Augmented and mixed reality revenue to overtake VR by 2021
AR/MR revenue expected to double to $3.2 billion this year
Revenue generated from consumer augmented and mixed reality is set to overtake VR by 2021, according to a SuperData report.
The report, Nowhere To Go But Up: The Future of XR, found that augmented and mixed reality revenue is expected to double to $3.2 billion this year.
Investment in immersive technology jumped dramatically in 2017, growing 40% year-on-year; it was the first year augmented and mixed reality investment pulled ahead of VR.
This year, augmented and mixed realities are expected to attract $1.4 billion of the $1.9 billion invested in immersive technology.
Investor interest in AR has been driven by proven earning potential of games like Pokémon Go, which has made $1.8 billion since its launch in the summer of 2016.
"Mobile AR will be the primary driver for revenue through 2021, earning roughly twice as much as software for AR/MR headsets," said a SuperData spokesperson.
"AR and MR headsets will remain costly for the general population in the next few years, making it difficult for the audience to reach critical mass and generate significant software earnings in the near future."