FPV Market Split 2025: The Digital Stampede — Painless360’s Poll Lays It Bare

In a short, sharp annual exercise Painless360 ran his August poll again and — surprise — HD FPV is no longer an exotic luxury. Over four years of polling (started in 2022) the hobby’s video-link landscape has shifted in a tidy, almost linear way. This post summarises the findings, digs into the technical implications, and points you to useful further reading (including some deep-dives on open systems and Walksnail compatibility).

Quick headline numbers

• 2022: DJI V1 essentially the only practical HD option — about 20% HD users, ~80% analog (60% analog-only).
• 2023–2024 trend: Analog share falls steadily; hybrid pilots (both analog + HD) grow.
• 2025 (this poll): Analog-only pilots fall to under one third. Hybrid pilots are ~one third. For the first time, digital HD-only pilots exceed one third.
• DJI family split (2025): V1 ≈ 12%, O3 ≈ 15%, O4 ≈ 18% (combined DJI share reported around ~45–47% of respondents by model).
• Walksnail: still the single largest system in the poll's sample, although its market share dipped slightly this year.
• Open-source systems rising: Ruby FPV and OpenIPC are increasingly adopted and are starting to show measurable market share.

How the landscape changed — year by year

2022: DJI arrives and proves HD is possible

Painless360 notes that in 2022 DJI’s V1 essentially created the market — high-definition FPV was suddenly real, but pricey. Many pilots stuck with traditional analog: cost, simplicity and existing hardware kept analog dominant.

2023: Competition appears — Walksnail and HDZero

By the following year other HD systems (Walksnail, HDZero) entered the market and quickly gained traction. Walksnail in particular captured attention because it matched DJI’s picture quality ambitions with a different ecosystem and price points. HDZero carved a niche where low latency mattered most — racing.

2024: DJI O3/O4 and Walksnail growth

DJI pushed forward with new generations (O3, then O4) while Walksnail continued growing. The result: more pilots trialled HD, and hybrid flying (owning analog and HD setups) became common.

2025: HD-only becomes the largest single category in this sample

This year the poll recorded a milestone: for the first time over a third of respondents fly digital HD-only. Analog-only users are now a minority under one-third, with the “both” category steady around a third.

Breaking down HD systems

Painless360 drilled into which digital systems pilots fly. The big picture: DJI still commands a large chunk of users, Walksnail is the most popular single brand in his audience, and open-source projects are starting to gain meaningful adoption.

• DJI: V1 usage fell to about 12%, O3 roughly 15%, and O4 about 18% in this sample. Painless360 interprets this as DJI successfully migrating users up the product ladder.
• Walksnail: largest single system overall in the poll. A key reason is backwards/forwards compatibility — many Walksnail goggles and air units interoperate across generations, avoiding the “upgrade treadmill”.
• HDZero: still relevant, particularly with pilots focused on racing because of its low latency profile, but market-share drifted slightly down as the overall HD market expanded.
• Open-source (Ruby FPV, OpenIPC, Runcam WiFiLink et al): growth is the story to watch. Painless360 sees these as the pressure that forces commercial vendors to improve features and interoperability.

Technical & market analysis (the Hackaday-ish bit)

Here’s the part where we consider implications beyond the pretty graphs.

• Compatibility matters: Walksnail’s commitment to cross-generation compatibility reduces upgrade friction. That’s a product-design win — users keep gear longer and don’t feel forced to replace goggles every time a new air unit launches.
• Latency vs. picture quality: HDZero’s appeal in racing underlines a simple trade-off — some pilots prioritise latency over ultra-high-resolution video, which keeps HDZero relevant even as picture-centric systems improve.
• Open-source momentum: Ruby FPV and OpenIPC add innovation and flexibility. When open projects grow, commercial players must respond — better OSD integration, protocol support, and firmware features follow.
• Second-hand market & tariffs: Painless360 points out that second-hand DJI kits still command high prices and tariffs/import restrictions can distort buying patterns. Pilots buy/sell on eBay to mitigate regional pricing issues.
• Multiple-system ownership: Many pilots now own more than one HD ecosystem for different use-cases (racing vs cine-style freestyle). This is expensive but reflects a mature hobby where hardware choice is mission-driven.

What Painless360 cautions about the poll

• Sample bias: This is one August snapshot of Painless360’s channel audience. He warns that channels with different audiences (e.g. strongly DJI-leaning communities) will show different results.
• Single data point: Polls like this are useful trend indicators but aren’t market research panels. Treat the numbers as directional, not absolute.

What this means for you — buying and flying advice

If you’re choosing a system right now, consider the following practical points drawn from the poll and Painless360’s commentary:

1. Decide your primary use-case: whoop racing, long-range freestyle, cinematic flying — different systems excel at different jobs.
2. Think about compatibility and upgrade paths: Walksnail’s cross-gen compatibility is a real convenience if you don’t want to buy new goggles every time.
3. If latency is critical (racing), prioritise systems known for low latency (HDZero still competes here).
4. Consider open-source options (Ruby FPV, OpenIPC) if you value customisability and community support.
5. Factor in the second-hand market and regional import/tariff issues — they affect total ownership cost.

HD is not a fad, it’s the new normal

Painless360’s poll shows a clear trend: HD FPV is moving from an aspirational niche into the mainstream of the hobby. Analog still has a role — especially for tiny whoops and budget builds — but the balance has shifted. Open-source initiatives and multi-vendor competition benefit pilots: better features, more choice, and less vendor lock-in.

Painless360 will run the same poll again in August 2026. If you’re interested in where the hobby heads next (more open-source, lower latency HD, or even new entrants), check back then — and consider joining the conversation now.

FAQ

Q: Is analog FPV dead?

A: No. Analog remains useful for whoops, small indoor quads and pilots on a tight budget. But in Painless360’s audience analog-only pilots are now a minority.

Q: Which HD system should I buy?

A: It depends. For general flying and max image quality, DJI and Walksnail are proven. For racing where latency is king, HDZero remains attractive. If you want customisability and community-led development, explore Ruby FPV or OpenIPC. Remember: match the system to the use-case.

Q: Are open-source HD systems a threat to big vendors?

A: They’re a healthy disruptor. Open systems push commercial vendors to improve standards, interoperability and features. That competition is good for pilots.

Q: How representative is Painless360’s poll?

A: It’s useful but not definitive. Painless360 emphasises that the poll is a snapshot of his channel viewers in August. Different communities will report different splits.

Q: When is the next poll?

A: Painless360 plans to run the next annual poll in August 2026.

Credit: This report summarises and analyses the video "FPV Market Split 2025: Poll Results!" by Painless360. For the original slides and exact poll figures, watch the source video and consider supporting Painless360’s channel if you found this analysis useful.

This article was created from the video FPV Market Split 2025: Poll Results!.