By 2021, mobile AR software will generate more revenue than VR software for the first time, according to new research from SuperData. “2019 will be a defining moment for the XR space, potentially becoming the year of VR,” the company said.
Mobile AR is on pace to double year-on-year, leading to an expected $2 billion in revenue by the end of this year, while location-based VR entertainment will double in revenue within the next three years, hitting $854 million by 2021.
The introduction of Oculus Quest will be another significant moment. With more than one million units estimated to ship next year, Quest has the potential to bring VR into the mainstream. While devices like Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR are more focused on passive media consumption, Quest is designed to attract those who want to experience VR gaming.
In its launch year, Oculus Quest will sell three times more than Oculus Rift did in the 12 months after it was released, SuperData predicts. Together, Oculus Quest and Oculus Go sales will contribute to driving VR revenue to more than double to $6.9 billion, with combined sales projected to reach nearly 2.5 million units worldwide in 2019.
Analyst Comment
Hope, as the saying goes, springs eternal! (BR)
