3 Stocks to Buy to Invest in Virtual Reality - The Motley Fool

Virtual world (VR) has go 1 of the biggest buzz phrases successful the tech world. According to Grand View Research, the VR marketplace was valued astatine $21.83 cardinal successful 2021, and it's expected to turn astatine a compound yearly complaint of 15% until astatine slightest 2030. As a result, immoderate of the biggest names successful tech are throwing their hats into the virtual ring. 

Now mightiness beryllium a large clip to put successful the starring VR companies. Here are 3 that are worthy considering.  

1. Meta Platforms

No institution is investing much wealth into the maturation of VR than Meta Platforms (META -0.26%). The institution formerly known arsenic Facebook has invested $36 cardinal into its metaverse-related efforts successful conscionable the past 3 years. However, its concern successful the exertion goes backmost to astatine slightest 2014, erstwhile it purchased VR headset shaper Oculus for $2 billion. 

Meta is going each successful connected its metaverse project, which it hopes volition beryllium the aboriginal of quality communication, a la movies similar Ready Player One. Meta got to wherever it is contiguous by controlling connection portals Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp -- 3 of the biggest connection tools connected the internet. However, with the metaverse, the institution aims to power the adjacent net itself. If everything goes according to Meta's plan, it volition ain the level that different companies physique their portals on.

If Meta tin execute its goal, it volition go 1 of the astir invaluable companies connected the planet. However, that's a beauteous large "if," and there's a batch of hazard progressive successful the company's strategy and however overmuch it is spending. In the clip implicit which Meta has invested $36 cardinal into VR, its Reality Labs VR and metaverse part has reported conscionable $5.3 cardinal successful revenue. Hence wherefore Meta's banal terms is presently astatine a seven-year low.

Meta is simply a risky investment, but it's the biggest subordinate successful VR, and if immoderate institution tin go the person successful the abstraction successful the years to come, it's the 1 champion positioned to bash so.

2. Apple

If immoderate institution tin springiness Meta Platforms a tally for its wealth successful VR, it's Apple (AAPL 0.42%). While it's seldom the archetypal tech institution to participate a caller merchandise category, it has a knack for dominating the categories it enters erstwhile it yet does. It did truthful with the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods -- each of the merchandise categories it has entered since 2007. 

According to respected Apple proviso concatenation expert Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple could uncover its long-awaited VR/AR headset arsenic soon arsenic January. Although factual accusation connected what the headset volition diagnostic won't beryllium revealed until the authoritative announcement, CEO Tim Cook precocious teased that radical volition "wonder however you led your beingness without augmented reality."

Apple's AR/VR headset is expected to debut with a terms of astir $3,000, treble what Meta is charging for its precocious released Meta Quest Pro. As it improves its Augmented Reality OS and is capable to bring down the hardware cost, reports accidental Apple volition statesman to connection a cheaper, mass-market mentation of the headset by 2025.

If VR and AR play arsenic large of a relation successful our aboriginal regular lives arsenic Meta and Apple judge they will, investing successful Apple earlier the announcement of its headset could beryllium similar investing successful Apple earlier the motorboat of the archetypal iPhone.

3. Sony

While Apple and Meta vie for the aboriginal of quality connectivity successful VR, Sony (SONY 1.74%) is going for dominance successful the already-popular VR gaming space. The PlayStation VR2 headset volition beryllium the lone VR enactment successful the $46.3 cardinal console gaming marketplace erstwhile it launches successful February. The different 2 large console manufacturers, Microsoft and Nintendo, person nary VR offerings and aren't rushing to make them.

Sony's PlayStation VR2 headset volition beryllium priced astatine $549 successful the U.S., which puts it successful betwixt Valve's $999 Index VR Kit (which requires a abstracted gaming PC to use) and Meta's $399 Quest 2 headset, which doesn't necessitate further hardware but has limits regarding the games it tin run.

To usage the PlayStation VR2, gamers volition besides request a PS5. Those consoles spell for either $399 oregon $499, but that inactive puts the full bundle astatine a little terms than VR gaming connected a PC and volition springiness players a overmuch higher prime acquisition than the stand-alone Meta Quest 2.

In the years since it was released successful 2016, Sony has sold much than 5 cardinal of the archetypal PlayStation VRs. By contrast, Sony sold astir 117 cardinal PlayStation 4 consoles, truthful that headset intelligibly enjoyed lone constricted adoption by its people audience. However, the institution has importantly improved its tech for the caller model, truthful Sony is hoping to marque a bigger splash this clip around.