Global big tech companies are rolling out Extended Reality (XR) headsets one after another. Samsung Electronics has released its first XR headset, Galaxy XR, and Apple has unveiled an upgraded Vision Pro. But a study found that 1 in 3 XR headset buyers are corporations, not individuals. Experts worry that XR headsets are being shunned by general consumers, leaving the buyer base to corporations and a subset of tech enthusiasts.
◇ "The main buyers of XR headsets are corporations"… too expensive for general consumers
According to market research firm IDC and The Verge on the 26th, corporations bought 30% of the 400,000 Vision Pro units Apple shipped in 2024. Meta Quest also saw corporations account for 47% of last year's sales.
Jitesh Ubrani, a researcher at IDC, said, "The main buyers of Vision Pro were developers and corporations," noting, "they are people trying to create new experiences." He added, "Galaxy XR will be the same," and said, "It's too expensive for general consumers to access. Consumers who want to try XR will have much cheaper options." Vision Pro is 4.99 million won, and Galaxy XR is 2.69 million won.
In fact, the industrial sector is exploring ways to use recently released XR devices for work. The Samsung Human Resources Development Center recently said it introduced a next-generation training program that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and XR using Galaxy XR. Samsung plans to use Galaxy XR for training more than 20,000 employees annually, from new hires to executives. It plans to apply AI/XR technology to five training areas: meditation, Samsung history experiences, leadership, foreign languages, and debates.
Dassault Systèmes also introduced a three-dimensional (D) live feature that integrates Apple Vision Pro with the company's virtual twin service. According to the company, when a worker wears Vision Pro, they can handle everything from manufacturing design to testing and simulation in a virtual space that reflects the site. For example, if a production facility at a factory breaks down, the point of failure appears on the Vision Pro display.
◇ "Beyond XR headsets, prepare for the era of smart glasses"
Experts say that to attract general consumers as key customers, companies need to speed up development of smart glasses beyond XR headsets. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, AR headset shipments fell 14% year over year in the first half, but AR smart glasses rose 50%. Total smart glasses shipments surged 110%.
Not only Meta, which currently leads the market, but also Samsung Electronics and Apple are speeding up smart glasses development. Following its smart glasses developed with eyewear brand Ray-Ban, Meta is developing Orion, an AR glasses model. Samsung Electronics is building next-generation smart glasses with Google and Gentle Monster. Apple is also reportedly accelerating smart glasses development. China's Alibaba and Xiaomi have also jumped into the smart glasses market.
Tuong Huy Nguyen, a senior analyst for emerging technologies and trends at Gartner, analyzed, "Just as PDAs and BlackBerry were transitional before smartphones, today's XR headsets are at a stage specialized for corporations."
Ubrani also said, "In the end, everyone knows we have to go to a glasses form factor. It will just take some time to get there," adding, "XR headsets are a transitional form factor."