A new analysis of VR gaming apps on the Google Play Store by app growth solutions company, SplitMetrics, has found that 2024 has been a record-breaking year for the VR gaming sector in terms of new Android users.
SplitMetrics found that VR games gained an estimated 13 million new users on Android devices in 2024 – 60% more than in 2023 (8m) and 30% more than in 2022 (10m) – making it a record-breaking year for the sector.
The study, based on data from the App Radar by SplitMetrics platform, also found that the excitement around new VR devices such as the Meta Quest 3 has an impact on user growth. Downloads of Android VR games increased by 198% in December 2024 after the Meta Quest 3 went on sale, when compared to April 2023, before the new headset was officially announced.
VR games portals also saw user gains with Google’s Cardboard app and the Meta Quest app reaching a combined 56 million lifetime downloads on the Google Play Store. Following the release of the Meta Quest 3 headset, the Meta Horizon app experienced a 254% increase in Android downloads in December 2024.
December 2024 also experienced a substantial growth in users for Android VR games highlighting the importance of seasonality for app marketers and developers. Downloads for VR games increased by 115% in December 2024 when compared to December 2023.
Out of the 28 VR games analysed, the top five downloaded in 2024 were Rec Room – Play with friends! (7.3m), VR Roller Coaster 360 (815k), VR Thrills Roller Coaster Game (733k), Sky On Fire: 1940 (596k) and VRChat (559k).
In terms of lifetime downloads, the analysed apps reached a cumulative estimated 86 million downloads, while the top five apps are Rec Room – Play with friends! (36m), VR Thrills Roller Coaster Game (23m), Fulldive VR – Virtual Reality (11m), Backrooms (2.3m) and Sky On Fire: 1940 (2.1m).
Thomas Kriebernegg, General Manager, SplitMetrics Agency, said: “2024 was a big year for the VR and XR industries. Although some headlines from the past few months may have suggested that the sector is stagnating, it is far from the truth. The record-breaking growth of the VR gaming sector demonstrates that VR is not just a fad and has a very promising future.
“There’s no reason to believe that this level of growth will drop off in 2025. As the market becomes more competitive, developers will need to shift their focus beyond UX and functionality improvements and concentrate on innovative marketing campaigns to sustain and boost their app performance.
“App marketers and developers should also note the impact that seasonality has on user growth. Optimising app storefronts is essential when it comes to capitalising on important calendar events, such as Christmas or the launch of a new industry-related device. When done right, growth around calendar events can be achieved without a big advertising budget.”
Estimated Google Play downloads for top 10 VR games
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App
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Lifetime
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2024
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2023
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Rec Room – Play with friends!
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36m
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7.3m
|
4.2m
|
VR Thrills Roller Coaster Game
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23m
|
733k
|
1.3m
|
Fulldive VR – Virtual Reality
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11m
|
419k
|
530k
|
Backrooms
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2.3m
|
223k
|
127k
|
Sky On Fire : 1940
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2.1m
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596k
|
554k
|
Zombie Shooter VR
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1.7m
|
40k
|
44k
|
VR Roller Coaster 360
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1.3m
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815k
|
233k
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VR Space Game
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1.2m
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80k
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41k
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VR Jurassic Dino Park Coaster
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1.2m
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237k
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191k
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VR Space Virtual Reality 360
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735k
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305k
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192k
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Estimated Google Play Downloads – VR games portals
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App
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Lifetime
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2024
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2023
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Cardboard
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38m
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1.3m
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1.5m
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Meta Horizon
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19m
|
3.7m
|
3.1m
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