Omdia Forecasts XR Glasses Growth

Omdia, a technology research group, has released a forecast indicating a 12% decline in global XR headwear shipments to 6.2 million units in 2026. However, the market is projected to rebound in 2027, growing by 4.8% to 6.5 million units. This recovery will be primarily fueled by the rapid expansion of XR glasses, as consumers and manufacturers increasingly favor lighter form factors over bulkier devices. The tethered XR glasses segment, led by Chinese vendors like RayNeo and Xreal, is expected to see significant growth, reaching 900,000 units in 2026 and 3.8 million by 2030. In contrast, standalone XR headsets, including Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro, are forecast to decline by 15% in 2026, with contractions continuing into 2027. A return to growth for headsets is anticipated in 2028, contingent on Apple introducing a more accessible Vision Pro. Analysts George Jijiashvili and Qiran Ju from Omdia highlight that AI glasses are normalizing face-worn computing, paving the way for the industry's evolution towards slimmer XR glasses, with Meta Platforms and Alphabet Inc. already signaling this shift.