VR headset shipments fall 18% as AR devices rise 138%
VR headset shipments fell 18% year over year in Q2 2026. AR device shipments, in the same quarter, rose 138%.
VR headset shipments fell 18% year over year in Q2 2026. AR device shipments, in the same quarter, rose 138%.
Counterpoint Research puts Meta's share of combined XR shipments at 54% in Q2 — down from 58% in Q1 and 72% a year earlier. Part of the VR pullback traces to price: Meta raised headset costs as global memory prices climbed, pressuring an already cooling category. The growth sits elsewhere — new AR launches, OEMs expanding internationally, and a wave of promotional buying in China. Outside Meta, the leading names in XR shipments right now are Rokid, Even Realities, Alibaba and iFLYTEK, all headquartered in China. In waveguide AR specifically, Rokid now leads the category outright.
Two device categories, moving in opposite directions inside the same three months. A headset is something you strap on for a session. Glasses are something you wear out the door. Where shipment volume goes next says a lot about which one becomes the default hardware layer for immersive experiences — and right now, the growth in that race is not coming from the US.
