Shipment of AR & VR Headsets Likely To Be Delayed By COVID-19

The current shipments are likely to be delayed, but the future seems positive.The worldwide consignments of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) wireless headsets are said to be delayed due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), International Data Corporation (IDC) reported. The delay is likely to be seen in the first half of 2020, and it is expected that in the second half of the year, the delay would be recovered. 

International Data Corporation (IDC), in its report, said that the delay might cause a decline of about 11 percent during the first quarter as compared to the sales and shipments of these wireless headsets during the last year. Similarly, a decline of about 24 percent during the second quarter is expected. Yet, the positive thing amid all the crisis is that the delay and decline are likely to be overcome in the second half of the current year. More than 7 million devices are expected to be shipped in the second half of 2020, which is around 24 percent higher than in 2019. 

International Data Corporation (IDC) Research Manager Jitesh Ubrani said that most of the VR and AR headsets are used for smartphones, tablets, and PCs (including laptops) and all these gadgets are facing delays in their shipments as the manufacturing units are either on shutdown or working at the lowest capacity amid the global Coronavirus crisis. But the good thing about headsets manufacturers and retailers is that the spread of the Coronavirus has an opposite impact on them as the demand for these devices has increased drastically.

This is because of the fact that most people now prefer to stay and work from home. This eventually has led to an increase in the demand for these headsets. This increase in demand will surely result in a hike in the shipments of these devices than the previous year, Jitesh concluded.