This year, both the number of smartphone QR scanners and the number of augmented reality (AR) users will grow in the US, reaching 94.1 million and 97.1 million, respectively, according to our “Mobile Trends to Watch for 2023” report. Growth is expected to continue through 2025.

Worldwide, head-worn augmented reality (AR) revenues will hit $35.06 billion in 2026, up from $3.78 billion this year, according to ARtillery Intelligence. These revenues include spending on everything from devices to content.

Global shipments of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets will hit 16.5 million this year, up more than 5 million or 32.1% from last year. Most of these shipments are to consumers, but commercial sales are set to multiply over the next five years, driven by the opportunity for product visualization prior to purchase.

Once the domain of gamers and young social media users, AR and VR are entering the mainstream. This year, more than a quarter of the US population will use AR and nearly a fifth will use VR. As device-makers improve VR headsets and AR spreads to new use cases, the number of AR and VR users will continue to grow over the next four years, with AR outpacing VR.

Nearly 2 in 5 augmented reality (AR) users in the US will shop with the technology this year, for a total of 35.0 million retail AR users. That base is up 18.8% from last year and will continue to grow at double-digit rates through 2024 as shoppers make use of virtual try-on and product visualization features.

While the use of virtual reality is not yet mainstream among consumers, specialized applications of the technology are proving useful in a variety of industries.