The Era of New Reality Computing Beyond the Metaverse: Virtual and Augmented Reality in 2026
Editor
As of January 2026, the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) industry is leaping from a transitional phase to a mature technology platform. According to market research firm IDC, the global VR/AR market size reached $118.7 billion in 2025, a 38.5% increase from the previous year, and is projected to reach $135 billion in 2026. Notably, the focus is shifting from consumer-centric games and entertainment to enterprise solutions and practical applications. Apple’s Vision Pro, based in Cupertino, California, achieved global sales of 1.8 million units within a year of its launch, pioneering the premium mixed reality market. Meanwhile, Meta Platforms, based in Menlo Park, California, significantly lowered the entry barrier to the mass market with its aggressively priced Quest 3S at $299.
The winds of change are also strong in the Korean market. Samsung Electronics, based in Seoul, has been building its own VR platform integrated with the smartphone ecosystem through its self-developed ‘Galaxy VR Pro’ since the second half of 2025. Meanwhile, LG Electronics, also based in Seoul, is targeting the industrial market with its B2B-focused AR glasses ‘LG UltraGear AR’. Coupled with the government’s Digital New Deal policy, the adoption of VR/AR in education, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors is rapidly expanding. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, the domestic VR/AR market size is expected to grow by 46%, from 8.2 trillion won in 2025 to 12 trillion won in 2026.
From a technological perspective, the VR/AR industry in 2026 has seen significant improvements in hardware performance and the maturity of the software ecosystem. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, based in San Diego, California, offers 2.5 times improved graphics performance and 50% better power efficiency compared to its predecessor, supporting 8K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate simultaneously. NVIDIA’s latest Omniverse platform, based in Santa Clara, California, enables the creation of photorealistic virtual environments through real-time ray tracing and AI-based content generation. This hardware evolution has not only enhanced performance but also brought qualitative changes to user experience, significantly reducing motion sickness and fatigue, creating an environment conducive to prolonged use.
Explosive Growth in the Enterprise Market and Industry-Specific Applications
The most notable change in the VR/AR industry in 2026 is the rapid expansion of the B2B market. According to the latest report from market research firm Gartner, the enterprise VR/AR market is expected to grow by 34.6%, from $38.7 billion in 2025 to $52.1 billion in 2026, significantly outpacing the overall VR/AR market growth rate. Adoption is accelerating particularly in the manufacturing, healthcare, education, and real estate sectors, with companies integrating VR/AR technology as a core part of their business processes rather than just a demonstration tool.
In the manufacturing sector, the use of VR/AR is particularly prominent. BMW, based in Munich, Germany, announced the implementation of a quality management system using Microsoft HoloLens across its 31 global plants, reducing inspection time by 30% and error rates by 25%. Boeing, based in Seattle, USA, has utilized AR technology in the aircraft manufacturing process to increase the accuracy of complex wiring tasks to 99.7% and reduce work time by an average of 25%. In Korea, Hyundai Motor, based in Ulsan, improved the productivity of its engine assembly line by 18% through its self-developed AR system and plans to expand its application to the entire production line.
The introduction of VR/AR in the healthcare sector is bringing even more innovative changes. Johns Hopkins Hospital in the USA reported a 40% improvement in medical staff training effectiveness and a 12% increase in actual surgery success rates since the introduction of a VR-based surgical simulation system in 2025. In Korea, Seoul National University Hospital, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, significantly enhanced the precision of brain tumor removal surgeries through an AR surgical navigation system, achieving a 20% reduction in patient recovery time. According to market research firm Allied Market Research, the medical VR/AR market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 32.1%, from $7.1 billion in 2025 to $28.5 billion in 2030.
The adoption of VR/AR technology is also accelerating in the education sector. With increased interest in remote education following the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for immersive learning environments is surging. According to research from Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, learning using VR results in a 75% higher retention rate and a learning speed four times faster compared to traditional methods. In Korea, the Ministry of Education is promoting the ‘Future Education Innovation Project’, which aims to supply VR/AR educational equipment to 1,200 elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide starting in 2025, with a total investment of 350 billion won planned by 2026.
Intensified Competition in Technology Platforms and Ecosystem Building Strategies
As of 2026, the competitive landscape of the VR/AR market is intensifying with platform competition among existing big tech companies. Apple’s visionOS secured a dominant position in the premium market within a year of its launch, with 4,500 dedicated apps. It is particularly strong in productivity tools and creative applications, with professional tools like Final Cut Pro VR and Logic Pro Spatial Audio receiving significant acclaim. Apple plans to release a lighter ‘Vision Air’ model in the first half of 2026, priced at $1,799, half the price of the current Vision Pro.
Meta Platforms is focusing on the mass market, continuously expanding the Quest ecosystem. The Quest 3S, launched in 2025, recorded sales of 3.2 million units within six months, with cumulative sales of the entire Quest series surpassing 28 million units. Meta is expanding the VR ecosystem by opening Horizon OS to third-party manufacturers, with ASUS and Lenovo preparing to launch VR headsets based on Horizon OS. Additionally, the smart glasses launched in collaboration with Ray-Ban are recording average monthly sales of 150,000 units, expanding its presence in the AR wearable market.
Meanwhile, Sony, based in Tokyo, Japan, is building a game-centric VR ecosystem through PlayStation VR2, achieving cumulative sales of 5.8 million units by 2025. Sony’s differentiation strategy focuses on AAA game titles, with Horizon Call of the Mountain and Gran Turismo 7 VR mode achieving great success. Blockbuster titles like The Last of Us VR and Spider-Man VR are expected to be released in 2026, accelerating VR adoption among hardcore gamers.
Korean companies are also building their own ecosystems. Samsung Electronics is strengthening the connectivity of its VR platform with Galaxy smartphones, focusing on streaming VR services utilizing 5G and cloud computing. Samsung’s Galaxy VR Pro leverages smartphone processing power to achieve a lighter headset design, offering free movement through wireless connectivity. LG Electronics is employing a strategy specialized in the B2B market, gaining recognition for its unique technology in the industrial AR glasses market. LG’s UltraGear AR provides an 8-hour continuous use battery and 4K resolution, receiving high evaluations in the manufacturing and logistics industries.
Significant changes are also occurring in the content ecosystem. Game engine companies like Unity and Unreal Engine are continuously improving VR/AR development tools, particularly offering no-code/low-code development environments to lower entry barriers. Adobe, through its ‘Substance 3D VR’ launched in 2025, provides tools for creating 3D content directly in VR environments, receiving great acclaim among creators. In Korea, game companies like Nexon, NCSoft, and Netmarble are actively investing in VR content development, focusing particularly on developing VR versions of MMORPGs.
The outlook for the VR/AR industry in 2026 is very bright. With significant improvements in technological maturity, practical usability is increasing, and explosive growth in the B2B market is expected, aligned with the acceleration of digital transformation in companies. The convergence with AI technology is expected to enable more intelligent and personalized VR/AR experiences, and the expansion of 5G and 6G networks is expected to fully realize cloud-based VR/AR services. However, challenges such as high initial adoption costs, content shortages, and user safety issues remain to be addressed. Nevertheless, it is clear that VR/AR technology is establishing itself as the next-generation computing platform beyond a mere entertainment tool, with an expected annual growth rate of over 25% for the next five years.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Investment decisions should be made based on individual judgment and responsibility.
