Digital Devices Saw Massive Ownership Drop in 2023; Tablets, Gaming Consoles, and VR Devices Took the Worst Hit

For years, PCs, laptops, and tablets have been losing race with mobile phones as the number one device among all generations. Their ownership rate and usage continued falling in 2023. However, most other digital devices have also seen a significant ownership drop last year.

According to data presented by Stocklytics.com, seven out of ten digital devices people use have seen an ownership drop in 2023. Tablets, gaming consoles, and VR devices took the worst hit.

The Hype Around VR Devices Stopped in 2023; Ownership Rate Dropped by a Massive 21%

Consumers worldwide showed that having a smartphone became even more prevalent last year. According to the Digital 2024 Global Overview Report, mobile phones and smartphones were the only devices, except for smartwatches, whose ownership rate increased year-over-year. Surprisingly, all other digital devices, including PCs, laptops, tablets, game consoles, smart home, TV streaming, and VR devices, saw their ownership rates drop. However, VR devices have definitely taken the worst hit.

According to the survey, only 4.4% of internet users aged between 14 and 64 owned a VR device in 2023, or 21.4% less than a year before. This huge ownership rate drop shows the hype around VR devices has stopped.

Tablets saw the second-largest ownership decline in 2023. After surging in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, global tablet demand dropped to far less impressive numbers. Their ownership rate proves this. According to the survey, only 30.9% of respondents said they owned a tablet last year, or 8.3% less than a year before.

Game consoles follow VR devices and tablets with almost a 6% year-over-year drop and a 19.1% share among internet users in 2023. Statistics show TV streaming devices also saw a considerable decline in 2023, with their ownership rate falling by 4.8% to 15.7%. Smart home devices were also used less than before, with their share among respondents falling by 1.2% to 16.2% last year.

57.7% of Internet Users Owned a PC Last Year, 0.5% less than in 2022

After losing the race with mobile phones for years, the market share of laptops and desktop PCs continued shrinking in 2023. One of the reasons is their high price tag and the fact that many consumers cut spending on tech after the inflation hit. Last year, 57.7% of internet users owned a PC, 0.5% less than in 2022. Their share in web traffic also declined.

According to the survey, 61.8% of respondents used a laptop or a desktop PC to access the internet in 2023, 5.8% less than a year before. On the other hand, smartphones increased their share in total web traffic by 4% year-over-year, with almost 95% of people using them to browse the net.