XR tech is carving two very different paths. In the workplace, the technology is thriving – delivering measurable returns across healthcare, logistics, and enterprise collaboration. But in the consumer market, XR adoption is falling behind, with high-profile product launches struggling to move beyond hype and into daily use.
So why is XR adoption surging in offices but stalling at home? Let’s explore.
The Workplace Expansion of XR
XR’s workplace takeover is happening more quickly than you think. It’s no doubt that XR has been adopted more broadly by industry as opposed to consumer markets; saving time, money and manual labour with its rapid information processing and provision. One industry expert notes:
“What is clear is that XR technology will have powerful benefits in terms of B2B sales. It can both help customers with product evaluation and personalising complex products, and provide the buyer with significant value during the decision-making process.”
XR first gained traction in professional and industrial fields where outcomes could be clearly measured. Its most notable success has been in healthcare, where VR is currently used for training and therapy, alongside immersive tools that support remote collaboration, radiology practices, and medical data analysis.
The benefits are evident, with better-trained staff, safer procedures, and stronger patient outcomes. That’s why healthcare continues benefit heavily XR adoption.
In logistics, too, XR is proving its worth; enabling warehouse operators to streamline inventory work; with measurable gains in speed and accuracy across multiple deployments.
As well as this industry-specific use, XR is now entering one of the most common working environments: office work, with Microsoft vying to generate an immersive Teams experience, where future virtual meetings will mirror those of real life.
For enterprises, the equation is simple: XR saves time, reduces costs, and supports workforce transformation.
Consumer Hesitation: Experience Without Purchase
For everyday users, the case is less clear. XR may have established itself as an industry-related powerhouse but there is little reason for the consumer to purchase equipment – as of yet. The key is to offer experiences – by giving people hands-on opportunities, XR becomes more accessible to the masses. Pairing this with pop culture enhances this even further.
This was clear for the Premier League’s Burnley FC and Rezzil, who teamed up to stream football matches in VR, as well as within the NBA, with DigiLens featuring their XR products alongside the Golden State Warriors.
However this tactic may be outdated. In 2024, consumer VR headset sales fell 10%. Even the much-hyped launch of the Apple Vision Pro failed to galvanize the market, while Meta’s cheaper Quest 3S barely moved the needle. Forecasts now expect further declines by the end of 2025.
If Apple and Meta can’t shift the consumer market, no one can. Is the hype already fading in the mass market? XR may wow audiences, but not enough to make them open their wallets for personal devices.
Competition at Its Peak – But Issues Remain
Hardware makers are in a high-stakes race to win the consumer market. Apple is already gearing up to launch the Vision Pro 2 with upgraded lenses, displays, and processing power. Samsung has confirmed its Project Moohan headset, targeting a $999 price point to compete with both Meta and Apple. Meta, meanwhile, will soon launch Hypernova smart glasses, adding visual displays to their popular Ray-Ban line.
And yet, the issues are familiar:
- Price: With headsets ranging from $800 to $3,500, XR remains a luxury for enthusiasts, not a mass-market purchase.
- Functionality: Smart glasses still lack the intuitive must-have use cases to justify everyday wear.
- Cultural fit: Consumers are resistant to bulky, face-mounted hardware – and wary of wearing cameras in public.
Until these problems are solved, consumer XR adoption will remain stuck in a holding pattern while enterprises continue to scale. Some of XR’s most promising innovations, like HTC’s Vive Eagle with on-device real-time translation, continue to serve enterprise needs first.
But whether it’s translation, AI-driven assistants, or spatial computing work tools, the pattern remains: XR first proves itself in professional contexts where clear ROI justifies investment. Only then will those experiences trickle into consumer life.
XR is Not Failing – It’s Reshaping
In business, it’s already delivering results. For consumers, it’s still mostly hype, waiting for that iPhone-like moment where form, price, and function align. According to George Jijiashvili, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia, this may happen thanks to AR glasses.
“The focus [of XR] is shifting to lightweight AR glasses, offering all-day, ‘anywhere’ access to multimodal AI. Manufacturers hope that this approach will help normalize face-based spatial computing, which will ultimately spur mass-market VR adoption.”
Will devices like Samsung’s Moohan and Meta’s Hypernova finally push XR beyond spectacle into necessity, or will they remain stepping stones in a longer journey, relying on their AR counterparts as Jijiashvili predicts?
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