But will be bigger than gaming consoles, so maybe this metaverse thing has legs
Analyst firm IDC has crunched the numbers for sales of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets and found they’re not going to be a big seller any time soon – at least compared to conventional computing devices.
The firm found 2022 will go down as a stinker of a year for the electro-goggles, with global shipments of dropping 12.8 percent year on year to 9.7 million units.
Rising prices and a tough economy are the factors driving the dip, IDC believes.
The firm offered a better outlook for the devices, forecasting sustained shipment growth of 30 percent or more.
But even that frantic growth rate will see just 35 million of the devices shipped in the year 2026.
By way of comparison, IDC in June found that tablet computers ship at a brisk 40 million a quarter, while 250-million-plus PCs will emerge from factories around the world in most of the next few years.
