The potential is huge with three
major identified device categories across the Augmented and Virtual Reality
markets including: Screenless viewers
that use the screen of specific smartphones to drive an AR/VR experience
(example: Samsung Gear VR); Tethered
Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) that utilize an existing compute device such
as a PC, game console, or even a smartphone to drive a head-worn display (example:
Oculus Rift); and Standalone HMDs
that integrate processing within the head-worn display itself (example:
Microsoft HoloLens).
 |
IDC predicts that, worldwide shipments of Virtual Reality (VR)
hardware will hit in 2016, with total volumes reaching 9.6 million units. Key
products from Samsung, Sony, HTC, and Oculus lead the momentum with the
category capable to generate hardware revenues of approximately $2.3 billion in
2016.
Augmented Reality (AR) hardware is forecast to ramp up over the next few years
(devices harder to produce than VR products). According to the AR/VR forecast
from International Data Corporation (IDC), the
combined device markets will see hardware shipments surge past 110 million
units in 2020.
"Video games will clearly be the lead rationale for people to pick
up an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or PlayStation VR this year," added Lewis Ward, research director of Gaming.