While cutting-edge AR and VR devices often capture media attention, the real drivers of long-term success in Extended Reality (XR) lie within the platforms that support them. According to ABI Research, the XR landscape is undergoing a transformation driven by AI, open ecosystems, and increasing demand across industries. The next five years will see a dynamic shift in major players, partnerships, and enabling technologies across the XR value chain.

Drivers Accelerating XR Growth

After years of fragmented progress, several new developments are positioning XR for scalable growth:

• Established market leaders such as Meta, Apple, and Google are strengthening their XR portfolios.

• The rise of AI-driven, no-display smart glasses is creating new use cases.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is enhancing both existing applications and unlocking new opportunities in XR experiences.

“The XR platform, including hardware, software, and services, will grow and mature to support an expected increase of users and use cases across market segments,” says Eric Abbruzzese, XR Markets and Technologies Research Director at ABI Research.

Market Forecast: Surge in XR Device Adoption

ABI Research forecasts robust growth for XR devices, particularly in new product categories:

• Over 80 million XR device shipments are projected by 2030.

• AI-powered, no-display smart glasses are expected to grow at a 48% CAGR through 2030.

• Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses currently lead the market, but more competition is expected to emerge.

This shift highlights the rising consumer and enterprise interest in intelligent, non-intrusive XR wearables.

Enabling Technologies and Ecosystem Expansion

As XR hardware adoption increases, supporting platforms will need to evolve in tandem:

• Key enabling elements include operating systems, app/content stores, developer tools, and AI-based services.

• Leading technology incumbents—Meta, Apple, Google—are building comprehensive, end-to-end XR platforms.

• Strategic partners like Samsung (hardware) and Qualcomm, Mediatek (chipsets) will play critical roles in delivering complete XR solutions.

“To support these devices, the enabling elements attached to them… will grow in kind,” notes Abbruzzese.

Platform Strategy: From Silos to Open Ecosystems

ABI Research emphasizes the importance of cross-platform compatibility and openness in XR success:

• Siloed XR platforms will struggle to scale in a competitive market.

• Cross-platform, hardware-agnostic, and open-source technologies will gain momentum.

• Companies must support a broad range of technologies and invest in strong partner ecosystems to remain competitive.

“An open relationship between these segments across the entire XR ecosystem is critical,” says Abbruzzese. “The market favors open and interoperable platforms.”

ABI Research’s latest findings underscore the evolving nature of the XR industry. With AI integration, strategic partnerships, and open technologies at the forefront, the future of XR platforms will rely less on the hardware alone and more on the agility and breadth of the supporting ecosystems. As adoption grows, businesses in the XR space must prioritize interoperability, content development, and partner collaboration to scale successfully into 2030 and beyond.