By Ren Qi | China Daily | Updated: 2026-01-14
China’s tech presence loomed large at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, which closed on Friday in Las Vegas, with companies showcasing devices from augmented reality glasses to mixed-reality headsets and AI-driven spatial computing terminals.
As a bellwether for global consumer technology, the CES is a key stage for major firms to unveil annual strategies and flagship products, and a window into emerging trends and industry shifts.
This year’s event drew more than 4,000 companies to Las Vegas. Exhibitors tied to extended reality exceeded 250, underscoring momentum in AR and virtual reality hardware and software.
Market data point to rising demand in China.
Data from market research company International Data Corp show that global smart glasses shipments will reach 12.8 million units in 2025, up 26 percent year-on-year. Shipments from the Chinese market alone are projected to exceed 2.75 million units, surging 107 percent year-on-year and ranking first worldwide.
In the first half, shipments from Chinese smart glasses manufacturers surpassed 1 million units, accounting for 26.6 percent of the global total. The compound annual growth rate of China’s smart glasses shipments is estimated to reach 55.6 percent between 2024 and 2029, taking the top spot globally, according to IDC.
The figures highlight the growth trajectory in China’s smart glasses market and suggest consumer demand is accelerating. Domestic makers of smart glasses, VR and AR headsets are pushing to refine product technology, and this year’s CES has become a prominent stage for those companies to present their progress.
Chinese firms were also prominent in AI applications.
Of 38 humanoid robot exhibitors at CES 2026, 21 were from China. Of 23 AI glasses brands, 16 were Chinese. Companies from China were central in categories such as robotic dogs and vacuum cleaners. Supported by large domestic demand and strong manufacturing capacity, AI innovations in China tend to move quickly from lab concepts to mass production.
XReal, an AR startup based in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, unveiled two new glasses at the show, including an upgraded entry-level model, and said it is expanding its collaboration with Alphabet Inc.
XReal founder and CEO Xu Chi said the companies’ Android XR smart glasses project is proceeding on schedule. Xu told Bloomberg that the company has closed a new $100 million funding round backed by supply chain partners and other undisclosed supporters.
Also on the CES 2026 center stage, Rokid, a Zhejiang province-based smart eyewear manufacturer, drew attention with a giant glasses installation at its booth. The company also introduced Rokid Style, a screenless AI glasses model marketed as ultralight, weighing 38.5 grams. Rokid described it as the lightest full-function AI glasses on the market, supporting large language models including ChatGPT,DeepSeek and Qwen, with prices starting at $299.
Rokid founder Zhu Mingming has said in previous interviews that he is optimistic about the sector’s outlook. Zhu forecast shipments of 100,000 to 150,000 units for full-year 2026.
“Our investment intensity in this track remains the highest in the industry. If next year we truly reach 1 million units, that’s when the competitive landscape will enter a phase of high intensity, and that will be the real challenge we face, not now,” he said.
Zhu also urged greater efforts to advance innovation in core technologies, including computing power and optical displays, to improve device performance, expand the content ecosystem and establish relevant industry standards.