Valve data shows Oculus Rift gaining market share on Steam
Rift had a strong August, gaining the most ground in a single month since Valve's survey started
Oculus Rift is gaining market share on Steam, according to new data from Valve, with the Vive's main rival increasing its hold on the ubiquitous PC platform by 8.1% in August.
Valve has conducted a survey of Steam users every month since March 2016, and VR headset use one of the key data points. The August survey shows that the Rift increased its market share by 8.1% versus July, comfortably the largest gain Oculus' headset has made in a single month.
The Rift now has a 43.8% share on Steam, while the Vive's share declined 7.7% to finish August with 52.3%. Oculus operates its own storefront for VR content, some of which is exclusive to the platform, but Steam is still widely used by Rift users.
A number of factors may have contributed to the Rift's prosperous August, but its falling price is likely to have played a significant role. Oculus cut the price of the Rift and its Touch controllers by $200 in March this year, but it went further still with a "Summer of Rift" promotion that has temporarily lowered the price by another $200.
The offer, which ends today, reduced the price to $399, which is half of what the Rift and its controllers would have cost little more than six months ago. When it finishes the cost of the hardware will increase to $500, a full $100 cheaper than the Vive.