In a recent interview with The Australian Financial Times, Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell revealed the companys plans for entering the virtual reality market. However, dont expect to see products from the company any time soon. Darrell indicated that Logitech intends to enter the VR market late rather than bust in early and awkwardly.
Just like with the mouse and keyboard, optimizing the experience of the peripherals that go with VR will be an interesting place for us, he said in the interview. Were in the middle of many discussions in that space and at some point you can bet well jump in. But were years away from viewing that as a serious category.
However, Logitech doesnt plan on developing its own VR headset, but rather the peripherals that would be used along with a third-party solution such as Facebooks upcoming Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. Both those headsets will come with their own controllers, so whatever Logitech plans to launch is unknown at this point.
That said, by the time Logitech enters the VR arena, the market may be into its second or third generation of headsets. The market should be quite large by then, giving the peripherals company a bigger playing field to develop VR products. After all, the VR market is expected to explode into a billion dollar industry in just a few short years.
According to the interview, Darrell has been looking to expand Logitechs reach into new territories such as mobile since he took the CEO role back in 2012. Since then, the company has produced products for tablets and phones, portable speakers, and smart home devices like the Harmony TV remote controls and the Bluetooth Audio Adapter.
Just last month, the Switzerland-based company saw a 3% rise in sales during its third quarter compared to the same quarter last year. Retail sales actually grew to 9% in constant currency at $595 million. Thus, the company raised its fiscal year 2016 outlook, expecting retail sales to grow 7% to 9% in constant currency.
Logitech taking the road to VR should come as no surprise, as the company produces some of the best peripherals on the market. Logitech offers game-focused peripherals as well spanning from mice to keyboards to controllers for racing enthusiasts.
Were keeping a close watch on you, Logitech
From maximumpc
