AR/VR Headset Market Forecast to Decline 8.3% in 2023 But Remains on Track to Rebound in 2024, According to IDC

NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Worldwide shipments of augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets are expected to decline 8.3% year over year to 8.1 million units in 2023, despite the launch of new headsets during the year, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker. Sony's PSVR and Meta's Quest 3 have certainly been well received but macroeconomic pressures on households combined with slowing spend in the commercial segments have put a damper on growth.

However, 2024 is shaping up to be a year of tremendous recovery as shipments of AR/VR headsets are expected to grow 46.4%. The return to form is thanks to a full year's availability of Meta's Quest 3 as well as Apple's Vision Pro, which is expected to bring lots of attention but will likely ship fewer than two hundred thousand units in the year. In contrast, Meta, the market leader in 3Q23 who captured 55.2% share, has already managed to ship over 10x Apple's expected volume in the first three quarters of 2023 (prior to the launch of Quest 3) and will likely experience year-over-year growth in 2024.

"While the new VR headsets are expected to drive volume, they also risk alienating some consumers as average selling prices trend upwards," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager, Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers at IDC. "The high price tag of the Vision Pro will likely relegate the device to businesses, while the Quest 3, which is more accessible, is also pushing the limits of consumers' wallets making VR a delight for the affluent, particularly as production ramps down on older and more affordable headsets."

Meanwhile, AR headsets are also expected to grow in 2024 due to the availability of lower cost tethered headsets from the likes of Xreal and Rokid, which tend to serve as monitor replacements while enhancing productivity or improving the media consumption experience. More sophisticated standalone headsets such as Microsoft's HoloLens 2 or the Magic Leap 2 will continue to proliferate, though at a slower pace than tethered AR headsets. In total, AR headset shipments are forecast to reach to 845,000 in 2024, up 85.6% compared to 2023.

"Volumes of AR headsets are expected to move at a slower pace compared to VR headsets, but diversification among the different products will increasingly address more needs," added Ramon T. Llamas, research director with IDC's Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality program. "3D immersive and interactive augmented reality will still receive most of the attention and find their way to enterprise users. Assisted reality (AR headsets that simply show content within a user's line of sight) will likewise have its own audience, and can branch out towards consumers with gaming and multimedia. Finally, the recent attention towards mixed reality will raise the profile for augmented reality, especially for those who only want or need an AR experience."

Worldwide AR/VR Headset Forecast by Product Category: Shipments, Year-Over-Year Growth, and 2023-2027 CAGR (shipments in millions)
Product Category	2023 Shipments	2023/2022 Growth	2027 Shipments	2027/2026 Growth	2023-2027 CAGR
Augmented Reality	0.5	63.5%	6.8	85.5%	96.5%
Virtual Reality	7.6	-10.7%	21.9	26.7%	30.1%
Total	8.1	-8.3%	28.6	37.0%	37.2%
Source: IDC Worldwide AR/VR Headset Tracker, December 18, 2023

In addition to the table above, a graphic illustrating the worldwide market share of the top 5 AR/VR headset companies over the previous five quarters is available by viewing this press release on IDC.com.

About IDC Trackers
IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly Excel deliverables and on-line query tools.

For more information about IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker, please contact Jackie Kliem at 508-988-7984 or [e-mail].

Click here to learn about IDC's full suite of data products and how you can leverage them to grow your business.

About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.