By 2022 market projections for Virtual Reality stands somewhere $34 Billion. Whereas in 2016 it was only 3.7 billion. That’s a very sharp increase! People are saying Virtual Reality is going to change the world completely. Growth in VR is happening exponentially. And it’s due to the tremendous effort being put by Virtual Reality Companies. The investor’s appetite for VR Firms in 2016 was very huge. Virtual Reality is not just about gaming. It’s an innovative technology that is going to create a mass disruption in the coming future! It is going to change our collective futures unimaginably. With some of the recent developments in the VR Technology, I am damn confident to write that VR is going to be the NEXT COMPUTING PLATFORM OF THE FUTURE!

Before we proceed, can I ask you something? Are you new to the face of virtual reality? If YES, then read these first. Even if you are familiar to it, its better to start with the basics on a fresh node:

1. What is Virtual Reality and how does it work?
2. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Top 5 Predictions 2017

One of the TOP Sony VETERAN and VR Ambassador- Shuhei Yoshida has to say “Virtual reality is a door to worlds you have always dreamed of,”.

 

But at the same time it is also true that virtual reality is still very far from the reach of the common man. One bitter reality that VR Companies were facing was that the computing aspect in VR  was  very, very far away from the capacity of the existing technology. But 2016 was the year when VR got a major breakthrough, speaking in terms of technology. You will be happy to know that more than a dozen hardware and software Virtual Reality Companies involved in VR Businesses are  spending Millions and Millions of Dollars into R&D to craft it more realistic. Nauseousness is one of the major side effects of most VR Headsets. And it is on the topmost priority list of VR Companies.

List of Top 15 Leading Virtual Reality Companies

Let’s have a quick look on the TOP 15 VIRTUAL REALITY COMPANIES shaping the future of VIRTUAL REALITY in 2017. Here goes their names;

People are talking that if there’s one technology on which Sony can bet it’s hope to regain its lost glory, then undoubtedly it is VIRTUAL REALITY. Sony’s image in the last two decades has been that of an innovator. But it suffered a big blow with the failure of 3-D Televisions. Further the success of Apple’s iPod & iPhone ruptured Sony’s image of being the leader of Music Players & Portable Electronics beyond repair. Main reason of Apple seizing the market from Sony was Apple’s edge over Sony in assimilating Hardware with Software.

In the backdrop of its unpleasant memoirs, Sony is striving hard to regain its lost Paradise after the release of Playstation VR in Oct 2016.More than thousands of Sony employees are working round the clock on Virtual Reality Projects. Plus it has devoted some of its best VETERANS for that JOB – who have been there with Sony in it’s thick and thin time from last 30 years!

Pricing is another factor where Sony has obvious advantage over its competitors. Sony Playstation VR costs $399 whereas Oculus Rift and HTC Vive costs $599 and $799 respectively.

The second incumbent in this List of Top 15 Leading Virtual Reality Companies is FB.If you take into account FB’s 10 years further business strategies, then you will be shocked to know that it has nothing to do social networking. Surprisingly it’s future plans lies much on drones, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Think how FB can make it’s social platform more interactive and interesting for you?

Facebook’s future business strategists think that sharing text, pics, videos is just not enough to survive in the coming future. Its millions of followers want something more exciting from the BIG SOCIAL NETWORK GIANT! Can you dream of sitting and chatting with your old school friends in Virtual World, exactly in the same way, as you used to do in school times? Do you want to see and perceive your dear ones on FB, exactly the same way as you see and interact with them in real life, though physically not present with them?

All these are possible! This is what Facebook is trying to make possible with the help of virtual reality. Facebook has also curved path to show how Virtual Reality can help businesses. Just to take an example of Marriott Hotels. It is using Oculus VR Rift to give a preview experience of far distance Hotels to its prospective customers.

 3.Google- A leader remains always a Leader!

Google is one of those big companies who bet heavily on Virtual Reality. And there’s no surprise why Google is occupying the top slot in the list of leading Virtual Reality Companies. Great thing about Google is that it always comes first with any technologies. The same happened in case of Virtual Reality too. It came out with Tango SDK two years back when there was hardly any movement about Virtual Reality in the market. Much in sharp contrast to other VR Companies- who are investing huge money on the look and feel factor of VR Headsets, Google is experimenting something new. If is offering you to experience thrill, excitements and all the actions of VR just @$15! It is offering a VR headset made of Cardboard. You can better call it Google Cardboard.

Basically it has been designed to help developer communities develop and upload VR Apps for Google Play. With Google Cardboard you can use VR Apps on Android Smartphones. With the introduction of Google Cardboard in the market at an affordable price, Google has really played a major role in the exponential growth of Virtual Reality. With Daydream View VR Headset, Google has went one step further than many others in the race. Google’s role has always been of a leader in providing latest technologies to the public at the lowest rates. DAYDREAM is a new latest VR Platform from Google meant for Android devices made as per Android Nougat  provided they are compatible with DayDream View. Daydream View is Google’s own viewer hardware.

Important thing to be discussed here is the capacity and power of Google to accelerate Virtual Reality plans as compared to other Virtual Reality Companies as google has a huge network of products and services under it fists. So you can expect the unimaginable happening very soon!

The fourth position goes to MICROSOFT IN THIS LIST OF TOP 15 VIRTUAL REALITY COMPANIES. 2016 was the year of RISE OF VARIOUS REALITIES. You might have heard about Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. But what about Mixed Reality? Yes I am talking right. Microsoft’s Hololens has certain features which lets you mingle with both- virtual and augmented reality. Their sweet mingling gives us something new! And it is called Mixed Reality.

Microsoft Hololens is world’s first self contained holographic PC along with two other environment sensors plus one depth sensor to process data and information in real time. It is going to leave a far reaching implications on the industries.

Developer’s edition  of Hololens is available at a price of $3000 with a condition of maximum 5 headsets per customer. But one thing is quite clear and loud. If you are not a developer or a great VR Enthusiast then it is better to sit calm for sometime. See where does it goes from here?

Apart from conjuring different versions of realities, Microsoft is also seriously trying its hands on developing a VR Gaming Console.  

Readers, there’s one name which seriously draws my attention in this list of Top Virtual Reality Companies. And it is HTC. No doubt you will find HTC Vive headsets to be little more expensive than others at a price of $799. But it’s really worth keeping in view the incredible, interactive gaming experiences that it renders.

It’s a complex system in itself, having 16 different components. It has two hand held devices and sensors that you can place anywhere in your room, so that it can track your movements. HTC has entered into a partnership with Valve to give you a live gaming feel at room scale level. So what HTC is offering to its customers is different from others. Unlike most of the VR Headsets which doesn’t lets you go off of your sitting couch, HTC headsets offers you complete freedom to stand on your feet and do whatever you want to do.

Samsung, again has a very strong reason be  in the list of Best Virtual Reality Companies. From Nov 2015- 2016 the Company has sold 5.4 million VR headsets in total. This itself speak a lot about its achievements. It’s already there in the game with Samsung Gear VR Headset. Interesting thing is that it is doing really good in it’s area. If we will take into account the actual sales numbers of Samsung Gear VR, it gives a crystal clear view of the consumers driving interest towards it. It’s true that it is not that much sophisticated but it has a bigger contribution when it comes to driving consumer interest towards Virtual Reality.

Current Samsung Gear VR Headset which is there in the market requires Samsung Smartphones to work. The Electronics Giant always wanted it to be more advanced. So nowadays it is striving really hard to come out with some dedicated wireless VR Devices which doesn’t require any mobile phone to operate.  Very soon it is going to come out with Samsung Gear VR 2 – an advanced virtual reality headset. Insiders have have to say that Samsung will focus more on Augmented Reality in the coming future.

People are saying that if there’s one company which can truly place Virtual Reality at the desired position then it can be none other than the Great Apple. When Facebook acquired oculus in 2014 then people were buzzing that Apple has missed the boat.

You may find Apple’s name in this list of Leading Virtual Reality Companies to be a bit fictitious. But then Apple has a long history of proving others wrong. Sometimes with its profound unimaginable product quality, sometimes with its business strategies and sometimes with secret acquisitions plans! Of late Apple has acquired many companies involved in VR and AR Business.

Apple’s interest in Virtual Reality started long back, may be a decade ago but the issue is that it has been a bit cautious and slow in coming out with any concrete Virtual Reality Products. That’s the reason why it is not jumping that much high as Google, Samsung and Microsoft.

But some recent reports firmly indicate that Apply has been busy in making Big moves all these years in Virtual reality. 2017 is going to be a great year for Apple. With the release of iPhone in the fall of 2017 Apple will firmly place it’s feet in the list of Top Virtual Reality Companies.

The thing which will make the game even more interesting is the way how Apple is going to connect its VR Platform with its other products like Titan- it’s’ coming high profile electric car.

Qualcomm is known for its processor chips. From Sony to Motorola you can’t imagine any single product without the processor chips of Qualcomm.

As per Patent Law Firm LexInnova, Qualcomm is one of the fourth largest patent filer in Virtual Reality. It has filed patents for data processing. It has already unveiled Snapdragon VR820- Virtual Reality chipset design. It ‘s a reference design platform for virtual reality devices.

Leaving apart some big names like Google, Microsoft, Sony and Samsung, the entire VR market is being driven by Startups. Magic Leap is the most secretive one  out of all Virtual Reality Companies! It has already grabbed millions of dollars investments from Google, Alibaba and Qualcomm. Though not much information is available about its future business plans but insider reports says it is involved in Mixed Reality.

The killer technology on which it is working revolves around special viewing lens. It is being called as Photonic LightField Chip. In fact people are discussing that the power of VR will become so real with Magic Leap’s  Gadget that you can literally do anything wearing it. Like place the seven wonders of the world on your palm! People are also depicting that with its help, you can literally project a virtual screen in the blank air exactly similar to one like your computer screen! WILL END THE ERA OF PC’S AND SMARTPHONES!

Magic Leap is expected to launch it in 2017! One of the MOST AWAITED VR DEVICES OF 2017!

For those who are involved in construction business, such as architects, builders or say even prospective home buyers, there’s nothing exciting and fascinating like being able to virtually see a house or any related project that is to be built in future.   

Bricks and Goggles is a Dutch Company which has come out with a splendid technology. Its accepts 3D Models from BIM and CAD and then use such models for further VR Explorations. Further with the help of any VR Headset the consumer can finally view the designs in an entirely new, unique and real way.  So with the help of this Unique VR Device, you can literally walk through your virtual dream home, see, feel and experience how it is going to look in the future?

Unity Technologies is a San-francisco based company, founded in 2004. It’s a leading developer of 3D Game technology. It provides ultimate development platform for developing VR Games. Unity Technologies is the developer of Unity which is regarded as one of the most popular game engine till yet.

As per Gartner, worldwide video game market is projected to reach $128 billion by 2017. More than 31% out of the 1000 grossing top mobile games use Unity. More than 600 million gaming aficionados throughout the world are playing games developed in Unity. It has over more than 4 million registered users. Names like Cartoon Network, Disney, Coco cola, Microsoft, LEGO, NSASA, Square, Ubisoft, Warner Brothers, Nexon, Nickelodeon, Electronic Arts are some of Unity’s High Profile Customers. It also provides Unity Ads Services for ads revenue and Unity Analytics to read Players behaviour. Personal Plan of Unity is free. Unity Plus costs $35 per seat per month whereas Unity Pro costs $125 per seat per month. Nowadays it is facing tough competition from Unreal Engine.

Just similar to what Bricks & Goggles does, Marxent Labs facilitates retailers and manufacturers to build a 3D Design Studio and showroom so that they can give live demos to their prospective customers. One of Marxent biggest client is Lowe. Lowe is a fortune 500 company based in America in Home Improvement Business. It carries a chain of retail home improvement and appliances stores in countries like USA, Canada and Mexico.

An entire era of dizitalisation is going on. But can you imagine medicines going Digital? But it’s happening! A strong background of technology and science is making this real. DeepStream is making deep inroads into Health Industry.

One of its Cool App is helping patients to reduce pains-whether chronic or normal one. Some of the clinics are already using it. Before you ask me how is it possible? Let me share with you that it does so by moving patients to a virtual world, full of scenic beauties where patients can meet with innumerable virtual characters. Patients do lot of fun there and can play games endlessly.

As per the company it’s Cool App is successful in reducing pain upto a limit of 60-70% during VR Treatment and remaining 30-50 % after the treatment. The pain relief sustains till 48 hours after the treatment. Best thing is that there is no side effects of it like normal pain killers.

It’s  true that 360 degree photos and videos take our heart. But what if you want to explore a scenic landscape or a big monument in all its totality. Or say you want to explore its every detail. Then what?

No worries! Realities.IO has taken this challenge. It has made the things even more interesting and engaging than the era of 360 degree entertainment! It has come out with a mind blowing technology which gives total immersive VR Experiences. Sitting in your living room, chatting with your dears ones with a sip of coffee of your taste, you can literally enjoy the scenic beauty  of any places existing in the world! You can visit any cultural heritage site, any famous fort, palace, or any damn tourist destination without being physically present there.

Before you start assuming it as fake, I will like to add that the Company is using very advanced technology to create high level virtual experiences with which users can interact. As of now there is only one VR Headset – HTC Vive through which you can  experience the unimaginable happening. Commendable thing is that the Realities.IO is offering these services devoid of any cost!

It is one of the fastest growing Virtual Reality Companies, which creates 3D interactive visualizations plus simulation solutions. Businesses can use its software for their product visualization, architectural imagining and for analysing risks.

The company has to say that businesses can save 90 % of their cost in making real physical models.

These were the top 15 leading Virtual Reality Companies Writing the Future of VR.

Readers, based on a very comprehensive research, in depth market analysis, coupled with very strong predictions of Gartner in respect of Virtual Reality, One line I can definitely write here with utmost confidence that Virtual Reality is going to be the technology of the future. It is about to flip the world beyond your imagination. All the future technologies is going to be based on it. Gauging the scenarios, I don’t think there will be hardly any technocrat, who won’t be interested in exploring this technology. You, won’t believe, people are searching for Virtual and Augmented Reality Stuff on the Google like anything!

Keeping all these in views, as the owner of this blog, I thought better why not come with a widely Informative Post on Top 15 Leading Virtual Reality Companies. Readers, Being an Author of this blog, it was not very easy for me to compile the name of  top Virtual Reality Companies. Even I was equally puzzled as all of them are equally competitive and strong. But somehow I had to place them. Based on the facts, sales numbers, market survey plus swinging opinions of World tech leaders I started summarizing them one by one. And the result is in front of your eyes.

I want to make this list of Leading Virtual Reality Companies, further more comprehensive and broader. Now I will like to say bye bye to you all, on a questionnaire mode. Hope you don’t mind if I will ask some questions to you! Such as;

• How much compelling does this list appeared to you?
• Do you own any VR Startup?
• Or say do you work in any promising VR Startup?
• Do you know any other Top Virtual Reality Company Which I should include in this list?
• Are you using any VR Headsets or VR solutions of these Companies?

Please do share with me.

Thanks,

BYE BYE!