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Virtual reality has evolved faster than almost any other consumer technology category, and over the last seven years, it has shifted from niche experimentation to mainstream adoption. But with dozens of headsets released across multiple generations, the question many people ask is simple: Which VR headsets are actually the most popular today?
To answer this, we turn to one of the clearest public indicators of consumer interest: Google Search trends.
In this report, we analyze US search data to compare every major VR headset released from 2019 to 2025. Search activity doesn’t reveal exact sales numbers, but it does reveal what people are researching, considering, and talking about. High search interest often correlates with demand, hype cycles, product launches, and long-term market relevance.
Why Focus on VR?
VR is experiencing a significant transition period. Standalone headsets now dominate the mainstream, while mixed reality and emerging “spatial computing” devices are reshaping what consumers expect from immersive tech. PC-VR has shifted toward a more niche, enthusiast-focused segment, even as major new entrants like Apple bring fresh attention and excitement to the market. At the same time, more affordable devices such as the Meta Quest 3S are widening access and drawing in new users. Because of these rapid shifts, search interest has become one of the best indicators of what consumers are genuinely paying attention to—offering clearer insight than marketing claims or speculative sales rumors.
How We Analyze the Data
To identify the most competitive and popular VR headsets in the United States over the past 12 months, this analysis relies exclusively on Google Trends within the United States search data. Google Trends offers a strong, state-by-state view of search volume and public curiosity, making it a reliable indicator of consumer excitement and purchase intent in the country’s highly active VR market.
Our approach focuses strictly on U.S. regional behavior, uses a consistent 12-month timeframe to capture current momentum, and compares only direct product names, such as “Meta Quest 3,” “Apple Vision Pro,” and “PlayStation VR2”, to ensure that each data point reflects interest in a specific headset. The core metrics examined include Interest Over Time, Interest by Region, and Rising Queries, all interpreted through Google’s normalized 0–100 scale for fair comparison across devices. This systematic method provides a clear, quantitative, and unbiased view of which headsets are truly gaining traction and shaping the virtual and mixed reality landscape in the United States.
Scope of This Analysis
So for our review, we’ll cover every significant VR headset released in the last seven years, covering:
All VR Headsets Released from 2019 to 2025
| Year | Headsets Released |
|---|---|
| 2024–2025 | “Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest 3S, Pico 4 Ultra, HTC Vive Focus Vision, Immersed Visor” |
| 2023 | “Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR2 (PSVR 2), HTC Vive XR Elite, Bigscreen Beyond, Pimax Crystal, Varjo XR-4” |
| 2022 | “Meta Quest Pro, Pico 4, Pico 4 Enterprise, MeganeX” |
| 2021 | “HTC Vive Pro 2, HTC Vive Focus 3, Pico Neo 3 Pro / Link, Varjo Aero” |
| 2020 | “Meta Quest 2, HP Reverb G2, Pico Neo 2, HTC Vive Cosmos Elite” |
| 2019 | “Oculus Quest 1, Oculus Rift S, Valve Index, HTC Vive Cosmos, HP Reverb G1, Varjo VR-1, Nintendo Labo VR” |
Key Trends for U.S. VR Headsets for 2025
The first section will cover the 3 most popular VR headsets within the Google Trends platform over the year.
The Meta Quest 3 got the highest search interest across all the VR headsets we looked at. The graph shows two clear spikes in U.S. search interest over the last 12 months, each reflecting a different phase of consumer behavior.
The first and largest peak in December 2024 aligns with the traditional holiday surge, where Black Friday deals, Christmas gifting, and widespread media promotion push search volume sharply upward. There was also alot of hype around the Meta Quest 3 as it was still relatively new to the market. A secondary rise in June 2025 corresponds with early-summer discount events, major Quest software updates, and increased seasonal demand as you can imagine, families may be looking for new entertainment options over the summer.
But overall, The Meta Quest 3 received the highest amount of search traffic and still does even towards the end of 2025 when compared to all the other headsets mentioned. Which proves it still has huge popularity and is still leading the VR space.
And it’s another win for Meta because out of the 20+ headsets we looked at, the Meta Quest 2 came second for search interest. It shows similar spikes in the holiday seasons to the Quest 3, but we were really surprised how well the Quest 2 is still holding up in popularity.
The Quest 2 is still a very well-functioning VR headset, giving you access to Meta’s VR world and the Meta library for an even more affordable price. It’s no wonder it’s still holding up.
So here’s where things get interesting, the Meta Quest 3s takes 3rd for most interest in Google Search. And it’s actually quite a drop from the Quest 2, but it still comes ahead of all the other VR headsets we’ve reviewed.
That pretty much sums up how well Meta is controlling the VR space, and it does make you think that perhaps the competition is not keeping up with consumer demand.
Overall, the Quest 3s shows similar interest patterns as the first 2 devices. Even though it’s newer and better than the Quest 2, it comes to our surprise that it sits lower in search interest even towards the end of 2025.
Section 2 shows the next 2 VR headsets that sit just below the Quest 3s in search popularity, the graph below shows them next to the headset with the lowest search performance from the last section for comparison.
As you can see, the Apple Vision Pro comes in interest, after the Quest 3s. With similar seasonal hoilday spikes and a push of interest around September/October which is when apple usually release then next devices. While the Vision Pro remains a relatively stable interest throughout the year, it’s far from that of the Quest 3 and Quest 2.
Coming in 5th most popular in Google search trends is the Playstation VR2, this devices is quite similarly matched with the Apple Vision Pro, it doesn’t seem to get the mid year interested like the others do but trends perked up towards the end of 2025.
That being said, since December 2024, it hasn’t reached it’s previous highs in search interest showing somewhat of a slow-down.
Section 3
In this final section, we review the remaining VR headsets, shown in 2 parts. As you can see, there’s quite a drop even from the PlayStation VR2, showing that these devices are lesser known by many. Coming in 6th and 7th place are the Valve Index and the Meta Quest Pro. These are both similar in search trend levels, but the Valve Index just comes out ahead.
We’re actually surprised that the Valve Index is not more popular than this, especially due to the update announcement in late 2025. Valve showcased the Steam Frame to be a very interesting VR competitor in the next year. But despite that, the Valve Index remains stable within this tier, maintaining a small but loyal baseline of highly technical searches, such as “SteamVR tracking” or “full body tracking”, which reinforces its position as the long-standing benchmark for enthusiast PCVR users. The older Meta Quest Pro’s lower search volume is no real surprise, given all the other newer and more popular VR headsets from Meta. That being said, it does remain stable and consistent.
The next graph shows Bigscreen Beyond as a search topic and the original Oculus Quest to be the next in popularity. As you can see, we compared them with the last place from the previous graph, the Meta Quest Pro, but as you can see, both have a significant drop. While the Oculus Quest may be considered ancient to some, it was only released in 2019, showing just how fast the VR market is progressing. Both the original Bigscreen Beyond and its successor, the Bigscreen Beyond 2, maintain relatively low overall search volume in the US, which is consistent with their positioning as ultra-niche PCVR headsets aimed at enthusiasts rather than mainstream consumers. However, the Trends data shows a clear inflection point in mid-2025, where search interest rises sharply following the announcement of the Bigscreen Beyond 2.
This bump reflects renewed curiosity among PCVR users who prioritize weight, comfort, and high-fidelity visuals, as well as broader media coverage surrounding Bigscreen’s unexpected momentum in the headset space. While still far below the volume of mass-market devices, the upward trajectory suggests growing awareness within the VR enthusiast community and positions the Beyond 2 as one of the few PCVR products capable of generating measurable excitement in a market increasingly dominated by standalone mixed-reality headsets.
For the rest of the headsets, the search interest was much lower. HTC and Pico devices, including the Vive Pro 2, Focus series, and XR Elite, register low but consistent search traffic. Showing a market more of a fan interest. The remaining devices, such as the Pimax Crystal, HP Reverb & Varjo series, show more minimal search interest than the previous two, followed by Immersed Visor, MeganeX, and Nintendo Labo VR, which show hardly any U.S. search volume overall, confirming their limited North American presence despite having markets abroad. The activity with these devices likely reflects the interests of hardcore PCVR users seeking maximum visual fidelity or lightweight form factors.
Identified Rising Queries (Future Trends)
Some of the most revealing insights come from the “Rising Queries” linked to section 1 headsets, which highlight the strong part Meta is currently playing in the VR space. This may be due to their affordable, good value VR headset range, which provides access to a well-designed app interface and a system that seems to flow better than more VR headsets right now. But that doesn’t mean they will continue to lead in the space in the coming years, especially if Meta decides to focus more on their smart glasses range. Companies like Valve have recently announced their Steam Frame VR headset, which shows a positive impact in search interest during Q4 in 2025. Could this be the next big VR headset? To learn more about the future of VR make sure to read our article on up and coming future VR headsets next.
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