Augmented reality has come along way since computer scientist Ivan Sutherland created the first head-mounted display back in 1968. Among other burgeoning technologies, it’s been touted as a disruptive force with the capacity to transform the world as we know it. Exciting stuff! Would you like to find out more? Check this out: The current augmented reality statistics give us insight into multiple AR trends and uses not only in gaming but also in other industries, including healthcare, education, manufacturing, and retail. In the next few years, AR applications will become more sophisticated as devices get more powerful. Here, we delve into the relevant augmented reality research and data highlighting market size projections, usage, adoption, and tech developments.
Incredible AR Statistics: (Editor’s Choice)
- Forecasts indicate that the AR market will reach $198 billion in 2025.
- VR and AR revenue is valued at $16.8 billion.
- 68.7 million users are expected to use augmented reality at least once monthly.
- 13% of the US population (42.9 million people) use VR in 2019.
- Augmented reality will gain 1 billion users worldwide by 2020.
- The number of mobile augmented reality users is projected to hit 3.5 billion by 2022.
- The AR and VR device market was worth $1.8 billion in 2018.
Smashing, right? And now that we’ve whetted your appetite, let’s explore every relevant stat in greater depth.
Augmented Reality Statistics 2022
The future of augmented and virtual reality seems bright. Let’s take a closer look at where immersive technologies are today and where they’re headed tomorrow.
1. 68.7 million Americans will use augmented reality at least once per month in 2019.
An eMarketer study suggests 68.7 million Americans users will utilize augmented reality at least once a month in 2019. Meanwhile, 13% of the US population or 42.9 million people will use VR once per month on a device of their choice, according to eMarketer’s AR and VR statistics.
2. 39% of tech leaders strongly agree that augmented reality will become as ubiquitous as mobile by 2025.
In a survey of 200 startup founders and company executives, Perkins Coie found that 39% of respondents feel strongly optimistic about the growth of immersive technologies: augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. They believe the burgeoning technologies have the potential to become as ubiquitous as smartphones and other mobile devices.
3. By 2022, 3.5 billion people will use mobile augmented reality applications.
Is augmented reality the future? It seems like it, at least in the mobile industry. It certainly looks like it will work well with the gaming segment, judging from the mobile gaming statistics. And it’s going to be huge: According to Digi-Capital’s estimates, the sheer size of its user base will be mind-boggling. There will be 3.5 billion mobile augmented reality users by 2022. In other words, 44% of the world’s population is expected to use AR in the next couple of years.
4. 26% of startup founders and executives say bulky hardware and glitches were the biggest obstacles to the mass adoption of immersive technologies.
Perkins Coie’s AR statistics indicate that 26% of startup founders and company execs cited bulky hardware and technical glitches as the main obstacles to the widespread adoption of augmented reality. Around 24% of them claim that the lack of quality content is obstructing AR’s mass adoption.
5. 27% of startup founders and executives cited user experience as the main obstacle to VR mass adoption.
Perkins Coie found that user experience and content offerings were the biggest barriers to virtual reality’s widespread adoption. In the same augmented and virtual reality stats 2019 report, about 27% of respondents cited user experience as a huge obstacle to mass adoption, while 19% cited content offerings.
6. 90% of consumers know what virtual reality is, but only 65% are aware of augmented reality.
Global Web Index conducted a recent study and discovered that consumers show varying awareness levels across age and gender groups for different immersive technologies. In their report on virtual and augmented reality statistics, UK and US market findings showed that 90% of consumers are aware of VR. In contrast, only 65% are aware of AR.
7. 71% of men show higher levels of augmented reality awareness.
Augmented reality awareness levels are higher among men than among women. A Global Web Index survey shows that 71% of men are aware of AR technologies, while only 59% of women understand what AR is.
What Is AR in Statistics?
Below are some key takeaways from the latest AR forecasts and reports.
8. AR awareness levels are highest among 16 to 44-year-olds, ranging from 70% to 75%.
The latest data on augmented reality demographics shows that awareness levels range from 70% to 75% among 16 to 44-year-olds, while they drop dramatically among 45 to 54-year-olds with only 56% of them aware of AR technologies. In the 55 to 64 age group, only 44% understand AR.
9. 69% of startup founders and executives claim that slow consumer adoption is the primary concern of potential investors.
Potential investors’ main concern is the slow adoption of AR among consumers, according to over two-thirds of startup founders and executives. About 58% of them also cited the absence of an established market as an obstacle for new investments.
10. 54% of business leaders expect high investments in gaming.
Tech leaders expect to see high levels of investment in the gaming sector in the next 12 months. Augmented reality stats also show that about 43% of respondents anticipate more AR investments in healthcare and medical devices, while 20% expect to see more in education, manufacturing, military and defense, and the automotive industry.
11. North America is the most promising region for investment, according to 62% of startup founders and executives.
Business leaders identified North America as the most promising region for investment. Roughly 62% of them believe so. Only 13% of respondents see Asia-Pacific as the top region for investment, as indicated in Perkins Coie’s recent statistics on augmented reality.
12. 34% of startup firms are currently developing for Google ARCore.
Most startup firms are developing AR apps for Google ARCore, with 34% of them using the platform. This is followed by Oculus Rift (33%), HTC Vive (28%), PlayStation VR (27%), Samsung Gear VR (26%), Google Cardboard (21%), Oculus Go (21%), Apple ARKit (20%), Google Daydream (17%), Microsoft HoloLens (16%), Windows MR Headsets (12%), Google Tango (9%), Magic Leap (6%), ARVR 1 (3%) and others (5%).
13. 49% of tech leaders believe that seamless access to all data in real-time is the top benefit of AR in workforce development.
What are the benefits of augmented reality? Here’s the deal: Augmented reality offers endless advantages in business, especially in highly visual verticals such as gaming and entertainment, fashion and beauty, and retail. Perkins Coie conducted a survey revealing the primary benefits of having augmented reality in workforce development. Around 49% of their respondents identified convenient access to data in real-time. Nearly 49% of them also cited employee training that mirrors real-life experiences as an advantage of AR in the workplace.
Augmented Reality Statistics 2018
Before we see where the AR market is headed, let’s take a look back at last year’s data and see how far the industry has come.
14. Games made up 25% of AR app downloads on iOS in 2018.
On iOS, 17% of AR apps were games. They made up one-quarter of all AR app downloads, which is the most popular category by far. This is followed by lifestyle, with 20% of all downloads.
15. In 2019, 61% of respondents are concerned about consumer privacy and data security in the development of immersive technologies.
In their most recent study, Perkins Coie found that consumer privacy and data security were tech leaders’ top concern, with 61% listing it as an issue. Based on their augmented reality stats for 2018, this rate is significantly up compared to last year’s figures when only 44% of tech leaders listed it as a concern.
16. 48% of tech leaders intend to monetize immersive technologies by selling products or subscriptions in 2019.
Most tech leaders intend to monetize immersive technologies through the sale of products or subscriptions, with nearly half claiming to have plans to do so. However, this figure dropped from last year’s augmented and virtual reality statistics, which saw 59% of tech leaders leaning towards this monetization plan.
17. 26% of smartphones are compatible with ARKit and ARCore, while only 8.9% support Daydream and GearVR.
For the most part, smartphones are already an established part of our everyday lives. Even too much so, as some statistics about smartphone addiction indicate. All the same, there is currently limited support for augmented reality on mobile.Just 26% of smartphones support ARKit and ARCore, which includes iPhone SE, iPhone 6, Pixel, Nexus 5X, Nokia 6, Huawei Honor 8x, and so on. Only 8.9% of phones support Daydream or GearVR, according to AR statistics. This includes LG V30, SS Galaxy S6, and Pixel/XL to name a few.
18. 39% of businesses use AR for the consideration phase, while 16% use it for sales.
A BCG study suggests that businesses utilize AR throughout the customer journey, with 39% of entrepreneurs using it for the consideration phase and 26% for brand awareness. About 19% of business leaders also use it for brand equity and favorability, while 16% use it to enhance sales, according to the same augmented reality advertising 2018 report.
19. The augmented and virtual reality device market was worth $1.8 billion in 2018.
Research firm CCS forecast that the augmented and virtual reality device market will be worth $1.8 billion in 2018. They projected that smartphone VRs will account for most of the sales volume. However, they also suggested that the value will lie in dedicated VR devices, which were expected to account for 63% of $9.9 billion, the estimated total market value by 2022, as indicated in their augmented reality market statistics.
20. 55% of advertisers are using augmented reality, while 35% intend to utilize it in the future.
BCG reports that just over half of businesses already utilize immersive technologies in their marketing and advertising efforts, while 35% have expressed plans to use it in the future. The remaining 10% have yet to implement it in their digital strategy. Additionally: Augmented reality statistics suggest advertisers have also yet to explore it as a future option. The top industries adopting AR technologies in business include gaming and entertainment, retail, and fashion and beauty.
Best Augmented Reality Statistics
As augmented reality advances, our understanding of its environments will continue to evolve. What’s more: This will lead to a more seamless and natural means of exploring virtual worlds. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the growing trends in 2019 and beyond.
21. Smart glasses unit shipments are expected to reach $32.7 million in 2022.
There were only 225,000 shipments of smart glasses worldwide in 2017. Statista’s augmented reality growth statistics forecast this figure will skyrocket to the tens of millions in the coming years. To be specific, the unit shipments of smart glasses are expected to hit 32.7 million by 2022.
22. 71% of consumers prefer to shop at a retailer if augmented reality is offered.
Cyber Monday statistics suggest that nearly 50% of consumers prefer online shopping over traditional brick-and-mortar shopping. And that’s not all: Consumers are showing increasing interest in immersive shopping experiences. Lumus Vision’s list of augmented reality facts indicates that as much as 71% of shoppers would prefer to make a purchase at a retailer more often if it utilized augmented reality. About 61% of consumers prefer shops that offer AR experiences to those that don’t, while 40% are willing to pay extra if AR is part of the shopping experience.
23. Artificial intelligence will supercharge augmented reality innovations.
Like augmented reality, artificial intelligence is a fast-growing force in today’s tech world. As artificial intelligence statistics show, nearly 72% of entrepreneurs see it as an excellent business advantage. Increased spending in AI should enhance AR solutions in retail and commerce. So, a consumer can, for instance, shop using AI-driven customer support. It can also provide answers to questions about price, features, discounts, and promos. Great news! Next:
Augmented Reality Revenue Projections
As augmented and virtual reality innovations continue to mature, they will gain more traction among customers and businesses. Research shows that both immersive technologies will be as ubiquitous as mobile devices. Let’s see how augmented reality is expected to fare in the near future.
24. The AR market size is expected to increase from $3.5 billion in 2017 to a whopping $198 billion in 2025.
Augmented and virtual reality growth rates are booming. So, how much is augmented reality worth? According to Statista, the AR market size was valued at $3.5 billion in 2017. That may sound like a lot, but it’s peanuts compared to the latest projections, which suggest the market will grow to a mind-boggling $198 billion in 2025. How about them apples?
25. The augmented and virtual reality market is estimated to be worth $16.8 billion in 2019.
Consumer spending will drive the value of the AR and VR market worldwide along with the discrete manufacturing segment. These factors are expected to raise the market’s value to $16.8 billion in 2019.
26. Research shows that the worldwide consumer mobile AR market is projected to hit $3.4 billion in revenue by 2019.
According to a research report on Statista, the consumer mobile augmented reality market size is expected to reach $3.4 billion in revenue this year.
27. Non-gaming apps could account for over half of mobile AR app store revenues by 2023.
According to the current augmented reality statistics, mobile AR app store revenues are dominated by games such as Pokemon Go to a large extent. By 2023, non-gaming categories are expected to take over half of the space as AR becomes more mainstream.
28. 70% of tech leaders expect the AR market to surpass VR in terms of revenue.
According to Perkins Coie, just over two-thirds of startup founders and executives are confident that the augmented reality market will eventually surpass VR in terms of revenue. Of that number, 32% expect this to happen within three years, while 49% see it happening within three to five. About 16% said it might not be anytime soon, perhaps more than five years from now. The remaining 2% don’t know when it will happen.
29. In a high-adoption scenario, AR and VR’s global economic impact could reach $29.5 billion by 2020.
Augmented reality trends suggest that the global economic impact of immersive technologies could be close to $30 billion by 2020, given that the technologies are witnessing widespread adoption at the moment. And on that positive note:
Conclusion
Immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality are gaining more traction each year. There’s no doubt that AR has the capacity to reshape our world. The question is: When are we going to see that happen? If the trends in our augmented reality statistics continue in the same vein, it won’t be long before we see broad adoption. What a time to be alive!
See you around, guys!
