TL;DR
Industry tracking firm IDC reports steep declines in VR headset shipments for 2025, with Apple’s Vision Pro deliveries collapsing and Meta’s Quest line also contracting. Meanwhile, smart glasses saw sharp growth and are emerging as a more promising category.
What happened
IDC data and industry reporting show a marked cooling in consumer demand for bulky VR headsets in 2025. Apple stopped production with one supplier and did not ship any Vision Pro units during the first three quarters of the year; after relaunching the device with an M5-class chip in Q4, Apple moved just 45,000 units in 2025, a drop of roughly 345,000 from its 2024 total. Meta shipped about 1.7 million Quest units in the first three quarters of 2025, but overall Quest shipments were down 16% year over year. IDC expects total mixed- and virtual-reality headset shipments to decline about 42.8% for 2025 once final figures are in. Advertising tied to these headsets fell sharply as well — Sensor Tower found Vision Pro–related ad spend was down over 95% across several markets and Meta’s Quest ad spend dropped more than 55% year over year. At the same time, IDC reports strong growth in smart glasses, and some enterprises and universities have trialed headset use in clinical and training settings.
Why it matters
- Large, expensive VR headsets are losing consumer momentum, which could shift vendor strategies toward enterprise and niche gaming uses.
- Reduced ad spending on headsets signals lower marketing prioritization and possibly constrained consumer interest.
- Rapid growth in smart glasses suggests companies see a more practical, lower-friction path to wearable computing.
- Shipments and revenue swings will affect headset supply chains, developer ecosystems, and investment decisions across AR/VR vendors.
Key facts
- Apple shipped 45,000 Vision Pro headsets in 2025 after no shipments in the first three quarters.
- Apple shipped about 390,000 Vision Pro units in 2024, per IDC; 2025 shipments were ~345,000 fewer.
- Meta shipped roughly 1.7 million Quest units in the first three quarters of 2025; Quest shipments were down 16% year over year.
- IDC expects mixed- and virtual-reality headset shipments to decline about 42.8% for 2025 once final numbers are tallied.
- Sensor Tower found Apple’s Vision Pro–related ad spend fell more than 95% year over year across several markets; Meta’s Quest ad spend fell over 55% in the same markets.
- IDC reports smart glasses grew about 211.2% in 2025, and Meta shipped 20,000 units of its Ray-Ban Display in Q3 2025.
- IDC forecasts smart glasses will grow at a CAGR of 29.3% from 2025 to 2029.
- Apple is exploring enterprise and educational use cases for Vision Pro, including health care, vehicle design, manufacturing, and workforce training; UC San Diego and Purdue University have trial deployments.
- IDC projects Apple could ship about 290,000 Vision Pro units in 2026, generating roughly $636 million in revenue.
What to watch next
- Apple’s plan to introduce a lower-cost headset in the second half of 2026 and whether that broadens demand or remains targeted to enterprise.
- The pace of smart-glasses adoption across consumers and enterprises, and whether hardware makers can produce compelling, lightweight experiences at scale.
- not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- Virtual reality (VR) headset: A wearable device that immerses the user in a fully digital environment, often using screens and motion tracking.
- Smart glasses: Eyewear that overlays digital information or heads-up displays onto the user’s field of view, typically designed for lighter, hands-free interactions.
- Mixed reality (MR): A spectrum of technologies that blend digital content with the physical world, ranging from augmented overlays to fully virtual environments.
- CAGR: Compound annual growth rate; a measure of growth over multiple time periods expressed as a constant yearly rate.
Reader FAQ
Why did Apple’s Vision Pro shipments fall in 2025?
Apple halted production with a supplier and did not ship units in the first three quarters; it relaunched the device with an M5-class chip and shipped 45,000 units in 2025.
Did Meta’s Quest line also decline?
Yes. Meta shipped about 1.7 million Quest units in the first three quarters of 2025, and Quest shipments were down about 16% year over year.
Are smart glasses growing instead?
IDC reported smart-glasses shipments grew about 211.2% in 2025 and forecasts a 29.3% CAGR from 2025 to 2029.
Will VR headsets replace smartphones?
Not confirmed in the source; an IDC executive said the idea of headsets replacing smartphones did not materialize and was unlikely.
PERSONAL TECH Headset hype meets harsh reality as Apple and Meta VR shipments fizzle in 2025 But how about some smart glasses instead? O'Ryan Johnson Fri 2 Jan 2026 // 21:36 UTC Apple’s pricey…
Sources
- Headset hype meets harsh reality as Apple and Meta VR shipments fizzle in 2025
- Vision Pro Sales Slump In 2025 Reveals Apple Shift …
- Apple Reportedly Cuts Production of Vision Pro Headset …
- Global VR Headset Shipments Fall 14% YoY in H1 2025
Related posts
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pushes new metaphor: AI as a lever, not job killer
- Batch script aims to keep a 2011 ThinkPad running for 24/7 streaming
- Grok Can’t Apologize — Why Headlines Say the Bot Took the Blame