VR-related damage insurance claims have significantly jumped by 31 percent in 2021 alone. Meanwhile, the increasing figures of virtual reality headset-related accidents have jacked up to a whopping 68 percent since 2016.
A guest wearing an HTC Corp. Vive virtual reality (VR) headset tries the Mario Kart Arcade GP VR attraction at the VR Zone Shinjuku theme park, operated by Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., on July 13, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. The park is one of Japan's largest VR theme parks with 16 VR attractions opening to the public on July 14.
VR-Related Injury Insurance Claims
VR headsets are now becoming more popular than ever with the emergence of the metaverse.
In fact, as per a news story by Engadget, the Oculus app of the Reality Labs VR division of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, reached the top downloaded charts of the Apple App Store on Christmas Day last 2021. It is the first time that the app has reached such an impressive download performance since it debuted.
It is worth noting that Meta has yet to officially release the number of sold Queset 2 VR headsets. However, the App Store ranking of its mobile phone app only goes to show that there are tons of folks who either bought themselves the VR hardware last December or have given it away as gifts.
As a matter of fact, even the iPhone maker, Apple, is working on releasing its own VR and augmented reality of AR headsets, which come with integrated FaceTime functionalities.
An attendee tries out the new Oculus Quest at the Facebook F8 Conference at McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, on April 30, 2019. - Got a crush on another Facebook user? The social network will help you connect, as part of a revamp unveiled Tuesday that aims to foster real-world relationships and make the platform a more intimate place for small groups of friends.
On top of that, a United Kingdom-based insurance company, known as Aviva, echoes the fact that VR headsets are now increasingly taking over the lives of more folks.
Its latest data disclosed that home insurance claims involving VR headsets have been increasing in the past five years.
In 2021 alone, about 31 percent of the claims were accidental damages that involved a VR headset.
VR Headsets vs. TV Screens
The average claim for these incidents has already ballooned to $880. It comes as most of those who are using their VR devices end up smashing their TV screens as they get hooked on playing games along with the headsets.
According to a recent report by Kotaku, the property claims director of Aviva, Kelly Whittington, stated in an interview with The Guardian that the recent uptick of VR-related claims has been a common trend in the past.
Whittington said that: "In the past, we've seen similar trends involving consoles with handsets, fitness games, and even the likes of rogue fidget spinners."
The UK-based insurance firm went on to warn VR users to be careful when playing with their headsets. Not to mention that they should also make sure to dedicate a clear area before playing with VR games to avoid expensive accidental damages.
But most importantly, Aviva further suggested VR gaming folks to include accidental damage cover on their insurance plans to pay for any broken TV screens.
Related Article: New Apple VR Headset to Arrive by 2023? Issues in Camera, Software, Overheating to Blame for the Delay
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Written by Teejay Boris
