AR to be key to business, as VR lands with consumers, says IDC
A peek at the wonderful world of AR
Augmented reality will be the domain of the enterprise and consumers will be all about the virtual reality if an IDC forecast plays through 2021.
IDC projected that AR and VR headsets will grow from just under 10 million units in 2016 to nearly 100 million units in 2021 with a compound annual growth rate of 57.7 percent.
Read More: CNET: Virtual Reality 101
VR headsets with smartphones have led the charge to date, but Sony PlayStation VR, the HTC Vive, and Facebook Oculus Rift should further boost sales. PC upgrades will also stimulate headset sales.
For corporations, however, AR may be the better bet. IDC argues that AR will have a larger impact because experiences can be delivered via mobile devices without a somewhat clunky headset. Apple, Google, and Microsoft each have their own spin on AR. ODG, Meta, and Intel are also AR players.
Overall, AR is likely to have a lot of specific uses for various industries. Field support, training, and manufacturing are all natural fits for AR.
Read more:
- AR and VR: The future of work and play?
- Research: 67 percent considering adoption of augmented reality in the enterprise
- Executive's guide to the business value of VR and AR (free ebook)
- Ten industries using augmented reality and virtual reality
- Five tips for creating virtual reality product demos
- Five ways augmented reality will transform your business
- GoInStore uses AR to blur the line between the online and in-store experience
- Five ways your company can get business value out of virtual reality