IDC: VR and AR headset sales expected to jump over 50% annually, hit 68.9 million in 2022

Virtual reality and augmented reality headsets are set to grow dramatically in popularity, IDC projects, with 2018 sales expected to hit 12.4 million units — up from roughly 8 million in 2017. This year’s gains are expected to be the first in a series of five annual increases averaging 52.5 percent, leading to 2022 sales of 68.9 million VR and AR headsets. IDC’s latest predictions arrive after a soft 2017 for the mixed-reality technologies, which it expects will improve thanks to changes in hardware, software, and pricing.

A key to the projections is an expected shift away from “screenless” viewers — fabric lens- and device-holders that turn phones into headsets — toward standalone and tethered devices. IDC notes that consumers have shown little interest in purchasing these accessories separately, and companies have stopped bundling them with smartphones.