Both AR and VR have advanced leaps and bounds during the last several years alone, but they have not yet reached the point of mass adoption. That point may, however, be closer than many people realize, at least according to Facebook’s new report, titled “AR/VR: New dimensions of connection.”
The 28-page report was published by Facebook IQ, the insights unit established by Facebook to offer insights, studies, and research using people, advertising, and industry trends.
According to the report, there are several converging signals suggesting that we could be standing on the cusp of AR and VR as the next computing platform. These signals include the rapid expansion of AR and VR use cases, shortening development cycles thanks to the availability of more advanced tools and platforms, greater access to augmented and virtual reality experiences, and the growing need for new ways to connect.
“In the future, it’ll be AR and VR that bring us closer. But not the way you think. Friends will feel right next to each other, deeply connected even when oceans apart. The devices that connect us will be less distracting and more intuitive. In this future, we will live eyes up, connected to each other and the world around us,” the report states. “As our tech melts away, so will the space between us.”
The report contains a wealth of interesting statistics that paint a vivid picture of the current state of AR and VR and where they’re heading. Here are some highlights:
- 75% of business leaders anticipate using AR or VR by 2023.
- 74% growth of membership to Groups related to AR and VR.
- Searches for AR- and VR-related content on Facebook grew 44%.
- 6× increased global spending on AR and VR predicted by 2024 over 2020.
- 78% of people, globally, say AR is a fun way to interact with brands.
You can read more interesting statistics like the ones we’ve picked by downloading the full report from Facebook.
