143 Million Units Expected to Ship This Year
30% Increase Compared to Last Year
Demand Hesitates Amid Uncertainty
[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Despite macroeconomic uncertainties this year, the augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) device market is expected to grow by more than 30% compared to the previous year. Meta (Facebook), which dominates the VR device market, and Apple, which is fervently developing AR headsets, are clearly at the center of this growth.
According to CCS Insight on the 30th, 14.3 million VR and AR devices are expected to be shipped this year, a 30% increase from the previous year. VR devices are anticipated to account for 93%, while AR devices will make up about 7%. Although this is a record high, demand has slowed due to macroeconomic uncertainties such as the Russia-Ukraine war, resulting in figures falling short of initial expectations.
The leader in the VR device market is undoubtedly Meta. Having even changed its company name to focus on the metaverse (extended virtual world), Meta is leading the global market with its VR headset, the Oculus Quest 2. The Oculus Quest 2, released by Meta in 2020, surpassed 10 million cumulative sales last year.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, previously predicted that once the number of active users (highly engaged users) exceeds 10 million, investment in the VR market would enter a full-scale phase. With Sony’s second-generation PlayStation VR headset, initially expected to launch this year, now anticipated to be released next year, Meta’s solo dominance is expected to continue.
The Oculus series is also very popular in Korea. The Oculus Quest 2, officially sold by SK Telecom, consistently sells out quickly whenever sales resume, maintaining a “sold-out” streak. During the second sales round last year, thousands of units sold out within just four minutes. Recently, SK Telecom ran a YouTube advertisement featuring cheerleader Park Gi-ryang as the main character related to the Quest 2, raising expectations for a sales restart, but the company stated, "There are no immediate plans to sell additional stock," drawing a clear line.
Regarding AR headsets, Apple is expected to take the lead. Market rumors suggest that Apple’s AR headset, expected to be unveiled early next year, will be equipped with its own silicon chip (SoC), the M2 chip, raising anticipation. It is known that Apple’s board held a private demonstration in early May.
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