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AR Display Panel Shipments to Surpass VR by 2030, with Manufacturers Increasingly Prioritizing Lightweight Smart Glas...
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- DeepHorus
According to the latest XR near-eye display market forecast report from Omdia, global AR display shipments are projected to reach 21 million units by 2030, surpassing VR displays at 19 million units. This key prediction marks a major turning point in the head-mounted display market, reflecting a fundamental shift in industry demand. The report indicates that this trend underscores a structural transformation in the microdisplay industry.
Omdia's data shows that market share within the XR near-eye display sector is being reallocated. VR displays' market share is expected to drop significantly from 72% in 2026 to 43% in 2032. In stark contrast, AR displays' market share is projected to rise steadily from 28% to 57%, becoming the dominant force in the market. This data clearly outlines the future development path of the market.
Against this backdrop of market shift, manufacturers face a core technical challenge: finding the optimal balance between performance, device weight, and battery life. Jay Shao, Principal Analyst at Omdia Display Business, points out that the trend toward lightweight devices is redefining the design direction of smart glasses. The growing importance of AI technology forces manufacturers to re-evaluate the role of displays, as they directly impact the device's power consumption and weight.
Current market solutions have emerged to address these challenges. For example, products like Ray-Ban Meta have opted to eliminate the display module, instead focusing on AI computing and audio-video input capabilities. This reflects the industry's ongoing effort to find a viable balance between functionality, weight, and battery life. This design choice also compels manufacturers to deeply consider the positioning of displays in future smart glasses.
Omdia analyst Jay Shao further notes that while demand for AR glasses displays will continue to grow, these design constraints may slow its development pace. For the VR sector, as manufacturers persist in pursuing more compact and comfortable devices, lightweight silicon-based OLED display technology is expected to gain an advantage in the long-term competition. Technological evolution will continue to drive the evolution of product forms.
In summary, Omdia's forecast reveals that the XR display market is transitioning from being VR-dominated to one where AR will hold a significantly larger share. Competition among manufacturers in designing lightweight smart glasses will intensify, and how to balance the power consumption and weight issues introduced by displays and AI functions will become one of the key factors determining the success of future products.
