Fit in a Bit: Virtual Reality eSports and eFitness Adoption in Qatar

While staying fit through sports and fitness (SF) activities come with many health benefits, they also come with restrictions in regions that have extreme environmental conditions. An example of such a region is the GCC that mainly consists of arid and semi-arid land. Qatar is one such country that consecutively suffers from a high rate of physical inactivity among its population. VR for eSports and eFitness (eSF) are technological alternatives to the traditional real-world methods of SF that have been proven to improve physical fitness in participants (Lotan, et al., 2008). Drawing from existing literature and IT adoption disciplines, this study proposes a model, conceptualizing factors that affect the adoption of VR for eSF in Qatar, paying attention to the local environmental conditions and socio-cultural practices. The study explores factors influencing the adoption of VR for eSF through an IT adoption lens in the GCC region.