VR/AR headset shipments to grow 36% in 2022, with Oculus leading the pack

According to the TrendForce analytical agency, shipments of virtual and augmented reality headsets will increase by 36% this year. According to experts, the relatively inexpensive Meta Quest headsets will dominate the consumer virtual reality space. Microsoft HoloLens will be more popular in the corporate and business segment, where augmented reality solutions are more common.

According to analysts forecast, by the end of 2022, the volume of deliveries of VR / AR devices will grow to 14.19 million units. For comparison: in 2021, 9.86 million devices were released. According to TrendForce, the rapid growth in the popularity of augmented and virtual reality headsets is mainly hampered by two factors: a shortage of components amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as some stagnation in the development of new technologies for these devices.

The $200 to $400 Oculus Quest 2 headset is currently the most popular AR/VR device in the consumer market. The enterprise market is dominated by the HoloLens 2 device, for which customers pay between $1,000 and $3,500 because they are more interested in the benefits of integrating hardware and software. According to experts, this trend will continue until at least 2023.

Many companies are developing new devices of this type: for example, Meta announced last October that it was working on an advanced headset codenamed Project Cambria. Rumor has it that the device is aimed at the premium VR headset market, where it will have to compete with solutions like the $999 Valve Index. Apple is also developing its own AR/VR headset, but that will have to wait until at least 2023. Although many predict that the device will be able to compete with meta headsets, TrendForce believes that the new product will be aimed at the enterprise customer segment, which Microsoft now dominates with its HoloLens headsets. A strong hardware and software ecosystem, as well as a flexible approach to software subscriptions, will help regain Apple's market share.

Sony is also developing a new VR headset for the PlayStation 5 gaming console. However, according to TrendForce, a release is not expected until 2023 due to pandemic-related issues. Experts note that all these devices will not change the balance of power in the AR / VR headset market, since the main competition will be in the cheaper segment of devices. The consumer solutions offered today by Valve and HTC are still too expensive and therefore will remain niche products aimed primarily at wealthy players.