Global Scans · Augmented reality · Weekly Summary

• [New] Web-Based AR is projected to expand at a 13.67% CAGR through 2031, the fastest platform category. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] Facebook plans to spend $10 billion in 2026 on Facebook Reality Labs, its metaverse division tasked with creating AR and VR hardware, software, and content. VirtualSpeech
• [New] Virtual reality could help physiotherapy patients complete their exercises at home successfully thanks to researchers at WMG, University of Warwick, who managed to combine VR technology with 3D motion capture. ScienceDaily
• [New] As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and remote healthcare become more integrated with immersive technologies, AR and VR are expected to play an increasingly important role in delivering safer, more personalized, and accessible healthcare services worldwide. Market.us
• [New] Augmented Reality (AR) no-display glasses such as Meta Ray-Bans are also expected to experience rapid consumer adoption in the coming years. ABI Research
• [New] By 2027, having an AR strategy will not be differentiation - it will be table stakes. ICE Global News
• [New] The virtual and augmented reality sector is expected to generate 23 million jobs globally by 2030, with the sector providing 800,000 jobs in 2019. ICE Global News
• [New] Given that IMGs frequently have limited opportunities to develop H&P skills on patients in Japanese clinical environments, VR-based education, which is repeatable and self-paced, can offer useful clinical opportunities for practice and familiarization. PubMed Central (PMC)
• The AR smart glasses leading 2026 are the XREAL One Pro, Viture Pro, and RayNeo Air 4 Pro, lightweight display glasses that project a large virtual screen in front of you. App Development | Frame Sixty
• American leadership in AI, augmented reality, virtual reality, and wireless communications will depend in part on whether spectrum governance can move with the technologies it is meant to support. International Center for Law & Economics
• The IDC Worldwide quarterly wearable device tracker and the IDC Worldwide augmented and virtual reality headset tracker conclude that companies that can deliver seamless, always-on assistance through a pair of glasses that people want to wear will define this decade's computing transition. ComputerWeekly.com
• More than 171 million people used VR worldwide in 2025, a figure projected to reach 216 million by the end of 2026. CompaniesHistory.com
• The software segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 20.4% from 2026 to 2034 owing to the rising need for VR applications in various industries, including healthcare, education, and training. Market Data Forecast
• The gesture-tracking device (GTD) segment is expected to grow rapidly and is likely to register the highest CAGR of 30.7% from 2026 to 2034 owing to the increasing demand for more intuitive and immersive VR interfaces across industries such as healthcare, gaming, and military training. Market Data Forecast
• AR advertising revenue is predicted to reach $6.72 million by 2027, with brands reallocating marketing budgets away from passive display advertising and towards first-person interactive AR-based campaigns. www.limelightdigital.co.uk
• Retail alone takes 55% of all AR usage in 2027, the biggest application category by far, ahead of gaming, manufacturing, and healthcare. www.limelightdigital.co.uk
• Snap will begin shipping its Specs AR glasses for $2,195, with preorders open now and shipping expected this fall in the US, UK, and France. AI-Weekly
• The new augmented reality (AR) glasses, called Specs, will allow users to see digital elements overlaid onto the world. BBC News
• Google and Xreal are pushing into new territory with the VR-like, glasses-sized Project Aura, also expected in 2026. CNet
• We know that augmented reality is going to define the future of user interfaces. Next Reality
• The global installed base for AR smart glasses will reach 132.7 million users by 2030. www.limelightdigital.co.uk

Last updated: 30 August 2026