t exactly match their interests. The data suggests that many are actively developing content for Quest (59%), SteamVR (31%), and PSVR 2 (16%).
Even though 26% showed interest in Vision Pro, roughly only 8% are actively developing for Apple’s mixed reality device, described as a ‘spatial computer’.
GDC acknowledges that this is the first time this particular question has been included in its survey, so it’s hard to compare these figures with past data accurately. Nonetheless, organizers mention that, based on less formal polling methods, the number of XR developers has, notably, remained stable, along with their preferred platforms.
This stability comes despite the gaming industry’s broader challenges, with numerous studio closures and redundancies affecting both traditional and XR developers since 2023.
The news that XR development has held its ground is reassuring. Given the smaller audience base for XR games and experiences, many studios might have otherwise veered towards more reliable investments.
We’re eager to delve deeper into these insights at this year’s GDC, scheduled from March 17th to 22nd at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
