Omdia: Global XR Headwear Shipments Decline 38.7% to 1.9 Million Units in 1H 2026 as Glasses Share Rises
Global shipments of XR headwear fell 38.7% year-on-year to 1.9 million units in the first half of 2026, according to the latest data from Omdia. Growth in XR glasses from a small base was not enough to offset a steep drop in XR headset shipments. By 2025, the market had recorded its fourth consecutive year of decline following the pandemic-induced peak in 2021.
In 1H26, XR glasses expanded their share of total shipments to 25.8%, up from 10.2% in 1H25. Tethered display glasses accounted for almost all of this growth, with RayNeo, VITURE, and XREAL collectively capturing 93.1% of the tethered display glasses segment. Demand for devices such as the RayNeo Air 4 and VITURE Beast series placed RayNeo and VITURE in second and third place overall in the XR headwear market, with shares of 9.9% and 8.6%, respectively.
“XR glasses are gaining momentum because consumers are increasingly willing to trade some immersion for less friction,” said Qiran Ju, Senior Analyst at Omdia. “Lighter designs and familiar use cases such as video viewing and gaming are lowering the barriers to adoption.”
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