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Shipments of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices will increase more than sixfold worldwide over the next four years, from 14.3 million this year to 87.7 million in 2026.

Beyond the chart: The majority of shipments will be VR headsets and AR smart glasses, standalone devices that deliver the experience without the help of a computer, game console, or smartphone. Growth will accelerate as devices become smaller, cheaper, and more integrated with gaming.

Social platforms will continue to be a major driver of adoption, with some investing heavily in both hardware and software. Meta sank $10 billion into the metaverse last year, for everything from more advanced headsets to development platforms.

More like this:

• Report: US Augmented and Virtual Reality Users Forecast 2022
• Article: More practicality could help tech sustain metaverse’s meteoric rise
• Article: How people expect the metaverse to improve daily life

Read yesterday’s Chart of the Day here.