Augmented Reality Headsets Gaining Momentum

A new forecast from International Data Corp. expects the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headset market to grow from from 13.7 million units in 2017 to 81.2 million units by 2021. But while VR headset will account for more than 90 percent of the market for the next few years, AR headsets are expected to grow exponentially in the final two years of the forecast – capturing a quarter of the market by 2021, according to the market research firm.

IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker sees VR headsets driving a "near-term shift in computing," with price reductions and new entrants impacting growth. “Screenless viewers such as the Gear VR will continue to maintain a majority share throughout the forecast, although the category's share will continue to decline as lower-priced tethered head-mounted displays (HMDs) gain share over the course of the next two years,” the firm said in a press release. "Meanwhile, IDC is predicting that standalone HMDs will gain share in the outer years of the forecast.

On the AR side, IDC predicts growth both in volume and functionality. "AR headsets are on track to account for over $30 billion in revenue by 2021, almost twice that of VR, as most of the AR headsets will carry much higher average selling prices with earlier adopters being the commercial segment," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers, in a statement. "Meanwhile, most consumers will experience AR on mobile devices, although it's only a matter of time before Apple's ARKit- and Google's ARCore-enabled apps make their way into consumer grade headsets."

For more information, visit the IDC site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • abstract pattern of shapes, arrows and circuit lines

    Internet2 Announces a New President and CEO to Step Up in October

    Internet2, the member-driven nonprofit offering advanced network technology services and cyberinfrastructure to the research and education community has completed its search, which began this past May, for a new president and CEO to take the helm.

  • shield with an AI microchip emblem hovering above stacks of gold coins

    AI Security Spend Surges While Traditional Security Budgets Shrink

    A new Thales report reveals that while enterprises are pouring resources into AI-specific protections, only 8% are encrypting the majority of their sensitive cloud data — leaving critical assets exposed even as AI-driven threats escalate and traditional security budgets shrink.

  • stack of gold coins disintegrates into digital particles against a dark circuit-board background with glowing AI imagery

    MIT Report: Most Organizations See No Business Return on Gen AI Investments

    A recent report out of the MIT Media Lab found that despite $30-40 billion in enterprise spending on generative AI, 95% of organizations are seeing no business return.

  • young man in a denim jacket scans his phone at a card reader outside a modern glass building

    Colleges Roll Out Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US has announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campuswide. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.