[eMarketer] Chinese big tech takes lead in metaverse technologies with AR/VR patents

Chinese monoliths Tencent and Baidu led the world in VR and AR patent applications in 2020 and 2021.

Outsized interest in AR and VR patents points to China’s surging interest in metaverse or AR/VR-related products and services, per the South China Morning Post.

Tencent, owner of the world’s largest video-gaming business and China’s leading social media network, filed 4,085 VR- and AR-related patents, ranking second in the world behind Samsung, which has 4,094 filings.

Baidu, China’s search giant, wasn’t far behind, taking the third spot with 3,094 VR and AR patent applications in the past two years.

Other notable Chinese technology companies that have filed AR/VR patents include Oppo, Ping An insurance, SenseTime, and Huawei, which was once the world’s No. 1 smartphone maker.

According to eMarketer, China’s biggest technology companies are positioning themselves as innovators in the metaverse. While not all of these patents will yield products or technologies, the sheer number of submissions reflects an active movement to own the AR/VR future.

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