Global immersive technology consumer market revenue 2018-2023, by segment

In 2020, estimates suggest that the consumer market for immersive technology will bring in around 6.3 billion dollars in revenue around the world. The single largest segment of the market is virtual reality which will account for less than half of that total, while mobile augmented reality and augmented/mixed reality headsets will bring in around 3.7 billion dollars combined. The immersive technology market has been negatively impacted by the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the forecast numbers reflected that impact. What is immersive technology? Immersive technology is perhaps best understood by considering some of its most well-known applications such as virtual and augmented reality. The technology seeks to simulate physical scenarios and environments for its users, thereby lending itself to uses related to both professional training and entertainment. The augmented and virtual reality market is forecast to grow into a 160-billion-dollar market by 2023, as the consumer electronic devices which enable the use of these technologies become increasingly available. As of 2018, the vast majority of immersive technology users in the United States accessed the technology via their smartphones, with smaller portions utilizing console or stand-alone virtual or augmented reality. Immersive technology hardware The devices used to experience immersive technology range from cardboard smartphone attachments to advanced virtual reality headsets. Primarily through sales of its popular PlayStation VR gaming product, Sony has solidified its position as the market leader in terms of sales of these virtual reality headsets, but companies like Facebook and Google have invested heavily in the hopes of claiming a portion of the growing market.

2020年，据估计，全球沉浸式技术的消费市场将带来约63亿美元的收益。其中，市场份额最大的单一领域是虚拟现实，其收益将占总收益的一半以下，而移动增强现实以及增强/混合现实头戴设备将共同带来约37亿美元的收益。沉浸式技术市场受到了2020年冠状病毒（COVID-19）大流行的负面影响，预测数据反映了这一影响。那么，何谓沉浸式技术？沉浸式技术或许可以通过考虑其最著名的应用，如虚拟和增强现实，来获得最佳理解。该技术旨在为用户模拟物理场景和环境，因此适用于与专业培训和娱乐相关的用途。据预测，到2023年，增强和虚拟现实市场预计将增长至1600亿美元，随着能够使用这些技术的消费电子设备的日益普及。截至2018年，美国绝大多数的沉浸式技术用户通过智能手机访问这项技术，较小一部分用户使用游戏机或独立的虚拟或增强现实设备。沉浸式技术硬件方面，用于体验沉浸式技术的设备范围从纸盒智能手机配件到高级虚拟现实头戴设备不等。通过其流行的PlayStation VR游戏产品的销售，索尼在虚拟现实头戴设备销售市场确立了市场领导者的地位，而诸如Facebook和Google等公司也大力投资，以期在这不断增长的市场中分得一杯羹。