Today, the XR Association (XRA) published its annual State of the Industry Report 2024, providing an in-depth analysis of the immersive technology sector, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). The report highlights key trends in XR, including accelerated growth in enterprise applications, significant advancements in hardware and increasing adoption across industries like healthcare, education, and entertainment. Additionally, the report underscores the expanding investment in XR technologies, with industry highlights from more than 20 member companies including Meta, Sony, Accenture and others.
It’s no secret the industry has faced plenty of ups and downs over the past year, and discussions around privacy and online safety, interoperability and competitiveness will continue into 2025. However, particularly in the AR space, XRA anticipates continued innovation and transformative impact, driven by a collaborative ecosystem of developers, investors, and policymakers. This industry overview emphasizes the pivotal role of XR in shaping the future of digital experiences and offers insights into the opportunities and barriers facing this rapidly evolving space.
Throughout 2024, XRA continued its mission of advocating for the immersive technology industry. We’ve worked to deepen the public and policymakers’ understanding and awareness of XR technologies at more than 30 events, demonstrations and engagements worldwide.
XRA by the Numbers
- 25+ Speaking Events and Major Conferences
- 78 of Engagements with Members of Congress and Government Agencies Pushing Policy Forward
- 9 Member Committees & Working Groups
- 10 New Members, Surpassing 50 Members
- 8 XR Advisory Council Webinars
A Look Ahead
Last year, XRA published a whitepaper summarizing insights from the Future of XR Advisory Council (XRAC), an independent advisory council focused on defining the XR ecosystem and informing the ongoing work of XRA. In 2025, XRA will continue to build on the nine initiatives outlined in the report.
The Research and Development team will also be publishing new, refreshed versions of their Developers Guide throughout the next few months, starting with Chapter 1.
As the industry grows, the XR Association is committed to promoting the responsible development and use of this cutting-edge technology. The following are some of the highlights from 2024 and a look ahead for XRA and the future of immersive technologies in 2025.
