Estimates suggest that in 2019, sales of virtual reality (VR) headsets will reach around seven million units, while augmented reality (AR) headset sales will climb to about 600 thousand. Forecasts project massive growth in both AR and VR headset sales in the coming years, with both technologies expected to sell over 30 million units per year by 2023.

What is AR/VR?

AR/VR technology makes use of sensory devices to either virtually modify a user’s environment or completely immerse them in a simulated environment. Virtual reality devices typically consist of specially designed headsets that offer complete visual immersion into a simulated environment, while augmented reality relies on headsets that add virtual elements to a user’s actual environment. Devices such as Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Sony’s PlayStation Virtual Reality have already shipped millions of units as consumers look to explore the possibilities offered by the new technology.

Companies investing in AR/VR

With AR/VR market revenues forecast to grow to around 160 billion dollars by 2023, many of the world’s biggest tech companies have begun to allocate significant resources into developing products of their own. Microsoft is particularly well-invested in the technology, with the company owning over ten thousand AR/VR patents across thousands of patent families. In addition to Microsoft, companies such as Sony, Intel and Google are also part of the AR/VR patent war, each having thousands of patents already.