Industry News
New Growth Opportunities In Virtual and Augmented Reality | What To Expect in The Future
Virtual and augmented reality is a suite of hardware, service and software components allowing end-users to visualize and experience virtual environment in real-time. Both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are expected to witness strong demand globally largely due to growing application in end-use sectors such as healthcare, education, gaming, media and entertainment, and others. Constant innovation in technology is expected to create demand for new VR and AR solutions in the coming years.
Furthermore, the demand for compact VR and AR hardware devices is expected to create demand for new VR and AR hardware devices. The VR and AR ecosystem players include hardware, service and software vendors. In the coming years, both software and service vendors are expected to play crucial role in expanding the adoption of VR and AR across multiple end-use applications. The revenue of the global VR and AR market stood at US$ 16,806.1 Mn in 2019; this is projected to expand at a CAGR of 86.0% during the forecast period (2019 to 2027) and reach US$ 2,408,749.7 Mn by 2027.
North America was the largest geographical market in terms of revenue in 2019. The presence of a large number of VR and AR players and high consumer demand led by high consumer disposable income is expected to support the demand for VR and AR in North America in the coming years. The U.S. is expected to be a significant contributor to the VR and AR market in North America. Europe is anticipated to contribute significant market share during the forecast period owing to demand from media and entertainment, manufacturing, and gaming sectors over the forecast period.
Due to high economic growth, Asia Pacific is expected to register significant growth for VR and AR solutions in the coming years. Countries such as China and India are expected to witness considerable adoption of VR and AR solutions. Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South American countries are expected to contribute less to the VR and AR market in the coming years as compared to other regions.
The demand for software and service by component segmentation is expected to remain significant in the North American, Asia Pacific and European regions. Media and entertainment, and gaming segments are expected to make major contributions to the growth of the VR and AR market in MEA and South America.
The hardware segment is anticipated to account for a significant market share among all other types of component segments in the VR and AR marketplace throughout the forecast period. The software and service segments under component segmentation are expected to register high CAGR growth as compared to hardware segmentation over the forecast period.
Media and entertainment, gaming, and healthcare segments are expected to contribute considerable market share under different VR and AR end-use applications over the forecast period. The automotive segment is expected to account for the highest growth rate over the forecast period until 2027 among all end-use applications.
ESG
Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates
Play’n GO has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, framing the year as a milestone as the supplier marks 20 years in the gaming industry. The report covers performance across four pillars—Players, Partners, People and Planet—and positions sustainability as tied to product design, operations, and partner expectations.
On climate reporting, the company said it has “achieved and exceeded” its long-term 90% reduction target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and reported a 69% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions versus its 2023 base year. Play’n GO also said its total material emissions for 2025 were kept below 500 MTCO2e.
The report also points to a move into land-based delivery. In 2025, Play’n GO said it launched its first land-based gaming solution in partnership with Genting UK, positioning the rollout as part of a “player-first, low-footprint approach” for regulated venues.
On responsible entertainment, the company said it continues to reject game mechanics it believes “compromise player trust or wellbeing,” and highlighted participation in discussions on digital wellbeing and cognitive health, including at the United Nations and G7. “We have always believed that great entertainment should be fun, safe and fair,” said Vanessa Björkbacka, Director of CSR at Play’n GO.
The report also outlines internal development and reporting infrastructure. Play’n GO said 43% of employees engaged in AI-related learning during 2025 and that average training time exceeded seven hours per employee globally. It added that reporting was further aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, alongside investment in “secure, AI-supported carbon data management.” “As expectations on transparency and accountability continue to rise, we see it as our responsibility to lead,” Björkbacka added.
The post Play’n GO publishes 2025 Sustainability Report with emissions and governance updates appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
complaint resolution
Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026
Casino Guru’s Complaint Resolution Center (CRC) published 3,986 complaints in Q1 2026 and says it resolved 1,321 cases, returning $5,304,894 to players during the quarter.
Casino Guru said March was one of the CRC’s most active months on record, with the second-highest number of published complaints to date. The company added that ongoing cases exceeded 1,300, pointing to rising demand for third-party dispute mediation.
By volume, the most active complaint markets were Germany (657), the United Kingdom (270), Canada (240), Italy (207) and Australia (194), according to the CRC update.
Delayed payments remained the most common player-reported issue. Casino Guru also reported a March shift in complaint mix, with self-exclusion-related complaints rising to the second most frequent category for the first time in CRC history. KYC-related issues and blocked accounts were also among the most common complaint types, often linked to withdrawal delays.
Casino Guru said the quarter’s results reflect the increasing role of independent mediation as players look to third-party platforms to resolve disputes.
The post Casino Guru CRC returns $5.3m to players in Q1 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
branded content
RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games
RubyPlay has launched Firerose, a new studio aimed at building operator-specific casino game experiences, as suppliers and operators push for more branded content to stand out in crowded markets.
The company said Firerose is designed to let operators combine RubyPlay’s existing game catalogue with the studio’s technology and creative resources, using operator-led insight to shape games around an operator’s brand identity rather than standardised supplier content.
RubyPlay said Superbet is among the first operators to launch Firerose-powered titles. The supplier did not disclose game names or specific performance figures, but said early results showed “strong engagement metrics”.
Firerose becomes part of RubyPlay’s multi-studio structure alongside Koala Games, Mad Hat Games, Ruby Studio, and Xslots, which the company said share technology, infrastructure and distribution.
Dima Reiderman , Chief Commercial Officer at RubyPlay, said: ”Firerose represents a deliberate shift in how we think about content creation and partnership. The market is no longer driven solely by volume, but by identity. Operators want experiences that feel native to their brand and help them clearly differentiate in increasingly competitive casino environments.”
Dr. Eyal Loz, CPO at RubyPlay, added: “Firerose was created to put the operator’s voice at the centre of the creative process. Every game starts with their brand, their audience and their story, and our role is to bring that to life through the full weight of RubyPlay’s creative capabilities.
“We’re shaping experiences that players immediately associate with the operator itself. That level of ownership is what allows operators to stand out in increasingly crowded casino environments.”
The post RubyPlay launches Firerose studio for operator-specific casino games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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