Smart Augmented Reality: Current State and Predictions of Virtual Worlds – Digital Reality

Meta will soon launch a new high-end VR headset called the Quest Pro. As the name suggests, the new hardware is aimed at professional users. Accordingly, at €1,800, the headset is a rather expensive purchase that will do little for the general population of virtual worlds. In any case, only a small portion of humanity will use virtual or augmented reality hardware in the near future. Currently, around 74 million people worldwide have access to VR headsets, while the number of AR devices is less than ten million. And the coming years will do little to change this exclusive access to digital realities. Analysts estimate the user base for VR and AR hardware at less than 250 million people by 2027.

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By 2025, only 130 million people worldwide will own virtual or augmented reality glasses. This represents a mere 1.6 percent of the global population. The coming years will do little to change this exclusive access to digital realities. Most VR and AR devices will continue to be used in industrial and military sectors. Where highly sensitive data is involved, control over the hardware is paramount.

For the general public, these devices are still far too expensive, and their applications are too limited. Affordable devices for the mass market are not expected for several years. Until then, virtual reality will remain an exclusive technology, primarily adopted by industry.

Nevertheless, there are also positive developments that could lead to more people having access to VR headsets and AR devices in the future. For example, Microsoft is currently working on a new version of its HoloLens headset, which is intended to be even lighter and smaller than previous models. This should make the headset easier to wear for children and the elderly.

It's also positive that more and more companies are recognizing the advantages of virtual and augmented reality. As a result, an increasing number of firms are relying on these technologies to better understand products, define goals, and improve employee training. This also increases the demand for devices that enable companies to work more effectively.

Forecast for worldwide sales of virtual reality glasses until 2026 – Image: Xpert.Digital

Forecast for worldwide sales of virtual reality and augmented reality glasses from 2020 to 2026 (in millions of units)

This statistic presents a forecast for global sales of augmented reality and virtual reality glasses up to the year 2026. According to the source, sales of VR/AR glasses are expected to reach more than 50 million units in 2026.

• 2020 – 5.84 million
• 2021 – 11.23 million
• 2022* – 16.50 million
• 2023* – 23.40 million
• 2024* – 29.33 million
• 2025* – 39.07 million
• 2026* – 50.46 million

* Forecast

Digi-Capital predicts that by 2025, only 171 million people worldwide will be using AR/VR hardware. This represents just 2.3 percent of the global population. The picture isn't much better in terms of adoption: Currently, only about 16% of Germans own a VR headset. While this number is expected to increase in the coming years, usage will remain limited to a relatively small number of people.

Conclusion: Even in the future, virtual and augmented reality hardware will only be used by a minority of the population.

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Survey on interest in virtual reality glasses in Germany until 2022 – Image: Xpert.Digital

Survey on interest in virtual reality glasses in Germany until 2022

The statistic shows the results of a survey in Germany regarding interest in virtual reality glasses. Around 43 percent of respondents in 2022 could imagine using VR glasses in the future.

Survey: Can you imagine using VR glasses in the future?

• 2018 – 17 in %
• 2019 – 21 in %
• 2020 – 37 in %
• 2021 – 41 in %
• 2022 – 43 in %

Nevertheless, many people already live in alternative realities. They don't do this through virtual reality headsets or augmented reality devices, but by creating their own reality. However, most of these people are unable to create their own world because they are dependent on digital media. Instead, they live in social media and online worlds like Reddit or 4chan. In these worlds, everyone can create their "self" and interact with others without fear of their identity being discovered.

Nevertheless, it is not necessarily the case that the coming years will mean a division of humanity into "those who are able to immerse themselves in other realities" and "those who cannot." This is because, so far, other worlds—whether virtual or real—are still very sparsely populated. This means that every person who gains access to digital realities also has the chance to become part of these worlds. Therefore, there is no reason to worry that the coming years will lead to a division of humanity.

Survey on popular use cases for virtual reality – Image: Xpert.Digital

In a survey conducted in Germany regarding the use of virtual reality content, approximately 79 percent of the VR users surveyed stated that they had played computer and video games using VR glasses.

For what content have you already used virtual reality?

• Computer and video games – 79%
• Movies – 67%
• Traveling to places – 63%
• Music concerts – 41%
• For sporting activities – 33 in %
• Sporting events – 20 in %
• Educational and learning projects – 20 in %
• Museums, exhibitions, trade fairs – 15 in %
• Visualization of apartment and house planning – 11 in %
• Shopping – 8 in %
• Virtual meeting – 7 in %
• For relaxation – 4 in %