Extended reality (XR) is an emerging technology with a long-term benefit horizon that will take more than five years to deliver tangible benefits for most firms. In consumer use cases, XR is effective — when consumers use it. But despite significant investments from major players such as Apple and Meta, too few do. Companies dabbling in XR today can continue to do so based on the criteria shared in this report, but don’t expect a host of adjacent XR investments to boost your efforts in 2026. Read this report to consider the potential business value of extended reality.