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Elucidating the impact of critical determinants on purchase decision in virtual reality products by Analytic Hierarchy Process approach

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Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that uses a specialized user interface to connect people to the virtual world, where they can enjoy a multitude of visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile experiences. In this study, the analytic hierarchy process method is used to analyze the following four factors that affect consumers’ purchase decisions with respect to VR products: VR system requirements, purchase-oriented marketing of VR products, VR application types, and user-friendliness of VR products. Additionally, this study also examines consumer preferences for various VR products. Despite the interviewees’ concerns regarding computing power, product pricing, after-sales services, knowledge learning, and user-friendliness, the results of this study reveal that what they need most are VR products that can be used on the go. Therefore, portable VR is expected to be the trend as people are hoping to use VR applications whenever and wherever they wish to use them. This research provides the theoretical and managerial implications for understanding the potential trends for VR products and thus develops the appropriate marketing strategies for them.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, for financially supporting this research (Contract Number: MOST 106-2511-S-003-029-MY3 and 107-2410-H-992-011).

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Correspondence to Shih-Chih Chen.

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Wu, Y., Chen, SC. & Lin, IC. Elucidating the impact of critical determinants on purchase decision in virtual reality products by Analytic Hierarchy Process approach. Virtual Reality 23, 187–195 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-018-0373-0

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