In 2024, the market for virtual reality headsets has undergone a remarkable development. The VR market has recovered significantly after sales figures for VR glasses fell by 44.6% in 2023 compared to the previous year. A key factor in this recovery was the launch of Meta Quest 3, which triggered a strong upturn. A significant increase in sales figures is expected for 2024 and beyond, driven by new products such as the Meta Quest 3 and the eagerly awaited Apple Vision Pro. It is estimated that 30.3 million units could be sold worldwide by 2027.
Meta (formerly Facebook) dominates the VR market with an impressive market share. Meta’s Quest 2, which has sold more than 13 million units since the third quarter of 2021, has made a significant contribution to this. By the third quarter of 2022, a total of 17.2 million Quest 2 glasses had been sold. This is a clear sign that Meta is leading the competition for market share, with a market share of around 86 percent.
Despite this dominance of Meta, there are other notable players in the market. Sony also has a significant share of the market with its Playstation VR and Playstation VR 2. Playstation VR passed the 2 million unit sales mark in December 2017 and has sold 5.5 million units worldwide to date. Microsoft’s involvement in the VR market through Windows Mixed Reality and the various headsets sold under this term, such as the Lenovo Explorer or the Samsung Odyssey, has led to sales figures of around 450,000 units in 2017 and 2018.
The launch of the Apple Vision Pro in 2024 marks a significant moment for the VR market, as Apple is a new player with high expectations. However, the exact sales figures for the Apple Vision Pro since its launch have not been specified, which is probably due to the novelty of the product and the short time since its market launch. Rumors speak of 80,000 devices sold in the USA.
In summary, the VR market experienced significant growth in 2024 due to the introduction of new products and the continuous development of existing platforms. Meta remains the leading player, while the introduction of the Apple Vision Pro and Sony’s continued presence with Playstation VR keep the market dynamic and competitive.