Meta and Chinese brands help double AR glasses shipments
A new report from TrendForce says AR glasses are gradually transitioning from proof-of-concept products to the consumer market.
The report, '2026 Near-Eye Display Market Trends and Technology Analysis' highlights how stronger-than-expected growth momentum for Meta’s Ray-Ban Display glasses has drawn more consumer attention to AR glasses, prompting brands and supply chain players to accelerate product development.
Other AR glasses brands, benefiting from the spillover effects, are expanding their product portfolios and sales channels to capture early consumer interest before other technology giants fully enter the market. TrendForce forecasts global AR glasses shipments to surge from 620,000 units in 2025 to 1.31 million units in 2026, marking 111.1 percent YoY growth.
Meta is expected to maintain its lead in 2026 with approximately 20 percent of global shipments. The other four major brands — XREAL, Even Realities, Rokid, and RayNeo — are projected to account for a combined 53.2 percent, indicating that brands beyond Meta have also established a substantial market presence.
XREAL focuses on AR glasses designed for entertainment and media consumption. Its Aura glasses, developed in collaboration with Google, are scheduled to launch by the end of 2026, further strengthening the brand's product portfolio and market influence. Even Realities specialises in information-display AR glasses, emphasising lightweight designs and aesthetics that improve the wearing experience. Rokid and RayNeo offer diverse product portfolios tailored to different consumer use cases.
Together, the five leading brands are expanding their offerings and reaching broader consumer segments, serving as the primary drivers behind global AR glasses shipments surpassing one million units in 2026.
TrendForce notes that as AR glasses shipments reach new highs, OLEDoS and LEDoS are expected to account for approximately 80 percent of the market combined.
OLEDoS is projected to maintain a slight lead thanks to its widespread adoption in entertainment-oriented AR glasses. However, its applications across other product categories remain limited. As a result, OLEDoS developers are revisiting monochrome green display configurations to penetrate the information-display segment, seeking new outlets for the substantial production capacity expected to come online.
LEDoS, valued for its lightweight advantages, remains the key display technology driving the adoption of information-display AR glasses. Nevertheless, achieving full-color displays is expected to remain a significant technical challenge in the near term. To address the limitations of monochrome green displays, supply chain players are developing dual-color red-and-green solutions. By improving visual differentiation and information readability, these solutions aim to extend LEDoS applications to more advanced use cases.
As LEDoS and OLEDoS continue to improve their display specifications and expand into new applications, while LCoS adoption grows through Meta's products, AR glasses brands will have access to a wider range of technology options and greater flexibility in managing costs. These developments are expected to drive further product innovation and application expansion, with global AR glasses shipments projected to grow by nearly 80 percent in 2027.
