LONDON, Dec. 12,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Omdia's latest research shows
that the consumer VR market continued to decline in 2024. Headset
sales volumes fell by 10% in 2024 to 6.9 million units, down from
7.7 million in 2023. The market is expected to decline further in
2025, in line with Omdia's earlier projections. The outlook
reflects a challenging period for the consumer VR industry ahead of
a forecasted rebound in 2026.
"The Apple Vision Pro's highly anticipated debut failed to spark
the resurgence that the VR industry hoped for, with momentum fading
and significant developer interest still lacking ten months on,"
commented George Jijiashvili, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia.
"Meanwhile, early sales data for the new entry-level Quest 3S
reflects no significant boost to Meta's headset sales, reinforcing
Omdia's view that VR will remain a niche market as long as it
remains in its current form."
The number of VR headsets in active use fell by 8% in 2024 to
21.9 million. This was primarily due to a low share of Quest 2
owners upgrading, over 20 million of which have been sold since
2020. Nevertheless, growth is predicted by 2029, contingent on
Meta's continued commitment to this category and the anticipated
launch of a more affordable Apple Vision Pro model in 2026.
Omdia's latest Consumer VR Headset and Content Revenue Forecast
shows $904 million spent on VR
content in 2024, growing to $1.3bn by
2029. In comparison, games console content spend will generate
$37.4 billion in 2024, highlighting
the nascent nature of the consumer VR market.
Dwindling consumer engagement since the pandemic period, limited
compelling new content, and developers questioning the ROI of VR
projects paint a troubling outlook. With device manufacturers
hesitant to commit significant investments, the current
developments suggest a pivot away from VR and passthrough mixed
reality in current headsets. "The focus is shifting to lightweight
AR glasses, offering all-day, 'anywhere' access to multimodal AI.
Manufacturers hope that this approach will help normalize
face-based spatial computing, which will ultimately spur
mass-market VR adoption," added Jijiashvili.
ABOUT OMDIA
Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a
technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech
markets combined with our actionable insights empower organizations
to make smart growth decisions.
Contact
Fasiha Khan:
fasiha.khan@omdia.com
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SOURCE Omdia
