Recently, International Data Corporation released a report stating that the total investment in the global AR/VR field has reached 15.22 billion US dollars in 2024, and it is expected that the compound annual growth rate of this field will exceed 20% in the next five years.
The performance of the Chinese market is particularly outstanding, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 41.1% between 2024 and 2029, ranking first in the world. It is predicted that by 2029, China's total investment in the AR/VR field is expected to exceed 10.5 billion US dollars, accounting for 26.5% of the global total investment.
In terms of hardware, the AR/VR headset market is experiencing rapid development. According to a report by Jibang Consulting, the shipment volume of VR and MR (mixed reality) headsets in 2024 is approximately 9.6 million units, a year-on-year increase of 8.8%. Among them, MR hardware, with its unique advantage of "combining virtual and real", has become a key factor driving the growth of the AR/VR hardware market. It is expected that traditional VR devices will gradually exit the Chinese market by 2028.
In the consumer market, AR/VR is expected to continue to maintain its position as the largest application area. IDC predicts that, driven by policy support and breakthroughs in AI technology, the compound growth rate of the AR/VR consumer market will reach 55.0% between 2025 and 2029. Among them, lightweight and high-performance AR glasses are expected to become the new generation of personal computing platforms after smartphones.
In the enterprise market, VR technology will play an important role in multiple scenarios such as remote collaboration, virtual training, and product design review, helping to improve work efficiency and reduce costs. With the integration of technologies such as 5G and AI, AR/VR will also give rise to emerging application scenarios such as immersive tourism, virtual concerts, and remote medical surgical guidance.
In addition, AR/VR technology has shown broad application prospects in multiple industries. In the retail field, AR technology enables consumers to intuitively experience product effects through devices such as mobile phones, thereby enhancing their confidence in purchasing decisions. In the tourism industry, AR/VR technology is used to create immersive virtual travel experiences, allowing tourists to remotely experience the scenery of their destination. In the real estate industry, VR technology allows customers to immerse themselves in the layout of architectural spaces and gain an early understanding of design effects.
