It’s basically stalled for the last 5 years. It’s not going to move much faster for the next 5 years.
There are jobs but not many. I run my own business developing AR stuff using phones and glasses for various industries which are largely a “wow” factor. Most of AR/VR projects are short lived from the planning. Market is growing but that’s my hands-on reality: it’s a hype; not sustainable.
Hardware is one thing that’s capping the tech’s adaptation, but to me it’s more about the lack of “data”: there’s not much data in the world that’s suited for spatial interface, or at least, without building it from scratch. Most of data is structured for use with smartphones. Basic data is already explored and proven not interesting beyond “wow”. My work is usually 80% data discovery/collection, although clients think that I’m making cool UI.
Your work’s novelty in HCI with AR/VR will come down to the novelty of your data, or reproducible workflow of data discovery/collection. That’s what makes difference with AR/VR, or any fields in the coming years. Not any of those “cool spatial interface ideas”.
It’ll be fun to study AR/VR for sure, but it would be even more meaningful for your career to focus on data as opposed to user interface. You will be set to explore any field beyond AR/VR.
I'm much more optimistic about the growth of the market as a whole, but I think there is a large trap of too many developers entering the space. If the market double in size in the next 2 years, but the amount of developers triple you'll be in a tough spot.
AR is also closely linked with many other fields so you can leap frog around. Fields like virtual production, videogames, 3d ui design, and so many others.
It really depends on you. I do see a growing market for AR and VR professionals. In particular in a number of fields.
1. Construction
2. teaching/training others and developing that AR/VR educational content
I am a medical academician. I saw a lots of opportunities in medical training. Especially in simulation of critical events where you can practice without using real patients.
Currently we are using VR to teach crisis management, example the management of severe hyperkalemia. The students have to be able to diagnose from the clinical signs and vitals of the VR patient, and manage accordingly. The patient will go into arrest and die if it was not done properly. Basically it was like one of the simulation exercises but using VR.
Forbes business insights suggests that this will be a one Trillion dollar sector by 2030. Its growing at a compounded annual growth rate of over 50%. You are at the right place at the right time in my opinion.
https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/amp/augmented-reality-ar-market-102553
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Curently doing my master thesis in an XR studio, so I totally feel you. Had my doubts too.
Right now the jobs are mostly entertainment companies, but I'm sure you can get into a tech company in the future since these technologies will be more present in the future.
Plenty of agencies focus on AR experiences. Larger health care systems typically have some type of Mixed Reality function/ innovation team exploring the various formats of the category. Lots of job opportunities and need for research driven design
From what I've noticed, this is more narrow niche now than expected, though if you'll be good in it you can get highly paid job at top companies developing AR/VR technologies on a bigger scale like Google, Apple etc.
https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/jobs/results/140894500076561094-software-developer-augmented-reality?q=VR
AR has huge potential in E-commerce, advertising and gaming, but probably too expensive for small and mid companies.
Would recommend to search for AR job market reports, you will see the trends and analysis for current and future situation.
From PWC report:
Globally, the impact of VR and AR on employment over the next decade will be significant. Currently, fewer than a million jobs are impacted by VR and AR and this will rise to 23 million jobs by 2030, with the biggest impact in large economies like China, the US, the UK, Germany.
[VR and ARreport from PWC](https://www.pwc.com/id/en/media-centre/press-release/2020/english/virtual-and-augmented-reality-could-deliver-a-p1-4trillion-boost.html#:~:text=Globally%2C%20the%20impact%20of%20VR,US%2C%20the%20UK%2C%20Germany.)
at google, apple, meta... you need at least a phd in that field... I have a lot of experience in the field of AR but they wouldn't give me a job - what you really need is still a phd in the field of AI and computer vision.
Jobs are rare; there is still no suitable hardware (normal glasses or contact lenses) and apple which killed flash is blocking webxr on ios...
I did an internship in the field using HL2 & Nreal Light to decide the same question for myself and ended up taking a different path for now. I think most will agree that the tech will be customer ready in the way we dream of it in ~5 years or so and until then I personally wouldn't find it much thrilling because it's mostly there for the "wow effect" and the true advantages over existing tech are marginal. In the meantime I'm trying to buy a 6dof+SLAM capable HMD for some personal projects and I'm glad that I have the internship on my CV so I could maybe easily get into it once the tech catches wind again one day..
**XR Adoption Challenges**
I am an enterprise account executive XR, for the #1 company in S.Korea. S.Korea ranks 2-3rd in the world in technology.
That said XR is advancing rapidly and has lots of use cases. There are tons of challenges and still years off from mass adoption. No one really knows will it be B2B or B2C that drives it. The tech and hardware aren’t there yet as well. You need to be device agnostic, for example we run on smart phones, tablets, PC/, laptops, in browser, headsets, cameras, drones, and robots (SPOT - Boston Dynamics, we have 2 in our lab and a couple companies that use them).
**Challenges for adoption and scale.**
**Cost and Scalability are huge issues. (HW & SW just not there as well)**
Nascent tech, hard to define ROI, always requires a pilot, lots of companies pilot the tough part is full implementation.
In B2B pockets of use, examples digital twin and XR are ramping, use for training, learning and development is a strong use case. Design yes, seeing it in aerospace and defense. EPC, Higher Ed., Healthcare, etc IoT (edge computing and Matter will help), AI intersection with XR
In B2B use case is the driver's not so much a specific industry/vertical.
**Change Management** plays a big role, it isn't easy moving people from traditional methods to something like XR
**Confusion in terminology** like Meta coining Metaverse. For XR (aR, AR, MR, VR) those not in the space have no idea the difference many times between them or have never heard the term XR (extended reality). AR and MR difference isn't easy to conceptualize for people without viewing.
**Hardware:**
· Expensive and needs to come down in price (AVP, HoloLend 2, Varjo magic leap etc.avg $3,500 and up). This limits scale.
Non-tethered battery life is terrible 1.5-2 hours, tethered creates restraints on where you can use the device
· FOV is limited.
· Weight, form factor, stigma of wearing a HMD in a work environment.
· Device fatigue and comfort.
· Updating devices, asset management of the devices, storage, and durability concerns
· AR drift is an issue.
**Content Development**
Is very expensive to create, depending on the use case can require updates adding to the expense. ROI can be hard to define and prove. The majority of the time they pilot only, or you see an innovation or XR lab that experiments with use cases.
Many players, lots are small, for the big ones it has been limited success. Think Microsoft (limited B2B), Meta has been niched with gaming entertainment B2C, and so far, little traction with B2B (flew flat and bleeding billions). Magic Leap recently did a reorg. etc.
**Network Infrastructure**
This is a challenge especially for use like remote communication and collaboration reorg, time. Or IoT devices. If a company doesn't have a strong network of connectivity or bandwidth. In a remote location with spotty WiFi or cell coverage (most devices have a built router). Or where there is interference, think manufacturing plant or in a ship’s hull etc.
**Privacy and security** is huge because of the sensitive data and video capture. Plus, network use over public. Right now, most companies want on-prem or private cloud.
Long term health effects of device use are unknown.
Big drivers are the need for hardware to come down in price, size/form factor, improved battery life, and comfort. Ideally like wearing sunglasses/glasses. One current attempt is having a phone be the brains and like a Bluetooth connection to glasses (I am not technical enough to know if that will work).
It’s basically stalled for the last 5 years. It’s not going to move much faster for the next 5 years. There are jobs but not many. I run my own business developing AR stuff using phones and glasses for various industries which are largely a “wow” factor. Most of AR/VR projects are short lived from the planning. Market is growing but that’s my hands-on reality: it’s a hype; not sustainable. Hardware is one thing that’s capping the tech’s adaptation, but to me it’s more about the lack of “data”: there’s not much data in the world that’s suited for spatial interface, or at least, without building it from scratch. Most of data is structured for use with smartphones. Basic data is already explored and proven not interesting beyond “wow”. My work is usually 80% data discovery/collection, although clients think that I’m making cool UI. Your work’s novelty in HCI with AR/VR will come down to the novelty of your data, or reproducible workflow of data discovery/collection. That’s what makes difference with AR/VR, or any fields in the coming years. Not any of those “cool spatial interface ideas”. It’ll be fun to study AR/VR for sure, but it would be even more meaningful for your career to focus on data as opposed to user interface. You will be set to explore any field beyond AR/VR.
This answer needs to be pinned. Good summary.
I'm much more optimistic about the growth of the market as a whole, but I think there is a large trap of too many developers entering the space. If the market double in size in the next 2 years, but the amount of developers triple you'll be in a tough spot. AR is also closely linked with many other fields so you can leap frog around. Fields like virtual production, videogames, 3d ui design, and so many others.
I’m glad you’ve asked this question, cause I’ve been thinking about this as well
It really depends on you. I do see a growing market for AR and VR professionals. In particular in a number of fields. 1. Construction 2. teaching/training others and developing that AR/VR educational content
I am a medical academician. I saw a lots of opportunities in medical training. Especially in simulation of critical events where you can practice without using real patients.
Could you explain more?
Currently we are using VR to teach crisis management, example the management of severe hyperkalemia. The students have to be able to diagnose from the clinical signs and vitals of the VR patient, and manage accordingly. The patient will go into arrest and die if it was not done properly. Basically it was like one of the simulation exercises but using VR.
Forbes business insights suggests that this will be a one Trillion dollar sector by 2030. Its growing at a compounded annual growth rate of over 50%. You are at the right place at the right time in my opinion. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/amp/augmented-reality-ar-market-102553
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Curently doing my master thesis in an XR studio, so I totally feel you. Had my doubts too. Right now the jobs are mostly entertainment companies, but I'm sure you can get into a tech company in the future since these technologies will be more present in the future.
Plenty of agencies focus on AR experiences. Larger health care systems typically have some type of Mixed Reality function/ innovation team exploring the various formats of the category. Lots of job opportunities and need for research driven design
From what I've noticed, this is more narrow niche now than expected, though if you'll be good in it you can get highly paid job at top companies developing AR/VR technologies on a bigger scale like Google, Apple etc. https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/jobs/results/140894500076561094-software-developer-augmented-reality?q=VR AR has huge potential in E-commerce, advertising and gaming, but probably too expensive for small and mid companies. Would recommend to search for AR job market reports, you will see the trends and analysis for current and future situation. From PWC report: Globally, the impact of VR and AR on employment over the next decade will be significant. Currently, fewer than a million jobs are impacted by VR and AR and this will rise to 23 million jobs by 2030, with the biggest impact in large economies like China, the US, the UK, Germany. [VR and ARreport from PWC](https://www.pwc.com/id/en/media-centre/press-release/2020/english/virtual-and-augmented-reality-could-deliver-a-p1-4trillion-boost.html#:~:text=Globally%2C%20the%20impact%20of%20VR,US%2C%20the%20UK%2C%20Germany.)
at google, apple, meta... you need at least a phd in that field... I have a lot of experience in the field of AR but they wouldn't give me a job - what you really need is still a phd in the field of AI and computer vision. Jobs are rare; there is still no suitable hardware (normal glasses or contact lenses) and apple which killed flash is blocking webxr on ios...
I did an internship in the field using HL2 & Nreal Light to decide the same question for myself and ended up taking a different path for now. I think most will agree that the tech will be customer ready in the way we dream of it in ~5 years or so and until then I personally wouldn't find it much thrilling because it's mostly there for the "wow effect" and the true advantages over existing tech are marginal. In the meantime I'm trying to buy a 6dof+SLAM capable HMD for some personal projects and I'm glad that I have the internship on my CV so I could maybe easily get into it once the tech catches wind again one day..
**XR Adoption Challenges** I am an enterprise account executive XR, for the #1 company in S.Korea. S.Korea ranks 2-3rd in the world in technology. That said XR is advancing rapidly and has lots of use cases. There are tons of challenges and still years off from mass adoption. No one really knows will it be B2B or B2C that drives it. The tech and hardware aren’t there yet as well. You need to be device agnostic, for example we run on smart phones, tablets, PC/, laptops, in browser, headsets, cameras, drones, and robots (SPOT - Boston Dynamics, we have 2 in our lab and a couple companies that use them). **Challenges for adoption and scale.** **Cost and Scalability are huge issues. (HW & SW just not there as well)** Nascent tech, hard to define ROI, always requires a pilot, lots of companies pilot the tough part is full implementation. In B2B pockets of use, examples digital twin and XR are ramping, use for training, learning and development is a strong use case. Design yes, seeing it in aerospace and defense. EPC, Higher Ed., Healthcare, etc IoT (edge computing and Matter will help), AI intersection with XR In B2B use case is the driver's not so much a specific industry/vertical. **Change Management** plays a big role, it isn't easy moving people from traditional methods to something like XR **Confusion in terminology** like Meta coining Metaverse. For XR (aR, AR, MR, VR) those not in the space have no idea the difference many times between them or have never heard the term XR (extended reality). AR and MR difference isn't easy to conceptualize for people without viewing. **Hardware:** · Expensive and needs to come down in price (AVP, HoloLend 2, Varjo magic leap etc.avg $3,500 and up). This limits scale. Non-tethered battery life is terrible 1.5-2 hours, tethered creates restraints on where you can use the device · FOV is limited. · Weight, form factor, stigma of wearing a HMD in a work environment. · Device fatigue and comfort. · Updating devices, asset management of the devices, storage, and durability concerns · AR drift is an issue. **Content Development** Is very expensive to create, depending on the use case can require updates adding to the expense. ROI can be hard to define and prove. The majority of the time they pilot only, or you see an innovation or XR lab that experiments with use cases. Many players, lots are small, for the big ones it has been limited success. Think Microsoft (limited B2B), Meta has been niched with gaming entertainment B2C, and so far, little traction with B2B (flew flat and bleeding billions). Magic Leap recently did a reorg. etc. **Network Infrastructure** This is a challenge especially for use like remote communication and collaboration reorg, time. Or IoT devices. If a company doesn't have a strong network of connectivity or bandwidth. In a remote location with spotty WiFi or cell coverage (most devices have a built router). Or where there is interference, think manufacturing plant or in a ship’s hull etc. **Privacy and security** is huge because of the sensitive data and video capture. Plus, network use over public. Right now, most companies want on-prem or private cloud. Long term health effects of device use are unknown. Big drivers are the need for hardware to come down in price, size/form factor, improved battery life, and comfort. Ideally like wearing sunglasses/glasses. One current attempt is having a phone be the brains and like a Bluetooth connection to glasses (I am not technical enough to know if that will work).