XR makes quiet progress towards an augmented future
This report is available to those subscribed to the Digital Consumer module.
Extended reality (XR) has been trying to get on a firm footing for several years now. As a point in case, our latest consumer survey, conducted in December 2023, reveals that 5% of households (on average across the eight major developed countries surveyed) owned an XR headset, a miniscule percentage that has not grown much in recent years. However, a range of tech and market developments should help support XR's future growth. These include a strengthened competitive environment with the entry of Apple into XR; the emergence of advanced AI technology; steady metaverse developments away from the limelight; and continued XR hardware innovation. We consider these developments in more detail in this report, along with their implications for operators and other XR ecosystem players.
Related research
Digital consumer: five trends to watch in 2026
How will the industry evolve in 2026? This series of reports highlights the key trends to watch and the implications for ecosystem players. This report examines the digital consumer area.
Industry Checkpoint: consumer digital services, Q3 2025
This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer digital services, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications.
IBC 2025: AI dominated the scene but it was not the only area of innovation and developments
The 2025 edition of IBC, one of the largest annual gatherings of the media and entertainment industry, had nearly 44,000 attendees from over 170 countries, with 1,300 exhibitors showcasing innovations and cutting-edge technology. AI was the dominant theme at the show, with a focus on generative AI and agentic AI. But there were also key developments in free-to-air TV and an uptick among vendors looking to increase interactivity to generate customer stickiness.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn moreRelated research
Digital consumer: five trends to watch in 2026
How will the industry evolve in 2026? This series of reports highlights the key trends to watch and the implications for ecosystem players. This report examines the digital consumer area.
Industry Checkpoint: consumer digital services, Q3 2025
This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer digital services, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications.
IBC 2025: AI dominated the scene but it was not the only area of innovation and developments
The 2025 edition of IBC, one of the largest annual gatherings of the media and entertainment industry, had nearly 44,000 attendees from over 170 countries, with 1,300 exhibitors showcasing innovations and cutting-edge technology. AI was the dominant theme at the show, with a focus on generative AI and agentic AI. But there were also key developments in free-to-air TV and an uptick among vendors looking to increase interactivity to generate customer stickiness.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics