LONDON, June 30, 2026: After a sharp contraction in 2025, near-eye display market revenue is forecast to reach $675 million in 2026, up 12% year-over-year (YoY), according to Omdia’s latest VR, AR, XR Near Eye Displays – 2026 Analysis. The research also projects that near-eye display shipments will reach 14.53 million units in 2026, representing a 16% YoY increase, as rapid growth in AR glasses partially offsets continued weakness in the VR segment, where market sentiment remains subdued.
Figure 1: Overview of the near-eye display market
Source: VR, AR, XR Near Eye Displays – 2026 Analysis
“Since 2025, the XR industry has undergone a notable strategic shift,” said Valerie Li, Principal Analyst at Omdia. “Major technology companies including Meta, Apple, Samsung, and Huawei have adjusted their product roadmaps, delaying or scaling back VR headset launches in favor of lightweight AI smart glasses and AR glasses.”
AR glasses support market recovery
With new product launches from RayNeo, Alibaba, XREAL, and VITURE, AR glasses segment is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing application within the near-eye display market in 2026. Omdia forecasts AR display shipments to reach 4.1 million units, representing 154% YoY growth. Market revenue is projected to increase by 152% year-on-year to $156 million. This growth reflects the accelerated development of AR glasses, supported by rising industry investment and expanding ecosystem support.
Figure 2: AR Display Market Accelerates While VR Display Market Growth Slows
Source: VR, AR, XR Near Eye Displays – 2026 Analysis
VR headsets face hardware and ecosystem challenges
After consecutive declines in 2025 and 2026, the VR display market is expected to remain under pressure, with any subsequent recovery likely to be gradual rather than immediate. Compared with the rapidly expanding AI smart glasses and AR glasses segments, VR headsets continue to face structural challenges, including limited major product refreshes, form-factor constraints associated with bulky designs and high-power consumption, limited suitability for all-day wear, and a content ecosystem that has yet to deliver compelling mass-market use cases.
Industry investment and consumer attention are also shifting toward AI-enabled eyewear and lightweight AR devices. Meta has slowed the pace of new VR headset launches as Quest 3 and Quest 3S move further into the mature stage of their product lifecycles, while Apple Vision Pro has fallen short of initial sales expectations and Samsung’s Galaxy XR has yet to gain significant market traction. As a result, leading vendors have become increasingly cautious in their investment priorities and growth expectations for the VR market.
Consequently, VR display shipments are expected to decline by 4% YoY to 10.5 million units in 2026, while market revenue is projected to decrease by 4% YoY to $518.7 million.
Building on the trends highlighted in this release, Omdia’s display analysts will share the latest market intelligence, forecasts and strategic insights at upcoming events in Japan, Korea and China. These events provide an opportunity for industry professionals to gain deeper insight into the evolving display market and connect with experts and peers from across the industry.
