• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechMicrosoft

Microsoft HoloLens Beat All VR Headsets in Traffic, Interest

By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 19, 2016, 11:16 AM ET
Microsoft

Since Microsoft announced its HoloLens augmented reality headset at January 2015 Windows event, the device has been the clear leader in terms of online traffic and consumer interest. The HoloLens section of Microsoft.com received over 50 million visits in 2015, according to global market intelligence company SimilarWeb. That topped the over 30 million visits Facebook’s Oculus.com received in 2015, which led the more crowded virtual reality market.

“In terms of search, from January to December 2015 HoloLens related search terms accounted for 0.67% of Microsoft’s worldwide search traffic, meaning 29.6 million visits to Microsoft.com came from people looking for HoloLens,” says Moshe Alexenberg, director of digital insights at SimilarWeb.

It’s worth noting that 16 million of those HoloLens visits came in January 2015 after the CES announcement, and interest had waned by November 2015 with only 753,000 visits to the site. Microsoft (MSFT) is selling HoloLens directly to enterprise companies this year; a consumer launch has not been set. The company previewed gaming functionality, including a Minecraft HoloLens game, at the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles last June.

Alexenberg says Oculus is winning the keyword marketing battle, which is an excellent measure of brand awareness in any sector. SimilarWeb analysis found that Oculus.com received 51.6% of its traffic from search, which amounted to 15.9 million search visits. HTCVive.com garnered 52.5% of its 2015 traffic from search, which accounted for only about 70,000 visits.

Since Sony PlayStation VR and Samsung Gear VR don’t have separate dedicated virtual reality websites, SimilarWeb examined virtual reality related searches that led to Samsung.com and PlayStation.com. For Samsung, 0.91% of worldwide search came from virtual reality search terms, which led to over 4.3 million visits, Alexenberg says. For PlayStation, 0.34% of worldwide search came from virtual reality search terms, which amounted to 540,000 visits.

“By these metrics, Oculus is winning on search, followed by Samsung, PlayStation, and HTC in distant fourth,” Alexenberg says.

Oculus also was a clear winner at CES 2016, even after announcing a higher-than-anticipated $600 price point for the Rift Consumer Edition. Oculus.com received a huge surge in traffic on Jan. 6, receiving over 1.9 million visits, Alexenberg says. That’s a 224% increase from Jan. 5 traffic, and a 1,363% increase from Dec. 30 2015, the previous Wednesday. The consumer edition ships March 24.

“It is early days in 2016, but the pricing of a more expensive device is not putting consumers off,” Alexenberg says.

Some of this virtual reality traffic is coming from the adult entertainment industry, which has always been an early adopter of new technology.

“We expect porn to play a big part in both high-end and cheaper VR devices,” Alexenberg says. “We can look at Oculus and see that in 2015, 2.7% of their referral traffic came from porn sites, and for Homido, 47% of their referral traffic came from porn. If porn sites are sending traffic to VR sites, they clearly see VR as a new platform for their content.”

Even with the Google Cardboard, Alexenberg says porn sites are using the low price to their advantage. BaDoink.com offers a free Cardboard to visitors who sign up; that page received 304,000 visits in 2015.

WATCH: Why was the NBA at CES 2016? Hint: It’s got to do with VR:

Google’s Cardboard, which can be made for free or purchased from $5 to $25, was the most searched for virtual reality platform on Amazon, Newegg, Ali Express, and eBay, according to SimilarWeb.

“In 2015, the price for Cardboard was best known, and Cardboard devices were even given away for free, which is likely why people searched for them the most,” Alexenberg says. “They are also compatible with many smartphones, so users already own half the equipment necessary.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

This year will see expanded Cardboard capabilities with the introduction of the Qualcomm 820 chip, which will introduce head tracking capabilities for select smartphones. That’s important for many apps, but especially video games.

“Next to porn, gaming will be a huge platform for VR and is likely to be the next big frontier,” Alexenberg says. “Looking at Oculus’ referral traffic, we see that 20% of their 2015 desktop referrals came from sites categorized as gaming. Furthermore, when we look at the audience interest of Oculus.com visitors, SimilarWeb data shows that 12.5% of visitors also visited gaming sites in the same browsing session.”

About the Author
By John Gaudiosi
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Torsten Slok, wearing a suit, speaks on a stage with a gold and black background.
AILabor
‘The gains will be substantial’: The AI shock is looking a lot like the China shock, and a top economist says that’s actually good news
By Sasha RogelbergMay 10, 2026
1 hour ago
Young man working on laptop with headphones in modern coffeeshop
Future of Workskills gap
AI generated identical résumés for a man and a woman: Hers was more likely to be labeled ‘weak,’ while his got a 97% approval rating
By Eleanor PringleMay 10, 2026
4 hours ago
UFO files show Buzz Aldrin saw a ‘sizeable’ object close to the moon and a ‘fairly bright light source’ that the Apollo 11 crew felt could be a laser
Innovationspace
UFO files show Buzz Aldrin saw a ‘sizeable’ object close to the moon and a ‘fairly bright light source’ that the Apollo 11 crew felt could be a laser
By Seung Min Kim, Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
21 hours ago
joaquin
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
Johnson & Johnson CEO: America’s innovation advantage starts with health 
By Joaquin DuatoMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Qualcomm’s CEO is working with ‘pretty much all’ major AI players on top-secret devices—and powering OpenAI’s first push into hardware
AIQualcomm
Qualcomm’s CEO is working with ‘pretty much all’ major AI players on top-secret devices—and powering OpenAI’s first push into hardware
By Eva RoytburgMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
reed
CommentaryRetirement
Tim Cook and Reed Hastings just showed every CEO how to leave gracefully
By Paul HardartMay 9, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
22 hours ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
18 hours ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
23 hours ago
You're probably safe from the Hantavirus outbreak, but here's what you absolutely must not do, experts say
Politics
You're probably safe from the Hantavirus outbreak, but here's what you absolutely must not do, experts say
By Catherina GioinoMay 8, 2026
2 days ago
Companies are abandoning 'peanut butter' raises as pay-for-performance takes over the workplace in the AI era
Future of Work
Companies are abandoning 'peanut butter' raises as pay-for-performance takes over the workplace in the AI era
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.