1. Takeaway Reality - TAR
   
   

   

   
   Takeaway Reality (TAR for short) is a globally recognized VR development agency. They have worked with major clients such as Microsoft, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Montreal Canadiens and many more.
   
   They develop bespoke projects fit to their clients needs. 

   Some of their most famous projects included Rexee - the first-ever market research app in VR, as well as their work on the Kois Center VR app, creating the first-ever certified education suite in VR.

   
   TAR has had an incredible few years filled with recognitions, awards and incredibly innovative projects. This has resulted in rapid growth for the company. Being recognized by institutions such as AIXR and Clutch as being among the best VR developers worldwide was an incredible achievement and brought a lot of pride to our team at TAR.

   
   What really sets TAR apart from other agencies is our ability to provide high-quality consulting and guide the client through the complexities of VR development.

   
   

2. VR for Events

   
   

   

   
   VR for Events is built for field marketing teams and exhibitors who have one job at a conference: make the booth impossible to ignore—and turn that attention into qualified meetings. Instead of relying on giveaways, awkward demos, or “scan my badge” hope, VR for Events delivers a plug-and-play VR activation that pulls people in, keeps them engaged, and drives clear next steps: sign-ups, demo requests, or sales conversations.

   The pricing - from 3,400 USD/EUR per activation (hardware + experience) - is the most affordable turnkey solution of this kind on the market.

   The VFE team design for the realities of trade shows: loud halls, short attention spans, and visitors who have never used VR. Sessions are short, intuitive, and repeatable, so staff can run a steady flow of participants without becoming VR experts. Mini-games, quizzes, leaderboards, and branded product interactions create a crowd effect that increases booth dwell time and makes it easy to start conversations with the right prospects.

   Their value is clearly showcased via their case studies here and here which show very clear ROI and results.

   For marketing leaders, the value is predictability. VR for Events arrives event-ready with preconfigured standalone headsets, simple setup, and optional live or remote support. It can be tailored to the campaign message with custom environments, UI branding, and optional 3D product models—while keeping the activation fast to launch and reliable to operate. Lead capture can be embedded into the flow so results are trackable, not just “buzz.”

   For sales teams, it creates better openings. Attendees don’t just watch a pitch—they participate, laugh, compete, and then are immediately prompted to book a meeting, leave contact details, or talk to a rep while the experience is top of mind.

   In short, VR for Events helps exhibitors win attention, earn longer booth time, and convert that energy into pipeline—with a format that is easy to run and easy to measure. It suits single-day launches or multi-day shows, and scales from one headset to a full booth fleet with training.
   
   

3. Meta - Reality Labs
   
   

   

   
   Meta, or to be more specific, Reality Labs, is at this point a company that is almost synonymous with VR and their commitment to the industry is unwavering. If there is a company that truly stands out from the rest on this list, it would be Meta. Further evidence of this is that 3 of the 4 game companies featured on this list are technically part of Meta.

   
   Meta’s Reality Labs (formerly known as Oculus) has been behind the highest selling VR headset ever - the Meta Quest 2. They have also released the Quest Pro and Quest 3 and 3S. Overall, Meta has been one of the biggest innovators in the industry and with Reality Labs spending over 16 billion USD per year, we do not expect to see a slowdown during 2026.

   
   In late 2024, Meta also spun-off its version of Android into its own Meta Horizon OS and has announced partnerships with the likes of Asus, Lenovo and Xbox who will aim to create their own headsets. 
   
   

   All considered, Meta remains the king of VR!
   
   

4. Apple
   
   

   

   
   Apple has had a bit of a disappointing year in terms of their VR (or as they like to call it - spatial computing) journey. Their flagship Apple Vision Pro device finally released and despite the hype that surrounded it, its lack of apps and high price point made it a very unattractive proposition for most customers. 

   
   Despite this, Apple still deserves a spot on this list, not only because of the incredible potential that the Cupertino-based giant holds in shaping the industry, but also due to the innovations that they brought with the Apple Vision Pro.

   
   Most people agree that the Apple Vision Pro is by far the best standalone device on the market in terms of sheer hardware quality. This alone should be enough to encourage Apple to continue trailblazing in the VR industry. 

   
   We are of the opinion that if Apple dedicates a bit more time to supporting developers and the ecosystem, their spatial computing dreams will surely come true.

   
   

5. Varjo
   
   

   

   
   Speaking of craftsmanship, there is Varjo. Varjo is like the Rolls-Royce of the VR industry. Throughout the years, as massive companies such as Meta and Apple stepped into the space, the humble Finnish startup has managed to carve out a niche for itself by making the most visually powerful PC VR headsets.

   
   There is an absolute fascination with Varjo headsets among the niche community of peowple who have tried them. Their high price point does make it quite rare to encounter one, but if you ever do, make sure to try it out and have an experience of a lifetime. 

   
   It is always beautiful to see a company which has such a dedication to creating the best products and Varjo surely is one such company.

   
   

6. Valve

   
   

   

   
   

   Valve is one of the most influential companies in modern VR because it controls both a major consumer platform and a proven hardware standard that other headsets are still benchmarked against. Rather than chasing volume or annual hardware releases, Valve plays a long game — shaping the foundations of PC VR and letting the ecosystem grow on top of it.

   
   

   Through Steam and SteamVR, Valve effectively operates the default PC VR ecosystem. This includes distribution, social features, developer tooling, and the underlying runtime that powers a huge portion of high-end VR experiences. This role is critical because PC VR is where the most visually demanding, technically ambitious, and experimental VR content often appears first. Valve acts as the connective tissue that keeps this space coherent, accessible, and viable for both users and developers.

   
   

   On the hardware side, the Valve Index has remained a reference point for premium VR. Its high-refresh displays, best-in-class controllers, and especially Lighthouse tracking continue to set standards for precision, low latency, and reliability. Lighthouse has become a de facto tracking solution for enthusiasts, arcades, and enterprise environments where accuracy matters more than convenience.

   
   

   But probably the most important reason for the inclusion of Valve this year is the release of the Steam Frame VR headset (pictured in the image above). This was by far the most anticipated and highest quality VR hardware released this year.
   
   

   Beyond infrastructure and hardware, Valve has also demonstrated that it understands VR as a medium. Its software efforts showed how interaction, physics, and environmental design can dramatically elevate immersion when VR is built from the ground up rather than adapted from flat games. Valve may not dominate headlines with frequent launches, but it consistently defines what “good VR” looks like — by owning the rails PC VR runs on and quietly raising the quality bar the entire industry ends up chasing.

   
   

7. Google - Android XR
   
   

   

   
   Google is a very interesting entry on this list. As of the time of writing, Google not a single headset was released with Android XR. However, with headsets planning to be announced during 2026, Android XR and Google should definitely be considered as a major player in the industry. 

   
   With Android XR being on the OpenXR platform, Google has a strong position in convincing developers to port over their apps and games (unlike Apple). 

   
   It will be interesting to see Google’s entry into the VR industry with AndroidXR. Only time will tell how successful the venture will be, but within 2026, Google will be a name often spoken among virtual reality companies.

   
   

8. Sony
   
   

   

   
   Sony has been leading the VR market for consoles with their PSVR and PSVR2 headsets. When PSVR2 was announced, everyone was surprised with the sheer quality of the headset. It was a very well made headset and has since amassed a lot of fans. Its high price point is the only thing that slightly stifles its potential success.

   
   Apart from the hardware, Sony has also impressed with VR software. Astro Bot has risen from VR to become the mascot of the entire console based just on the quality of the VR experiences Sony managed to produce.
   
   Horizon Call of the Mountain was also a very well made game that motivated a lot of people to enjoy VR on the Playstation platform.

   
   

9. HTC
   
   

   

   
   HTC was one of the biggest players right beside Oculus and Valve during the early days of VR. Their HTC Vive headsets are still considered to be among the leading PC VR headsets on the market. 

   
   HTC has had a bit of a tough time adapting to the market moving in a direction which prioritizes standalone headsets, but we are sure a company with such incredible VR experience will be able to catch up with the market. 

   
   Recently, their work with peripherals has been especially interesting with the vive tracker being one of the best tracking devices on the market.

   
   

10. VR Chat
    
    

    

    
    Continuing the theme of old-school VR companies, VR Chat still remains one of the most vibrant and active communities in virtual reality.
    
    The company (also called VR Chat) has been keeping the community strong and providing its dedicated fanbase with experiences akin to early internet forums in VR for years now.
    
    

    It has been the starting point in the VR journey for many VR enthusiasts and the only thing we can say is that we wish it all the best in getting more people into VR.

    
    

11. Beat Games

    
    

    

    
    

    Beat games, the developers of Beat Saber can not be left out of this list. Although beat games has not had many innovative titles, it still remains the creator of the most popular and best-selling game ever created in VR. 

    
    

    Beat saber has become the most recognizable and most widely played VR game so far. Just through this fact, the Meta-owned studio deserves a special place among the best in the industry. 

    
    

Conclusion

Despite this industry often feeling like a roller-coaster, the VR community and ecosystem is growing. Steady growth is observable both in the number of people owning VR headsets as well as in the average time spent in VR. We can never know what the future brings, but what we can be certain of is that 2026 is one of the key years for VR. Throughout the year we are expecting a variety of new entrants and the first lines being drawn in the “war” between Apple’s Vision OS, Meta’s Horizon OS and Google’s Android XR.

Our prediction for this year is that while the various VR companies try their hand at developing new platforms and operating systems the marketing budgets will bring people into VR once again at a mass scale. At this point, user experience will be key. We are also seeing a return to the original use case- gaming by valve and the Steam Frame headset.

What truly matters is that we need to appreciate all the players in the VR market, the community and ecosystem which allows us to have wonderful VR experiences. And in the name of everyone at Takeaway Reality, I extend a huge thank you to every VR developer, manufacturer and creative. Let’s all continue creating virtual worlds which put a smile on people’s faces.