CES 2018: AR and VR Poised for Record Growth in 2018
Sales of headsets and eyewear outfitted for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are poised for a record year, according to a new forecast from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
The CTA said it expects sales of AR and VR headsets and eyewear to reach a record 4.9 million units in the U.S. in 2018, a more than 25% increase from 2017. Those sales will produce about $1.2 billion in revenues, a 10% increase from 2016, CTA added.
Read More: Complete coverage of #CES2018
The organization noted that it expects sales of consumer-focused AR eyewear to “accelerate considerably” within the next five years.
RELATED: Magic Leap Intros ‘Creator’s Edition’ AR Platform
The CTA announced its VR/AR projections ahead of a U.S. Consumer Technology Sales and Forecasts report that will be released at CES, which is set to run Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas.
RELATED: PlayStation VR’s Installed Base Crosses 2 Million Units
Multichannel Newsletter
The smarter way to stay on top of the multichannel video marketplace. Sign up below.
The CTA will also expand the space dedicated to AR and VR at next week’s show, noting that its Augmented Reality Marketplace will grow to a record 10,900 net square feet, making it 10% larger than that at the 2017 gadgetfest. Meanwhile, the show’s Gaming & Virtual Reality Marketplace, will expand to 34,100 net square feet, an 18% year-on-year increase.
The association also noted that its AR/VR Working Group, operating under its Technology & Standards Program, will “soon” wrap up work on technical definitions covering a “broad spectrum” for those industries, including MR, XR, outside-in tracking and Six Degrees of Freedom (6DoF).
Last year, that working group stamped the following definitions:
-Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digitally-created content into the user's real-world environment
-Mixed Reality (MR) is an experience that seamlessly blends the user's real-world environment and digitally-created content, where both environments can coexist and interact with each other
-Virtual Reality (VR) creates a digital environment that replaces the user's real-world environment
RELATED: Apple Snares Mixed Reality Headset Company