AR and VR hardware market seen topping $348B by 2030

The global augmented reality and virtual reality hardware market is projected to grow 33% a year and exceed $348 billion by 2030, according to a new Business Research Company report. Asia-Pacific is forecast to lead regions, while sensors are expected to remain the largest hardware segment. Why it matters: - The report points to a fast-growing hardware market tied to immersive gaming, enterprise training, mixed reality, and spatial computing. - The forecast suggests AR and VR hardware could account for nearly 6% of the broader electrical and electronics market by 2030. - Suppliers of sensors, processors, displays, and headsets stand to benefit as demand expands across consumer and industrial use cases. What happened: - The Business Research Company released its 2026 report on the global augmented reality and virtual reality hardware market. - The market is projected to surpass $348 billion in 2030. - The report puts the market’s compound annual growth rate at 33.2% through 2030. - Asia-Pacific is projected to be the largest region in 2030, with a value of $133 billion. - The U.S. is projected to be the largest country in 2030, with a value of $86 billion. The details: - Asia-Pacific market value is forecast to rise from $29 billion in 2025 to $133 billion in 2030, a 36% CAGR. - U.S. market value is forecast to rise from $23 billion in 2025 to $86 billion in 2030, a 31% CAGR. - The sensors segment is expected to be the largest hardware type in 2030, at 26% of the market and $91 billion. - The market is segmented by hardware type into cameras, controllers, display monitors, headphones, processors, sensors and other hardware types. - The market is also segmented by application into handheld devices, head mounted display and head up display. - Industry verticals include aerospace and defense, automotive, education and training, gaming and entertainment, healthcare and other sectors. - The sensors segment is supported by demand for motion tracking, spatial mapping, gesture recognition, eye tracking, depth sensing, environmental awareness, AI-enabled sensor fusion, and compact energy-efficient components. - The report says the largest growth opportunities through 2030 are in cameras, controllers, display monitors, headphones, processors, sensors and other hardware types. - Those segments are projected to add more than $265 billion in market value by 2030. - The sensors market is projected to grow by $71 billion from 2025 to 2030. - The processors market is projected to grow by $60 billion. - The display monitors market is projected to grow by $44 billion. - The cameras market is projected to grow by $37 billion. - The controllers market is projected to grow by $26 billion. - The headphones market is projected to grow by $17 billion. - The other hardware types market is projected to grow by $10 billion. - The report says the market’s expansion is being driven by immersive experiences, hardware advances, and enterprise digital transformation. - It estimates immersive-experience demand will contribute 2.0% annual growth. - It estimates hardware technology advances will contribute about 1.6% annual growth. - It estimates enterprise adoption and digital transformation will contribute about 1.6% annual growth. - A free sample and the full report are available through the company’s announcement and the detailed report page . Between the lines: - The forecast shows AR and VR hardware shifting from a niche consumer category toward a broader platform for enterprise workflows and industrial applications. - The size of the sensors opportunity signals that hardware performance and tracking accuracy remain central to the next phase of immersive computing. - The regional split also suggests Asia-Pacific manufacturing depth and U.S. enterprise adoption are both major demand engines. What’s next: - The report expects hardware innovation in waveguide displays, eye tracking, sensor fusion and AI-enabled components to support the next stage of market growth. - Adoption across healthcare, defense, manufacturing, retail and gaming is likely to remain a key demand driver through 2030. - The company’s 2026 report set also includes TAM analysis, company scoring matrices, forecasting dashboards, market hotspot graphics and updated trend analysis. The bottom line: - AR and VR hardware is moving into a high-growth decade, with sensors, processors and displays positioned to capture the biggest share of the expansion.