The news: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) user growth is expected to stagnate through 2030, but tech companies still plan to pursue new endeavors in VR/AR wearables.

• US virtual technology users will slowly crawl to 94.6 million million, with annual growth slowing to 2.8% in 2030 from 3.8% this year.
• US AR users will increase to 131.9 million in 2030, up 4.2% YoY—a decline from 6.1% growth in 2026.

Zooming out: The novelty of these virtual technologies may have worn off since the initial launch of products like the Meta Quest, Vision Pro, and AR social media photo lenses—it may take the next era of more personalized, AI-powered interactions to drive fresh interest.

• VR’s minimal growth could show that its core use cases—like gaming, fitness, and niche apps—aren’t enough to drive mainstream adoption or to make up for VR hardware’s high costs.
• AR may be faring slightly better because it fits more naturally into everyday behavior and devices, with navigation, commerce, and social interactions that don’t require full immersion like a VR headset.

The market for wearables: Snap is still planning its Specs glasses despite concerns from investors like Irenic Capital Management, which is pressuring Snap to shutter the “cash-burning” wearables division, per Reuters.

Apple has yet to officially put smart glasses on the docket, but many signs are pointing in that direction. Its upcoming CEO, John Ternus, who comes from a hardware-heavy background, may push those efforts along.

• In October, Bloomberg reported that Apple was scrapping plans for a next-gen Vision Pro VR headset in favor of developing AR smart glasses.
• In January, Apple bought startup Q.ai, which makes AI that analyzes facial expressions and micro-movements. That tech could be integrated into devices like smart glasses to let users interact with an AI assistant without speaking.

Implications for marketers: While both channels are expected to slow their roll in the next four years, AR’s better outlook and larger existing user base could give the immersive tech a better chance of becoming a daily touchpoint that resembles mobile in reach, making it an accessible surface for both utility-driven experiences and experimental campaigns.

• Plan integrations with AR navigation, virtual try-ons, and product visualization apps to meet users during moments of intent.
• Explore how smart glasses can offer persistent, context-aware messaging tied to location, environment, and user interests.
• Remember that always-on devices that interpret surroundings will raise questions about consent and data access, and consider how to balance personalization with trust.