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Understanding the VR/AR Landscape & Its Major Players

Tech
3
minutes
Technical Level
November 18, 2023
3
minutes
May 11, 2022
Technical Level
Emil Torma
VP Programmatic Solutions
In this blog post we are going to outline the landscape and major players currently driving innovation within the VR and AR ecosystems. This exciting space is often referred to as the Metaverse and is prone to new terms and acronyms, which we will also outline and explain in-depth.

Major Players in the VR/AR Ecosystem

When it comes to consumer VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) ecosystems, 2022 is shaping up to be a very exciting year. New VR hardware announcements from Sony, upcoming hardware from Meta and new Beta AR glasses from Snap are keeping expectations high and showing major improvements over current headset technology. At the same time, new and exciting gaming titles such as Ghostbusters and Bonelab, along with established popular titles such as Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4 are engaging existing VR headset owners.

On the prosumer side, Magic Leap is looking to introduce a powerful AR headset later this year, joining Microsoft Hololens 2 as viable business AR goggles. Cisco is developing a VR compatible WebEx service called WebEx Hologram. The industry as a whole is forecasted to generate $12.13 billion in revenue in 2022.

Combining individual experiences with technology and decentralization (often referred to Web 3.0) will be the bedrock of the Metaverse. At Sharethrough, we pride ourselves on our human-centric technology and its capacity to improve the user experience. Interest in the Metaverse, Web 3.0 and the VR/AR ecosystem has been consistently growing in the last year, and the capacity to include advertising technology within the space is highly debated. Somewhere down the line, 5 to 10 years from now, human-centric advertising might very well be at the basis of the Metaverse.

For those new to the space and looking to get a quick glanceable overview of the industry, Sharethrough has put together the following graphic representing all major players in the AR/VR space based on research conducted by our technology experts.

VR/AR/XR Major Players, Landscape & Positioning
Visual representation of all the major players in the VR/AR/XR Landscape and their positioning. Research conducted by Sharethrough, May 2022.

Download the full scale version →

Must-Know VR/AR Terms & Vocabulary

VR (Virtual Reality) 

Technology using computer software and hardware used to create a simulated environment.

AR (Augmented Reality)

Layers of graphics and added images that are superimposed over a user’s view of the real world.

XR (Extended Reality/Mixed Reality)

Umbrella term that covers VR and AR. All XR tech uses a screen interface and modifies it, either by immersing you in the virtual environment (VR) or adds to, or augments, the user’s surroundings (AR).

VR Platform

VR experience hubs that connect users to software, games and content.

VR/AR Hardware

Manufacturers of headset devices which are used to access VR and AR content.

Dev & Creative Software

Tools used by developers and video content creators to create XR applications, videos and experiences.

Apps & Social Experiences

Most popular entertainment applications as well as applications used for accessing the metaverse and other social experiences.

Web 3.0

Also referred to as the “Decentralized Web”, Web 3.0 represents the latest generation of internet applications and services powered by distributed ledger technology, the most common being blockchain.

Hopefully the chart and terms listed above gave you some insight into the major players currently driving innovation in the VR and AR ecosystems and the common terminology used among them. As the VR/AR ecosystems continue to expand, be sure to be on the lookout for more content!

To view the free infographic, fill the form below.

In this blog post we are going to outline the landscape and major players currently driving innovation within the VR and AR ecosystems. This exciting space is often referred to as the Metaverse and is prone to new terms and acronyms, which we will also outline and explain in-depth.

Major Players in the VR/AR Ecosystem

When it comes to consumer VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) ecosystems, 2022 is shaping up to be a very exciting year. New VR hardware announcements from Sony, upcoming hardware from Meta and new Beta AR glasses from Snap are keeping expectations high and showing major improvements over current headset technology. At the same time, new and exciting gaming titles such as Ghostbusters and Bonelab, along with established popular titles such as Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4 are engaging existing VR headset owners.

On the prosumer side, Magic Leap is looking to introduce a powerful AR headset later this year, joining Microsoft Hololens 2 as viable business AR goggles. Cisco is developing a VR compatible WebEx service called WebEx Hologram. The industry as a whole is forecasted to generate $12.13 billion in revenue in 2022.

Combining individual experiences with technology and decentralization (often referred to Web 3.0) will be the bedrock of the Metaverse. At Sharethrough, we pride ourselves on our human-centric technology and its capacity to improve the user experience. Interest in the Metaverse, Web 3.0 and the VR/AR ecosystem has been consistently growing in the last year, and the capacity to include advertising technology within the space is highly debated. Somewhere down the line, 5 to 10 years from now, human-centric advertising might very well be at the basis of the Metaverse.

For those new to the space and looking to get a quick glanceable overview of the industry, Sharethrough has put together the following graphic representing all major players in the AR/VR space based on research conducted by our technology experts.

VR/AR/XR Major Players, Landscape & Positioning
Visual representation of all the major players in the VR/AR/XR Landscape and their positioning. Research conducted by Sharethrough, May 2022.

Download the full scale version →

Must-Know VR/AR Terms & Vocabulary

VR (Virtual Reality) 

Technology using computer software and hardware used to create a simulated environment.

AR (Augmented Reality)

Layers of graphics and added images that are superimposed over a user’s view of the real world.

XR (Extended Reality/Mixed Reality)

Umbrella term that covers VR and AR. All XR tech uses a screen interface and modifies it, either by immersing you in the virtual environment (VR) or adds to, or augments, the user’s surroundings (AR).

VR Platform

VR experience hubs that connect users to software, games and content.

VR/AR Hardware

Manufacturers of headset devices which are used to access VR and AR content.

Dev & Creative Software

Tools used by developers and video content creators to create XR applications, videos and experiences.

Apps & Social Experiences

Most popular entertainment applications as well as applications used for accessing the metaverse and other social experiences.

Web 3.0

Also referred to as the “Decentralized Web”, Web 3.0 represents the latest generation of internet applications and services powered by distributed ledger technology, the most common being blockchain.

Hopefully the chart and terms listed above gave you some insight into the major players currently driving innovation in the VR and AR ecosystems and the common terminology used among them. As the VR/AR ecosystems continue to expand, be sure to be on the lookout for more content!

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About Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech—

Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech is a short 3-minute podcast exploring the news in the digital advertising industry. Ad tech is a fast-growing industry with many updates happening daily. As it can be hard for most to keep up with the latest news, the Sharethrough team wanted to create an audio series compiling notable mentions each week.

In this blog post we are going to outline the landscape and major players currently driving innovation within the VR and AR ecosystems. This exciting space is often referred to as the Metaverse and is prone to new terms and acronyms, which we will also outline and explain in-depth.

Major Players in the VR/AR Ecosystem

When it comes to consumer VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) ecosystems, 2022 is shaping up to be a very exciting year. New VR hardware announcements from Sony, upcoming hardware from Meta and new Beta AR glasses from Snap are keeping expectations high and showing major improvements over current headset technology. At the same time, new and exciting gaming titles such as Ghostbusters and Bonelab, along with established popular titles such as Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4 are engaging existing VR headset owners.

On the prosumer side, Magic Leap is looking to introduce a powerful AR headset later this year, joining Microsoft Hololens 2 as viable business AR goggles. Cisco is developing a VR compatible WebEx service called WebEx Hologram. The industry as a whole is forecasted to generate $12.13 billion in revenue in 2022.

Combining individual experiences with technology and decentralization (often referred to Web 3.0) will be the bedrock of the Metaverse. At Sharethrough, we pride ourselves on our human-centric technology and its capacity to improve the user experience. Interest in the Metaverse, Web 3.0 and the VR/AR ecosystem has been consistently growing in the last year, and the capacity to include advertising technology within the space is highly debated. Somewhere down the line, 5 to 10 years from now, human-centric advertising might very well be at the basis of the Metaverse.

For those new to the space and looking to get a quick glanceable overview of the industry, Sharethrough has put together the following graphic representing all major players in the AR/VR space based on research conducted by our technology experts.

VR/AR/XR Major Players, Landscape & Positioning
Visual representation of all the major players in the VR/AR/XR Landscape and their positioning. Research conducted by Sharethrough, May 2022.

Download the full scale version →

Must-Know VR/AR Terms & Vocabulary

VR (Virtual Reality) 

Technology using computer software and hardware used to create a simulated environment.

AR (Augmented Reality)

Layers of graphics and added images that are superimposed over a user’s view of the real world.

XR (Extended Reality/Mixed Reality)

Umbrella term that covers VR and AR. All XR tech uses a screen interface and modifies it, either by immersing you in the virtual environment (VR) or adds to, or augments, the user’s surroundings (AR).

VR Platform

VR experience hubs that connect users to software, games and content.

VR/AR Hardware

Manufacturers of headset devices which are used to access VR and AR content.

Dev & Creative Software

Tools used by developers and video content creators to create XR applications, videos and experiences.

Apps & Social Experiences

Most popular entertainment applications as well as applications used for accessing the metaverse and other social experiences.

Web 3.0

Also referred to as the “Decentralized Web”, Web 3.0 represents the latest generation of internet applications and services powered by distributed ledger technology, the most common being blockchain.

Hopefully the chart and terms listed above gave you some insight into the major players currently driving innovation in the VR and AR ecosystems and the common terminology used among them. As the VR/AR ecosystems continue to expand, be sure to be on the lookout for more content!

About Calibrate—

Founded in 2015, Calibrate is a yearly conference for new engineering managers hosted by seasoned engineering managers. The experience level of the speakers ranges from newcomers all the way through senior engineering leaders with over twenty years of experience in the field. Each speaker is greatly concerned about the craft of engineering management. Organized and hosted by Sharethrough, it was conducted yearly in September, from 2015-2019 in San Francisco, California.

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Emil Torma
VP Programmatic Solutions

About the Author

Technology and solutions focused, Emil has over 18 years of digital media experience and remains passionate about innovation and brand success to this day. Working at Sharethrough for the past 6 years, Emil has worked on managing the Canadian market expansion, European expansion and is currently engaged in driving sales engineering and business development opportunities for the company.

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