While usage is still mostly confined to camera filters for funny overlays in video chats, augmented reality adoption in Germany has surged, according to a survey commissioned by Bitkom (German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media).

Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) were among the top trends at CES 2025 earlier this year, alongside artificial intelligence. Unlike VR headsets, which completely immerse users in parallel worlds, AR literally “augments” reality. Interest in AR glasses has waned somewhat since Google discontinued the Google Glass in 2015 shortly after its launch.

Meanwhile, augmented reality thrives primarily through fun camera filters and AR games. In Germany, 28 percent of people already use the technology in some form, marking a significant increase of nearly half compared to 19 percent the previous year. AR technologies are particularly popular among 16- to 29-year-olds, with 43 percent of them using AR. Even among 30- to 49-year-olds, the usage rate is at 41 percent. These are the findings of a representative survey commissioned by the Bitkom industry association.

Fun and games still take center stage

Nearly half (49 percent) of the 1,149 respondents aged 16 and above believe that augmented reality (AR) will be indispensable in daily life within the next decade. Currently, 15 percent of those surveyed primarily use the technology through camera filters to don funny animal ears in video chats or to appear against the backdrop of New York City. Thirteen percent engage with AR via video games like Pokémon Go, Ingress, or Jurassic World Alive. Only four percent of Germans use AR for online shopping, museum visits, or navigation.

The latter was once a flagship feature of Google Glass. For instance, application examples showed mountain bikers using the device to display route information via head-up displays (HUDs) similar to those in cars.

Bitkom’s CE expert Dr. Sebastian Klöß broadens the topic of AR, emphasizing smartphone usage: “Navigation with AR is a feature that can be easily used with a smartphone, as it is directly available via map apps in most major cities.” Unlike in businesses, AR is used privately almost exclusively with smartphones and tablets today.

In this context, as with some mobile navigation systems, hints are displayed “as if they were part of the real environment.” Moreover, AR is “regularly used in operational contexts such as training and remote maintenance.” However, even AR-friendly experts acknowledge that AR glasses can cause dizziness, making continuous use in maintenance or logistics impractical.

Where are the manufacturers of AR glasses?

Klöß is convinced that such glasses, which are still mainly scientific prototypes, “will not only be a game changer for AR, but will generally change our interaction with technical devices and our environment.”

With three and two percent respectively, the use of AR-supported measuring tape apps and overlays of non-existent buildings on city tours is still rather low. With one percent even less, the technology is used as a supplement for printed materials such as newspapers and books.

The fact that AR glasses are not suitable for continuous use might be one reason why many manufacturers are rethinking their commitment to this technology sector. For instance, the Japanese manufacturer Epson has scaled back production of the AR glasses called Moverio, which were backed by many potential B2B scenarios. Things have also quieted down around Cisco’s AR holograms. Moreover, Microsoft has discontinued the also promising Hololens 2 in autumn 2024.

Given the survey results, it is only a matter of time before the acceptance of AR applications in the private sector also leads to more practical use cases in the B2B sector – and thus encourages manufacturers to drive the development and production of corresponding AR devices more boldly and actively.

Source title image: Adobe Stock / julija