From Hype to Habit: When Will AR/VR Become Daily Wear?

https://www.wsj.com/tech/they-paid-3-500-for-apples-vision-pro-a-year-later-it-still-hurts-496de341

It’s not surprising that “some” or even many early adopters of Vision Pro “regret” about their purchase. It’s kind of like a bet, if it works out and become mainstream, they would have bragged about spending a lot of money years ahead of others on a new new tech.

But that’s not the important point. Even with the iPhone, it wasn’t an instant success in 2007. It was sold in limited region and quantity. And took years to become the de facto standard for mobile computing. And the competition between Android, iOS and the failed Windows Mobile, MeeGo, Tizen, WebOS, Blackberry, Sailfish, etc, etc. All helped to shape the current winners in some ways. It took 5-10 years before the industry ended up with 2 strong camps.

We may be observing a similar pattern unfolding in the digital headset market. When we talk about head-worn devices—whether it’s VR headsets, AR glasses, smart glasses like the Meta-Ray-Ban collaboration, or even conventional eyewear like prescription glasses and safety goggles—they all share a common trait: they serve highly specific, often narrow functions.

Virtual and augmented reality headsets are still largely confined to gaming, simulation, or enterprise use. Smart glasses with built-in cameras and AI features focus on vision-based tasks such as capturing moments, real-time translation, or information overlays. Even traditional eyewear, such as sunglasses or prescription glasses, are designed for singular purposes like vision correction or eye protection. In all these cases, the devices are optimized for particular scenarios rather than continuous, everyday use across a broad range of activities.

This niche utility presents a significant adoption barrier. There isn’t yet a compelling, general-purpose use case that can justify wearing such devices all day, every day. Unlike smartphones—which serve as communication tools, entertainment hubs, productivity platforms, and more—head-mounted devices are still largely limited to vision-related interactions. Their form factor, comfort, and social acceptability are not yet at a level that encourages prolonged, seamless wear. Even if future versions pack a wide array of features, it’s still unlikely that users will wear them in bed, in the shower, or during other intimate or physically demanding activities.

Until the hardware evolves into something as effortless and invisible as contact lenses—lightweight, stylish, and truly unobtrusive—it will be difficult for these devices to become ever-present companions. As a result, comparing their adoption trajectory to that of smartphones is misleading; AR/VR headsets are not substitutes, but rather complements, with a much narrower scope of usage centered around visual experience.