ArticlesPricing

Products

See All Solutions →
By ProductEMARKETER PRO+Analyst Access Program
By Use CaseDetermine Market SizingDevelop StrategiesAllocate BudgetBenchmark PerformanceWin New BusinessDevelop Go-to-Market StrategyStay InformedThought LeadershipSee All Use Cases →
Advertising & Sponsorship
Boost your brand and generate demand with media programs.
Learn More →

Events & Resources

Learning Center
Read through guides, explore resource hubs, and sample our coverage.
Learn More →
Events
Register for an upcoming webinar and track which industry events our analysts attend.
Learn More →
Podcasts
Listen to our podcast, Behind the Numbers for the latest news and insights.
Learn More →

Topics

See All Topics →
Advertising & MarketingSocial MediaContent MarketingEmail MarketingVideoBrowse All →
Ecommerce & RetailEcommerce SalesMcommerceRetail SalesSocial CommerceBrowse All →
Financial ServicesBankingPaymentsFintechWealth ManagementBrowse All →
GeographiesAsia-PacificCentral & Eastern EuropeLatin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern Europe
HealthValue-Based CareDigital TherapeuticsTelehealthOnline PharmacyBrowse All →
TechnologyConnected Devices5GArtificial Intelligence (AI)Browse All →
More IndustriesReal EstateCustomer ExperienceB2BTravelSmall Business (SMB)Browse All →

Latest Articles

Explore our Research →

The big answers: EMARKETER Daily quiz

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

Privacy concerns cloud AI enthusiasm among C-suite executives

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

Marketers tune into podcasts amid a noisy ad landscape

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

Paxos joins host of fintechs and crypto firms jostling for US banking charter

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

Private labels go mainstream in everyday essentials

Article |
 Aug 11, 2025

Retailers must prioritize digital to capture August’s back-to-school shoppers

Article |
 Aug 11, 2025

Retail media’s search dominance is growing—but AI may rewrite the rules

Article |
 Aug 11, 2025

CDC shooting underscores growing distrust of the medical establishment for health guidance

Article |
 Aug 11, 2025

OpenAI’s GPT-5 rollout proves product marketing still matters

Article |
 Aug 11, 2025

Retention rate most important to A/B testers

Article |
 Aug 8, 2025
Browse All →

About

Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how EMARKETER came to be.
Learn More →
Our Clients
Key decision-makers share why they find EMARKETER so critical.
Learn More →
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team →
Our Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More →
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More →
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about EMARKETER.
Contact Us →
EMARKETER

US AR Users 2023

AR Hits the Mainstream Thanks to Social Media and Retail

Report by Yoram Wurmser  |  Apr 18, 2023
Download
Report
Share
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
AR is now mainstream but still has room to grow.
Social networks can take credit for bringing AR to the masses.
Nearly half of all AR users tap it for shopping.
Visual search uses AR-related technology and is picking up steam.
Mobile AR is already a serious moneymaker.
Despite metaverse woes, Big Tech still has high hopes for AR devices.
What does this mean for marketers?
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
We forecast 90.0 million people will use AR in the US this year, interacting with it in ways that increase retail sales and advertising engagements.
Topics
Augmented & Virtual Reality
United States
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
AR is now mainstream but still has room to grow.
Social networks can take credit for bringing AR to the masses.
Nearly half of all AR users tap it for shopping.
Visual search uses AR-related technology and is picking up steam.
Mobile AR is already a serious moneymaker.
Despite metaverse woes, Big Tech still has high hopes for AR devices.
What does this mean for marketers?
Sources
Media Gallery

Executive Summary

As device manufacturers struggle to find mass audiences for VR and extended reality (XR) headsets, AR continues to grow quickly—mostly via smartphones. Tech companies still hope to introduce lightweight smart glasses with AR features within a few years, but social networks, retailers, and game-makers continue to drive innovation in the meantime.

Key Question: How large is the potential audience for AR applications and advertising?

US AR & VR Users, 2019-2027 (millions)
E-Mail ChartDownload

KEY STAT: AR will have 21.1 million more US users than VR in 2023, and the gap will continue to widen.

Here’s what’s in the full report

1file

Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.

7charts

Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.

Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. AR is now mainstream but still has room to grow.
  3. Social networks can take credit for bringing AR to the masses.
  4. Nearly half of all AR users tap it for shopping.
  1. Visual search uses AR-related technology and is picking up steam.
  2. Mobile AR is already a serious moneymaker.
  3. Despite metaverse woes, Big Tech still has high hopes for AR devices.
  4. What does this mean for marketers?
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

US AR & VR Users, 2019-2027 (millions)US AR Users, 2022-2027 (millions, % change, and % of population)
US Social Network AR Users, 2022-2027 (millions, % change, and % of total AR users)US AR Shoppers, 2022-2027 (millions, % change, and % of total AR users)
US Adults Who Regularly Use Visual Search*, April 2020-Feb 2023 (% of respondents)Mobile AR Revenues Worldwide, 2022-2027 (billions)
AR/VR Headset Shipment Share Worldwide, by Brand, Q1 2021-Q4 2022 (% of total)

authors

Yoram Wurmser

Contributors

Chris Keating
Director, Research
Jessica Lis
Analyst, Technology
Wendy Malloy
Director, Report Editing
Jane Xu
Associate Forecasting Analyst
Already have a subscription?Sign In

Access All Charts and Data

Gain access to reliable data presented in clear and intelligible displays for quick understanding and decision making on the most important topics related to your industry

Become a Client
Unlock Unlimited Insights with PRO+
Schedule a Demo