Augmented and Virtual Reality

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Meet the Experts

Photo of Lewis Ward
Lewis Ward

Research Director, Gaming and VR/AR

Photo of Ramon T. Llamas
Ramon T. Llamas

Research Director, Mobile Devices and AR/VR

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Tom Mainelli

Group Vice President, Device & Consumer Research



IDC's Augmented and Virtual Reality service looks to measure the emerging market around augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) hardware, software, and services. While VR has driven much of the recent hype, primarily with consumers and in a gaming context, AR will prove to be the larger business opportunity long term, beginning first with commercial deployments. Augmented reality blends the real world with the digital world and has the potential to change how humans interact with machines and related software. Recent product announcements indicate this technology is approaching market readiness beyond early adopters. IDC will measure the environment and forecast the future of AR/VR hardware, software, and services. Companies looking to play in these spaces or to generate content displayed in these realities will find this service invaluable.


Markets and Subjects Analyzed


  • Exploring the market for purpose-built AR hardware, including case studies of early business movers
  • Exploring the market for purpose-built VR hardware, including case studies of early business movers and consumer types
  • Investigating the key vertical markets for AR/VR hardware, software, and services and discovering areas where ROI hits first
  • Consumer AR/VR application deep dives: Gaming, therapy/rehab, and virtual experiences/travel and education
  • Impact of AR/VR on adjacent markets such as smartphones, tablets, PCs, game consoles, and wearables
  • Five-year forecast for purpose-built AR/VR hardware and associated software and services

Core Research


  • IDC's AR/VR Primer and Taxonomy: Everything You Need to Know About This New Market
  • AR/VR CES Insight: Big Announcements at the Big Show
  • Worldwide and U.S. AR/VR Devices Forecast
  • Key 2022 Players in the AR Market, from Devices to Software to Platforms to Services
  • Key 2022 Players in the VR Market, from Devices to Software to Platforms to Services
  • Leading Applications and Use Cases for AR
  • Leading Applications and Use Cases for VR
  • Survey: What Do Consumers Want from AR/VR? What Are the Early Adopter Demographics and Pricing Expectations?
  • Survey: What Do Companies Want from AR/VR? What's the Key Barrier to Enterprise Adoption?

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.


Key Questions Answered


  1. How big is the AR/VR device market going to be in five years, and what percentage (of users and revenue) will be consumer versus commercial?
  2. Who will own the underlying platform and content ecosystem, and will it be an existing major player or a newcomer/start-up?
  3. Which hardware technology companies will drive market growth, and what form factors and features will they deliver?
  4. How large an impact will AR/VR have on IT and IT spending in general, and which verticals will embrace this tech first?
  5. If AR/VR is successful, who wins and who loses?

Companies Covered