Radar · Industry landscape · the United States
AR, VR and Spatial Computing Landscape of the United States
3,358 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies in the United States, in one picture: who is hiring, who is raising money, who founded them, where they are based, what the news is about, which skills employers want and where the research is going. Updated August 2026.
3,358companies tracked
$39.7Bdisclosed funding
162hiring right now
4,295events · 24 months
203,532news articles · 12 months
Who leads AR, VR and Spatial Computing in the United States
Shows the top companies by hiring activity, funding, and media coverage among 3,358 tracked firms, highlighting 162 currently hiring and 894 that have disclosed a funding round.
open roles
Hiring now
ranked by live open roles
- 01
Cognex12last posted Aug 2026
- 02
Bentley Systems12last posted Jul 2026
- 03
Reworld11last posted Jun 2026
- 04
Esri11last posted Jun 2026
- 05
Epson America10last posted May 2026
- 06
Zendar10last posted Jun 2026
- 07
AV Concepts10last posted Jun 2026
- 08
Ouster9last posted Apr 2026
162 companies hiring · 3 posted in the last 30 days
disclosed funding
Most funded
disclosed totals, all rounds
- 01
Epic Games$8.1BSeries F · Feb 2024
- 02
Magic Leap$4.1BConventional Debt · Jan 2024
- 03
Unity$3.1BPost IPO · Feb 2025
- 04
World Labs$1.2BSeries E · Feb 2026
- 05
Luma AI$1.1BSeries C · Nov 2025
- 06
Roblox$918.2MSeries H · Jan 2021
- 07
Forte$910MSeries B · Nov 2021
- 08
Niantic$772.8MSeries D · Nov 2021
894 companies with disclosed rounds · $39.7B total
revenue
Revenue leaders
official filings first, else latest snapshot
- 01Google Glass$90.2BFY2023 filing
- 02
Meta$56.3BFY2026 filing
- 03
Cadence$1.5BFY2025 filing
- 04
- 05Fabula$1.2BFY2022 filing
- 06
Immersion$518.5MFY2025 filing
- 07
- 08
24 companies with a revenue figure
headcount
Largest teams
ranked by tracked headcount
- 01
- 02Google Glass44,409tracked employees
- 03
KEYENCE10,580tracked employees
- 04
- 05Fabula7,500tracked employees
- 06
Nintendo 3DS5,848tracked employees
- 07
- 08
162 companies with headcount data
share of events
Share of voice
share of all tracked sector news events, 24 months
- 01
Microsoft HoloLens42.6%4,582 tracked events
- 02Google Glass21.0%2,257 tracked events
- 03
- 04Fabula4.2%455 tracked events
- 05
- 06
- 07
- 08
10,762 tracked events across 132 companies
web reach
Most-used apps
the sites in this sector the web visits most
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04Google Glasstop 1kgoogle.com
- 05
- 06
PlayStation VRtop 5kplaystation.com
- 07
- 08
Modrinthtop 5kmodrinth.com
809 companies here run a site with a measured audience · 98 of them sit inside the web’s top million
articles
In the news
Prism news coverage, last 12 months
- 01
- 02
Mira1,677articles in the window
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07
Vuzix107articles in the window
- 08
Unreal Engine105articles in the window
180 of these companies drew sector coverage in the window
Radar
See all 3,358 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies in the United States
Filter by funding, headcount, hiring and location, and export the list.
How the AR, VR and Spatial Computing ecosystem in the United States grew, 2016–2025
Lists the number of companies founded each year, with a peak of 289 new firms in 2016 and only 40 founded in 2025.
Companies founded / year
new AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies in the United States
20162025
peak 289 in 2016
Companies raising / year
with a disclosed round that year
20162025
peak 200 in 2021
Disclosed funding / year
sum of disclosed rounds (USD)
20162025
peak $7.5B in 2021
Where AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies in the United States are based
Hub 01
San Francisco
360 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
32% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
360companies
$9.1Bdisclosed funding
24hiring now
Hub 02
New York City
248 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
22% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
248companies
$1.2Bdisclosed funding
8hiring now
Hub 03
Los Angeles
233 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
21% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
233companies
$998.6Mdisclosed funding
7hiring now
Hub 04
Austin
80 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
7% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
80companies
$576.5Mdisclosed funding
7hiring now
generated artwork
Hub 05
Seattle
74 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
7% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
74companies
$704.1Mdisclosed funding
4hiring now
Hub 06
Palo Alto
51 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
5% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
51companies
$1.6Bdisclosed funding
3hiring now
generated artwork
Hub 07
San Jose
44 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
4% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
44companies
$859.5Mdisclosed funding
2hiring now
generated artwork
Hub 08
Chicago
43 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies
4% of the AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies across these hubs
43companies
$324.6Mdisclosed funding
5hiring now
The AR, VR and Spatial Computing market map of the United States: what these companies actually do
Breaks down product sub‑categories and revenue models, noting the largest groups such as enterprise tech (2,440) and the most common model, subscription (2,589).
- Enterprise Tech2,440 companies · $35.7B raised · 132 hiring
- Deep Tech2,115 companies · $17.3B raised · 95 hiring
- Consumer Digital1,459 companies · $8.1B raised · 54 hiring
- Enterprise Software1,258 companies · $19B raised · 75 hiring
- SaaS604 companies · $9.8B raised · 46 hiring
- Gaming552 companies · $15.8B raised · 27 hiring
- Industry 4.0310 companies · $3.4B raised · 22 hiring
- Healthtech209 companies · $836.3M raised · 14 hiring
- Gaming Engines184 companies · $13.2B raised · 9 hiring
- AR VR in Entertainment176 companies · $485M raised · 9 hiring
- Edtech163 companies · $284M raised · 7 hiring
- Pc and Console Game Developers155 companies · $8.8B raised · 12 hiring
Monetization
How AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies make money
How many companies earn revenue each way. Plenty use more than one model, so the counts add up to more than the sector.
Subscription2,589
Fee-For-Service374
E-Commerce - Product360
Advertising324
Commission on Transaction323
Physical Commerce225
E-Commerce - Service193
Sponsorship24
Funding, M&A and the deals moving AR, VR and Spatial Computing in the United States
Counts 4,295 corporate events over the past two years, including 722 key‑person moves, 610 earnings releases, and 523 company announcements.
Leadership 722Earnings 610Announcement 523Contracts 449Product 435Lawsuit 390Regulatory 298M&A 254Funding 141Assets 140
- FundingMeta Platforms is working with Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase on a roughly $13 billion financing package for a data center in El Paso, Texas.2026-05-05
- M&AMicrosoft reportedly explored acquiring AI coding startup Cursor before SpaceX secured the rights to acquire the company in a deal valued at $60 billion.2026-04-23
- M&AThe merger of these two firms in 2017 was a landmark event in the investment management industry.2026-04-19
- M&AIntel CEO Li Bu Tan signed deals with Elon Musk’s Terafab and Google2026-04-18
- FundingThe most recent competitors to raise funding was AllSpice, which secured $15M in Jun, 2025.2026-04-16
- M&AA group of investors led by US golfer Bryson DeChambeau have acquired Sportsbox AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) coaching startup.2026-04-09
- M&ASnap acquired select assets from video game developer and publisher Rec Room to strengthen its immersive and social gaming capabilities.2026-04-08
- FundingIn General XR News April 2, 2026 – Mojo Vision, a developer of a micro-LED platform designed to enable artificial intelligence (AI) applications, has recently announced that it has secured a USD $17.5 million strategic investment.2026-04-02
- M&AThe deal includes IBM's LogicNet Plus, Inventory and Product Flow Analyst, and Transportation Analyst products, along with related technology and support teams.2026-03-27
- M&ADatacor has acquired GoldSim Technology Group to strengthen its advanced analytics and modeling capabilities.2026-03-23
Mergers and acquisitions
Deals from the last 24 months where a AR, VR and Spatial Computing company in the United States was the buyer or the one bought, newest first. “Undisclosed” means the price was never published — not that the deal was worth nothing.
| Acquirer | Target | Deal value | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| undisclosed | Rumored | 2026-08-29 | ||
| $69B | Pending | 2026-07-18 | ||
| Google Glass | undisclosed | Announced | 2026-05-28 | |
| undisclosed | Announced | 2026-05-23 | ||
| $2B | Announced | 2026-05-12 | ||
| $2B | Announced | 2026-05-04 |
Who is listing, hiring leaders, launching and winning work
Details specific event types like IPO filings, leadership changes, product launches, and contract wins for companies in the sector.
IPO pipeline
7 companies listed or filing · last 24 months
Virtuix OmniIPO · Nasdaq · VTIX · 3 reportsMar 2026
VersesOTCQB · VRSSD · 1 reportMar 2025
zSpaceIPO · ZSPC Proposed · 1 reportNov 2024
Leadership moves
167 tracked people moves · last 12 months
KinoTekDr. Darin Padua · Appointment → Scientific AdvisorMay 2026
RealWearAndy Lowery · Departure — was Chief Executive OfficerApr 2026
Product launches
tracked launches · last 12 months
MicroVisionMicroVision Global Partner and Reseller Program (Program)Apr 2026
Space ConnecteSIM platformMar 2026
RazerRazer V4 Pro (Gaming mouse)Mar 2026
Contract wins
95 customer wins · last 24 months
Inkbitwon Stratasys DirectApr 2026
Workforce actions
5 companies cutting roles · last 24 months
Rec Roomscale undisclosed · cost reductionMar 2026
Luminar Technologies~25% of workforce reported · cost reductionDec 2025
Regulatory & litigation
87 regulatory events · 24 tracked suits · 24 months
- Elon Musk v Samuel Altman, openai, Greg Brockman, microsoftNonprofit status and investment dispute · OngoingMay 2026
- Elon Musk v openai, microsoftnon-profit status misrepresentation · OngoingApr 2026
Earnings pulse
companies reporting results · last 24 months
27 companies reporting682 company-quarters trackedbeat 274miss 35in line 4
Half of these companies grew revenue faster than +18.0%, half slower.
Who is building AR, VR and Spatial Computing in the United States
Profiles 2,184 founders and CEOs across 1,553 firms, showing top alma maters like Stanford (68) and frequent prior employers such as Microsoft (29).
Founders and chief executives12 of 2,184, from the best-funded companies on this page
Princeton University BA 1999, Caltech PhD 2005
Ex-Apple, Circle Medical, Product Hunt
Founder Baszucki Group, The Paley Center for Media, ex-Founder Baszucki and Associates, Founder Knowledge Revolution. Stanford University BS
repeat founder
Co-Founder Bright Saver, Gen.G esports, SuperLayer, ex-Rally. University of California Berkeley - Haas School of Business
Niantic · Ex-Google, Mission Blue · University of California, Berkeley, 1996
Ex- Quantcast, Amazon Web Services, Amazon, RealNetworks. Northeastern University, Boston MA BS
Ex- Microsoft, UCF Office of Research and Commercialization. Boğaziçi University 2006, University of Central Florida 2010
Ex-Solar Junction · Stanford University 2000, 2001, PhD 2007
Jonathans Landing, ex-Airehealth, ex-Open Photonics, University of Central Florida, 1998
Where the founders studied
alma mater on record for 382 of 2,184 founders
Stanford University68
Massachusetts Institute of Technology39
University of California (Berkeley)33
Harvard University32
Carnegie Mellon University24
University of Pennsylvania19
Harvard Business School16
Yale University16
Where they worked before
a previous employer on record for 107 of 2,184 founders
Microsoft29
Apple22
Google19
Facebook13
Amazon12
McKinsey6
Intel5
Salesforce3
Founders flagged as repeat founders
of 1,928 founders with a profile on this page
27
carry a repeat-founder flag
- flagged as repeat founders27
- no repeat-founder flag1,901
Women and men among the founders
first names matched for 1,963 of 2,184 founders
13%
of matched founders are women
- women255
- men1,708
Inferred from first names, using 119 million people who state their own gender: a first name counts only where at least 20 of them share it and at least 90% of those share the same gender. The other 221 founders go in neither column.
Radar
Look up the people behind AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies in the United States
Search founders, executives and operators by company, role and location.
Who funds AR, VR and Spatial Computing in the United States
Summarizes 1,982 funding rounds since 2016 from 2,481 investors, with a typical round size of $2.5 million.
| Investor · most active investors since 2016 | Rounds | Led | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y Combinator | 49 | 16 | May 2026 |
| HHS | 47 | — | Sep 2025 |
| National Science Foundation | 41 | — | Sep 2024 |
| Andreessen Horowitz | 37 | 19 | Jan 2026 |
| Techstars | 35 | 24 | Oct 2025 |
| Europa | 32 | 1 | Dec 2023 |
| The Venture Reality Fund | 29 | 11 | Nov 2023 |
| Khosla Ventures | 20 | 8 | Dec 2025 |
| New Enterprise Associates | 19 | 8 | Sep 2025 |
| America’s Seed Fund | 19 | — | Nov 2021 |
Stage mix · rounds since 2016
Seed & Angel841
Series A–B621
Series C+ / PE148
Grants, debt & other372
The typical round is $2.5M — half were bigger, half smaller.
The biggest AR, VR and Spatial Computing funding rounds in the United States
Lists the largest disclosed rounds, including Epic Games' $2 billion Series F, and highlights ten recent large funding events.
| Company | Round | Size | When | Backers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series Fmega-round | $2B | Apr 2022 | KIRKBI A/S, Sony | |
| Series Emega-round | $1.8B | Aug 2020 | Sony, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Investments +5 more | |
| Series Fmega-round | $1.5B | Feb 2024 | The Walt Disney Company | |
| Series Emega-round | $1.2B | Oct 2018 | KKR, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners +4 more | |
| Series Emega-round | $1B | Apr 2021 | Sony, Fidelity Investments, Baillie Gifford +9 more | |
| Series Emega-round | $1B | Feb 2026 | Autodesk, AMD, Emerson Collective +2 more | |
| Series Cmega-round | $900M | Nov 2025 | HUMAIN, AMD, Andreessen Horowitz +2 more | |
| Series Cmega-round | $793.5M | Feb 2016 | Alibaba Group, Google, Qualcomm Ventures +5 more | |
| Series Bmega-round | $725M | Nov 2021 | Kora, Sea Capital, Huuuge Games +12 more | |
| Series Bmega-round | $542M | Oct 2014 | Google, Obvious Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures +11 more |
Venture round sizes · 2023–2025
<$1M55
$1–10M121
$10–50M55
$50–250M15
>$250M5
251 venture rounds with a disclosed amount in the window.
Fresh cheques · last 6 months
Seed$7MMay 2026
Series AundisclosedMay 2026
Seed$8.5MApr 2026
Seed$1.6MApr 2026
Series B$1.5MApr 2026
Series A$1MApr 2026
Seed$1MApr 2026
What the news says about AR, VR and Spatial Computing in the United States
Counts 203,532 news articles in the last year, most often covering AI advances, product launches, technology adoption, and semiconductor updates.
News volume
AR, VR and Spatial Computing coverage across United States · articles per quarter
2021Q22026Q1
peak 67,586 in 2025Q1 · 203,532 articles in the last 12 tracked months
Tone of coverage
share of articles by dominant sentiment (positive / neutral / negative)
202120232025
Positive-tone share moved 76% → 69%, negative 23% → 30% across 2021–2025.
What the coverage is about
The subjects that dominate AR, VR and Spatial Computing news in United States. The arrow shows whether each one is being written about more or less than a year ago.
- Artificial intelligence advancements32,181▲+40%
- New product launches and innovations15,637▲+42%
- Technology adoption and digital transformation14,019▲+32%
- Semiconductor industry updates13,538▲+51%
- Latest gadgets and consumer electronics12,556▲+38%
- Strategic partnerships and collaborations11,437▲+44%
- Tech policy and government regulations11,069→+1%
- Mobile operating systems10,865▲+25%
- Cybersecurity threats and solutions10,115▲+18%
- Ethical considerations in ai development9,439▲+50%
Most-covered companies · last 12 months
- 34,509
- 1,677
- 1,096
- 952
- 860
- 657
- 107
- 105
- 93
- 91
180 AR, VR and Spatial Computing companies here were named in the news over this period.
Prism
Watch AR, VR and Spatial Computing coverage in United States as it happens
Prism follows these subjects story by story — which companies are named, what is said about them and how the tone moves.
Momentum
The words getting louder — and quieter
Which terms are showing up in more stories than a year ago, and which are fading. The percentage is the change in how many articles mention them.
cloud infrastructure+75%ai copyright issues+114%green data centers+58%new gadgets+50%ai liability+192%h-1b visa+979%ip litigation+1045%flagship pricing+41%tech legislation+41%smart glasses+184%
drone defense-40%faa drone rules-55%drone airspace rules-56%anti-drone system-36%political reporting-68%
The pressures the press keeps returning to
Three recurring angles in United States AR, VR and Spatial Computing coverage, and whether each is getting more attention year on year (through 2025).
Regulatory Risk ▲ rising
178,306 articles touch this dimension · 65.4% critical tone
20212025
signals: ai regulation compliance, responsible ai, ai research
Funding Momentum ▲ rising
37,562 articles touch this dimension · 47.4% critical tone
20212025
signals: ai infrastructure financing, neural network ventures, ai hardware
Growth ▲ rising
57,687 articles touch this dimension · 56.0% critical tone
20212025
signals: ai hardware, dc fast-charging deployment, ai research
AR, VR and Spatial Computing jobs in the United States: who is hiring and what they ask for
Reports 6,525 job postings from 303 employers in 12 months, with common skills like Python and React and a median advertised salary of $108 k per year.
6,525postings · last 12 months
9,352postings tracked overall
303employers advertising
$108kmedian advertised salary/yr (n=944)
Demand
The Skills Employers Ask For
What AR, VR and Spatial Computing employers in the United States put in their job ads. The bar is how many postings ask for it; the arrow shows whether demand grew or shrank against the year before.
- python204▲
- typescript119▲
- aws102▲
- sql101▲
- react94▲
- salesforce86▲
- c++85▲
- excel79▲
- javascript73▲
- kubernetes73▲
What level are these roles?
Entry39
Intern101
Senior1,100
Lead429
Manager2,025
What they pay, by level
- Manager$106k/yr (n=306)
- Senior$150k/yr (n=110)
- Lead$175k/yr (n=43)
Most advertised titles
- 79
- 71
- 64
- 46
- 45
- 41
What AR, VR and Spatial Computing research in the United States is working on
Aggregates 6,803 U.S. academic papers, classifying 704 on common problems, 468 on cautions, and 4,670 on opportunities.
How this field talks about itself
United States-affiliated AR, VR and Spatial Computing papers (gold) against all published research (grey)
Promising44.3% · 36.9%1.2×
Breakthrough24.3% · 26.5%≈ par
Descriptive9.7% · 17.4%0.6×
Problem-identifying9.4% · 9.9%≈ par
Cautionary6.9% · 4.4%1.6×
Comparative4.4% · 4.0%≈ par
How the work is done
Empirical43.4%
Methods-led38.1%
Reviews12.7%
Position pieces4.7%
Theoretical1.1%
How the research reads
97% positive · 1% neutral · 2% negative, across 6,803 papers.
The institutions doing the work · United States
- 16k
- 14k
- 9k
- 8k
- 5k
- 5k
ranked by how often their work is cited
Leading researchers · United States-affiliated work
Otmar Hilliges · Shahram Izadi · Jeremy N. Bailenson · David Molyneaux · Richard A. Newcombe · Andrew Fitzgibbon · Hrvoje Benko · Albert Rizzo
The most-cited breakthroughs
- KinectFusion: Real-time dense surface mapping and tracking · 4k cites
- KinectFusion · 2k cites
- Coming of age in Second Life: an anthropologist explores the virtually human · 1k cites
- Local light field fusion · 1k cites
- VirtualWorlds as Proxy for Multi-object Tracking Analysis · 1k cites
Common problems researchers identify677 papers · 7 recurring themes
Problems · theme 01
Metaverse Interaction Challenges
126 papers · 18.6% of this block
▼ -14% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Researchers highlight ethical, social, and design difficulties in creating immersive virtual worlds.
Metaverse · Social worlds · Possible world · Human–computer interaction
“The Seven Worlds and Experiences of the Wireless Metaverse: Challenges and Opportunities”
126 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 02
AR/VR Development Obstacles
118 papers · 17.4% of this block
▼ -35% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers discuss technical and usability hurdles faced when building augmented and virtual reality applications.
Augmented reality · Human–computer interaction · Mixed reality · Virtual reality
“Creating Augmented and Virtual Reality Applications: Current Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities”
118 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 03
VR Perception and User Maturity
108 papers · 16.0% of this block
▲ +6% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Studies examine how perception gaps and user experience levels affect virtual reality effectiveness.
Virtual reality · Perception · Athletes · Maturity
“Older Adults’ Experiences with Audiovisual Virtual Reality: Perceived Usefulness and Other Factors Influencing Technology Acceptance”
108 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 04
Rehabilitation VR Effectiveness
93 papers · 13.7% of this block
→ -2% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Works assess the limits and design considerations of virtual reality for therapeutic and rehabilitation purposes.
Rehabilitation · Virtual reality · Psychological intervention · Physical medicine and rehabilitation
“Considerations in the Efficacy and Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Interventions for Stroke Rehabilitation: Moving the Field Forward”
93 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 05
Wearable and Big‑Data Integration
82 papers · 12.1% of this block
▲ +3% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Research points to challenges in merging wearable computing, large data streams, and embodied cognition.
Wearable computer · Big data · Plan · Embodied cognition
“Immersive Planning: A Conceptual Model for Designing Public Participation with New Technologies”
82 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 06
HCI and Multimedia in VR
82 papers · 12.1% of this block
▼ -56% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Authors identify difficulties in harmonizing human‑computer interaction, graphics, and multimedia within virtual environments.
Human–computer interaction · Virtual reality · Multimedia · Computer graphics
“Sensory VR”
82 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 07
VR in Medical Training
68 papers · 10.0% of this block
▼ -48% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers discuss barriers to adopting virtual reality for medical education and skill development.
Virtual reality · Medical education · Curriculum · Training
“Using virtual reality in medical education to teach empathy”
68 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions459 papers · 7 recurring themes
Cautions · theme 01
VR Clinical Trial Limitations
101 papers · 22.0% of this block
▲ +2% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Researchers caution about methodological and safety concerns when applying VR in therapeutic trials.
Virtual reality · Psychological intervention · Rehabilitation · Randomized controlled trial
“The Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain and Range of Motion in Adults With Burn Injuries”
101 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 02
Affective Design Risks in VR
101 papers · 22.0% of this block
▼ -56% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Works warn of challenges in managing emotional responses and multimedia overload in immersive systems.
Human–computer interaction · Virtual reality · Affect · Multimedia
“Current opportunities and challenges of immersive virtual reality for psychological research and application”
101 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 03
AR Usability on Mobile
82 papers · 17.9% of this block
▼ -29% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Studies highlight usability and depth‑perception problems for augmented reality on handheld devices.
Augmented reality · Human–computer interaction · Usability · Mobile device
“Designing for Depth Perceptions in Augmented Reality”
82 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 04
Rendering Accuracy Concerns
60 papers · 13.1% of this block
▲ +6% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers address how rendering choices impact spatial perception and sensory fidelity in virtual environments.
Virtual reality · Rendering · Perception · Offset
“Elucidating Factors that Can Facilitate Veridical Spatial Perception in Immersive Virtual Environments”
60 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 05
VR Educational Effectiveness
52 papers · 11.3% of this block
▼ -54% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Researchers question the instructional impact and transferability of immersive learning experiences.
Virtual reality · Educational technology · Multimedia · Instructional simulation
“The role of virtual reality in enhancing educational outcomes across disciplines”
52 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 06
Robotics and VR Distraction
34 papers · 7.4% of this block
→ -1% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Works note potential attentional conflicts when combining robotic or drone stimuli with virtual simulations.
Robot · Drone · Perception · Distraction
“Technical and conceptual considerations for using animated stimuli in studies of animal behavior”
34 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 07
Metaverse Knowledge Transfer
29 papers · 6.3% of this block
▲ +7% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Studies caution about difficulties in moving skills and affordances between virtual and real worlds.
Metaverse · Virtual world · Social media · Knowledge management
“Understanding Online Education in Metaverse: Systems and User Experience Perspectives”
29 of these papers raise it as a problem
Opportunities4,440 papers · 7 recurring themes
Opportunities · theme 01
VR for Pain and Therapy
889 papers · 20.0% of this block
▼ -42% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Research shows virtual reality can aid anxiety reduction, pain management, and physical rehabilitation.
Virtual reality · Anxiety · Physical therapy · Physical medicine and rehabilitation
“Virtual reality and neurofeedback as a supportive approach to managing cancer symptoms for patients receiving treatment: A brief report of a”
Opportunities · theme 02
Advanced Rendering and Workflows
863 papers · 19.4% of this block
▲ +48% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers explore new rendering techniques and workflow integrations that enhance virtual reality performance.
Rendering · Visualization · Virtual reality · Workflow
“Risk-Based Optimization of Virtual Reality over Terahertz Reconfigurable\n Intelligent Surfaces”
Opportunities · theme 03
AR/VR for Design and Learning
848 papers · 19.1% of this block
▼ -35% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Works demonstrate how mixed reality supports educational experiences and design evaluation processes.
Augmented reality · Human–computer interaction · Mixed reality · Visualization
“Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Learning: An Examination Using an Extended Technology Acceptance Model”
Opportunities · theme 04
Collaborative Immersive Visualization
757 papers · 17.0% of this block
▼ -56% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Studies present methods for multi‑user data exploration and interaction within virtual reality platforms.
Human–computer interaction · Virtual reality · Computer graphics · Multimedia
“Immersive and collaborative data visualization using virtual reality platforms”
Opportunities · theme 05
Experiential VR Training
591 papers · 13.3% of this block
▼ -46% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Research highlights virtual reality as a powerful tool for hands‑on skill acquisition and training.
Virtual reality · Training · Multimedia · Experiential learning
“Virtual Reality Simulation”
Opportunities · theme 06
Metaverse Social and Health Applications
274 papers · 6.2% of this block
▼ -50% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers investigate avatar‑driven interactions and health‑focused services within emerging virtual worlds.
Metaverse · Social worlds · Human–computer interaction · Avatar
“Avatars, People, and Virtual Worlds: Foundations for Research in Metaverses”
Opportunities · theme 07
Wearable Haptic Interfaces
218 papers · 4.9% of this block
▼ -13% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Works showcase skin‑integrated and wearable haptic technologies that enrich virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Haptic technology · Virtual reality · Actuator · Wearable computer
“Skin‐Integrated Vibrohaptic Interfaces for Virtual and Augmented Reality”
Which of these themes are growing fastest
Tracks how the share of research themes has shifted globally between 2022 and 2025.
Problems
how much more (or less) of the world’s research on this subject each theme took up, 2022→2025
gaining sharelosing share
VR Perception and User Maturity▲+6%
Wearable and Big‑Data Integration▲+3%
Rehabilitation VR Effectiveness▼-2%
Metaverse Interaction Challenges▼-14%
AR/VR Development Obstacles▼-35%
VR in Medical Training▼-48%
HCI and Multimedia in VR▼-56%
Cautions
how much more (or less) of the world’s research on this subject each theme took up, 2022→2025
gaining sharelosing share
Metaverse Knowledge Transfer▲+7%
Rendering Accuracy Concerns▲+6%
VR Clinical Trial Limitations▲+2%
Robotics and VR Distraction▼-1%
AR Usability on Mobile▼-29%
VR Educational Effectiveness▼-54%
Affective Design Risks in VR▼-56%
Opportunities
how much more (or less) of the world’s research on this subject each theme took up, 2022→2025
gaining sharelosing share
Advanced Rendering and Workflows▲+48%
Wearable Haptic Interfaces▼-13%
AR/VR for Design and Learning▼-35%
VR for Pain and Therapy▼-42%
Experiential VR Training▼-46%
Metaverse Social and Health Applications▼-50%
Collaborative Immersive Visualization▼-56%
Prism
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About this data: built from Fliar's company, founder, funding, hiring, jobs, news and research trackers, covering the United States. Counts are of companies we track, not of every company that exists. Updated August 2026.
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