Omdia: Near-Eye Display Market Recovers in 2026, AR Glasses Shipments Expected to Surge 154%
2026-06-30 15:05:29 Source: IT之家, Shandong
IT Home reported on June 30 that market research firm Omdia has released its latest "XR Near-Eye Display Report," which shows that after a significant contraction in 2025, the global near-eye display market is expected to recover in 2026 (this year), with overall revenue reaching $675 million (approximately RMB 4.593 billion at current exchange rates), an increase of 12% year-on-year; shipments are expected to reach 14.53 million units, up 16% year-on-year. The main driver of this growth is the rapidly expanding AR glasses market.
Omdia analyst Valerie Li pointed out that since 2025, the strategic direction of the entire XR industry has changed significantly. Major companies including Meta, Apple, Samsung, and Huawei have adjusted their product roadmaps, delaying or scaling back VR headset plans and shifting focus to lighter AI smart glasses and AR glasses.
Among them, AR glasses will become the fastest-growing segment of the near-eye display market in 2026. With new products launched by manufacturers such as RayNeo, Alibaba, XREAL, and VITURE, Omdia expects AR display product shipments to reach 4.1 million units this year, a surge of 154% year-on-year; market revenue will also grow to $156 million (approximately RMB 1.061 billion at current exchange rates), up 152% year-on-year. This indicates that AR is gradually moving from the proof-of-concept stage to more mature commercialization.
In contrast, the VR market remains pessimistic. Omdia believes that after two consecutive years of decline in 2025 and 2026, the VR display market will continue to face pressure in the short term, and even if it recovers later, it will only be a slow repair, not a rapid rebound. The core issue is that the corresponding devices are still relatively large, have high power consumption, and are not suitable for all-day wear, while the content ecosystem has yet to produce a true "killer app" that appeals to mainstream users.
At the same time, capital and consumer attention are shifting significantly toward AI glasses and lightweight AR. Meta has slowed down the pace of subsequent new products such as Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S; Apple Vision Pro sales have fallen short of expectations; and Samsung Galaxy XR has not yet gained significant market traction, making leading companies more cautious in VR investment.
Omdia expects VR headset shipments to decline to 10.5 million units in 2026, a decrease of 4% year-on-year; revenue will drop to $518.7 million, down 4% year-on-year. Overall, the XR market has not disappeared, but the growth center is rapidly shifting from "immersive headsets" to "all-day wearable smart glasses," which may redefine the competitive landscape of the entire industry in the coming years.
