VR Headset Shipments Decline 4% During Q2

It was due to overall weakness in the consumer VR segment due to a lack of application innovations and a sluggish economy: Report

New Delhi: Global virtual reality (VR) headset shipments fell 4 per cent in the April-June quarter (Q2), primarily due to a sharp drop in Sony’s PlayStation VR2 shipments, a report said on Friday.

The decline was also due to overall weakness in the consumer VR segment due to a lack of application innovations and a sluggish economy, according to Counterpoint’s Global XR (AR/VR) Headset Model Tracker.

In contrast, demand from the enterprise VR segment remained relatively stable in Q2.

Senior analyst Flora Tang said that despite technological advancements in newly-launched products from major players, the global VR headset market remains sluggish compared to its peak in 2021 and 2022, “when Meta’s Quest 2 series successfully attracted users with innovative gaming, entertainment and Metaverse experiences during the pandemic.”

Social media giant Meta was the undisputed market leader in Q2 with a 37 per cent YoY growth capturing 80 per cent share. Meta’s Quest 3 alone accounted for over 70 per cent of the market.

Apple’s Vision Pro shipments saw a sequential decline in Q2, particularly after accounting for returned units from the US market.

“Following the initial market hype, consumers appear to be waiting for more content and application options to justify the high price of Apple’s MR headset,” said the report.

Among the top five market players, Sony and Apple faced challenges in Q2, both experiencing negative growth.