Sales of augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) headsets continue to decline sharply due to weak economic conditions and aging product lines, according to IDC. But upcoming device launches from vendors such as Meta and Apple could help drive a rebound later this year and into 2024, the analyst firm predicts. 

Global shipments for AR/VR devices fell 46% year on year in the second quarter of 2023, according to IDC's latest Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker, with commercial shipments falling in line with the overall market (44.4%). This amounts to the fourth successive quarterly decline in shipments, and follows another steep drop-off in the first quarter (54.4% year on year, according to IDC figures from June).

Even so, IDC expects a much stronger final two quarters of 2023, with a full year forecast of 8.5 million devices sold, representing a small 3.2% decrease for the full year compared to 2022. The decline this year