After two quarters of declines, global shipments of AR/VR headsets finally returned to growth as volumes rose 12.8% during the third quarter of 2024 (3Q24) according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker. However, growth was largely driven by one vendor: Meta.
Among the top five, Meta led the pack with 70.8% share during the quarter as the company faced favorable year-over-year comparisons with volumes declining 22.7% in 3Q23 as the Quest 2 began to phase out. Though it took a few quarters, the Quest 3 finally began to find its footing thanks to broader content selection and promotions such as Prime Day driving volume, according to IDC. Sony’s PSVR2 ranked second (6.7% share) as the as the company garnered attention from PC gamers and benefitted from promotions. Apple, ByteDance, and XREAL rounded out the top five.
While the market has become quite top heavy with the five representing over 90% share, the outlook for some of these companies remains in question.
“Sony and ByteDance’s dedication to headset making seem to be wavering as shipments for both vendors continue to decelerate,” says Jitesh Ubrani, research manager, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers at IDC. “This in turn provides an opportunity for brands such as XREAL and VITURE who appeal to gamers while innovating on both hardware and software.”
The versatility of Mixed Reality headsets such as the Quest 3 has already led the category to outshine others and even stands to replace augmented reality headsets under the right conditions, he adds. As such, IDC forecasts Mixed Reality headsets to grow 21.7% in 2025, shipping 7.7M units and remain as the largest category going forward. Outside Mixed Reality, Extended Reality devices that provide a simple heads-up display or content mirroring are expected to be the next largest category and it is where competition is expected to intensify over the course of the next 18 months.
“Glasses combined with Artificial intelligence and a heads-up display can provide a powerful experience for both consumers and enterprises,” says Ubrani. “With Google’s re-entry into the market through Android XR, competition is about to heat up as neither Apple nor Meta has cemented themselves as a clear winner for the mass market.”
About the Vision Pro
Demos of the Apple Vision Pro at Apple Stores in the U.S. can be reserved on Apple.com. To reserve a free Vision Pro demo online, go here, then follow the steps to book an appointment at your local Apple Store.
Pricing for the Vision Pro starts at US$3,499 with 256GB of storage. ZEISS Optical Inserts are available: $99 for reading lens and $149 for prescription lens.
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