Virtual reality and augmented reality are poised for a boom that could carry the nascent technology to a $150 billion industry by 2020, according to a report released Monday by a consulting group.
The technology, currently represented by hardware like Facebook s Oculus and Google s Google Glass, are poised to disrupt mobile computing, according to Digi-Capital.
Digi-Capital says it advises mobile internet, games and digital clients.
The sector, especially augmented reality, could have major implications for Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and others, according to Tim Merel, managing director of Digi-Capital. His comments were contained in a news release Monday.
AR should account for most of the growth in the market – $120 billion compared to VR s $30 billion – by 2020, the report said.
While VR could have tens of millions of users in applications like gaming and films by then, AR is more comparable to the larger smartphone and tablet market, according to the consulting group.
However, there are technical and social issues to deal with, such as the motion sickness some VR users experience, and the privacy issues raised by Google Glass.
Photo: Peter Mason tries the Oculus virtual reality headset at the Game Developers Conference 2014 in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)