We recently published a list of the 12 Best Virtual Reality Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) stands against the other best virtual reality stocks to buy according to analysts.

Overview of the Global VR Industry

Virtual Reality (VR) creates a 3D artificial environment in the real world through VR technology gadgets such as headsets, gloves, glasses, and bodysuits. According to Grand View Research, the global VR market had a market size of $59.96 billion in 2022. The industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 27.5% between 2023 and 2030.

The VR industry has metamorphosed the entertainment and gaming sector by allowing users to engage in a simulated environment. In addition to its popularity in these sectors, another significant factor behind its anticipated growth is its use in instructional training, such as for engineers, pilots, field workers, defense personnel, mechanics, and technicians working in various industrial sectors. In addition, VR is also used in industries like healthcare and automotive due to its significant operational benefits.

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VR in Gaming

VR in gaming refers to a simulated, immersive experience that manufactures an interactive 3D environment, allowing users to feel as if they are physically present in the simulated reality. This reality is generally administered through a headset that traces head movements and displays images to create a feeling of immersion. The technology also employs additional factors, such as treadmills or motion controllers, to augment the realistic and interactive mode of the experience.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global Virtual Reality (VR) market in gaming was valued at around $17.96 billion in 2023. It is anticipated to grow at a significant compound annual growth rate of 30.4% between 2024 and 2032, going from $22.63 billion to $189.17 billion between the forecast period. North America is anticipated to be the largest market dominating the global industry, holding a share of 37.42% in 2023.

VR in gaming is increasing in popularity across the globe, with major technology companies making significant investments in developing innovative and advanced VR software and hardware. This trend is making the technology more accessible to a broader consumer base.

VR in Healthcare

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global VR in the healthcare market had a share of $3.12 billion in 2023. It is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35.1% between 2024 and 2032, going from $4.18 billion to $46.37 billion over the forecast period. VR in healthcare is gaining significant traction due to its immense benefits for the industry. The technology employs computer-developed mechanisms to deliver medical training to healthcare professionals and allows efficient healthcare treatments in immersive environments.

Medical professionals attain interactive, simulation-driven training, providing more efficient treatment strategies and accurate diagnoses. The technology also helps medical marketing and creates significant scope for income generation through enriched patient experiences. In addition, several major VR providers in healthcare solutions are integrating 360-degree video features and interactive 3D content to develop effective learning programs for healthcare students and professionals.

Our Methodology

We sifted through stock screeners, online rankings, and ETFs to compile a list of 20 virtual reality stocks. We then selected the top 12 with the highest analyst upside potential as of March 3, 2025. We also added the number of hedge fund holders for each stock as of fiscal Q4 2024. We sourced the hedge fund sentiment data from Insider Monkey’s database. The list is sorted in ascending order of analyst upside potential as of March 7, 2025.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD)

Analyst Upside: 41.63%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 96

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) is a global semiconductor company focused on high-performance computing, visualization technologies, and graphics. Its operations are divided into various segments including Data Center, Client, Gaming, and Embedded. The company provides LiquidVR technology that enables realistic and advanced VR experiences through powerful processors and graphics.

The company delivers high computing performance and chips powering immersive experiences in various VR and AR devices. It powers Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Series X|S game consoles. In 2016, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) introduced Radeon Pro Duo with its LiquidVR SDK, the world’s most powerful platform for VR designed for a variety of VR applications, ranging from entertainment to education, journalism, medicine, and cinema.

The company reported a 24% year-over-year revenue growth in fiscal Q4 2024 to a record $7.7 billion. This growth was attributed to a 69% growth in data centers and a 58% growth in client segments. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) continues to see clear opportunities for continued growth based on the strength of its product portfolio and growing demand for high-performance and adaptive computing.

Alger Spectra Fund stated the following regarding Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) is a major global supplier of PC microprocessors and graphics processors to computing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company’s product range spans desktops, notebooks, servers, graphics, and embedded/semi-custom chips. AMD operates in a large addressable market, covering areas such as PCs, servers, high-end gaming, and deep learning. Additionally, AMD has introduced competitive AI technologies, including powerful accelerators poised to capture a share in a market worth several hundred billion dollars. During the quarter, the company reported fiscal first-quarter operating results that met analyst estimates, with strengths in data center GPUs and server CPUs offsetting weaknesses in their gaming and embedded businesses. Moreover, management raised their fiscal second-quarter revenue guidance, albeit slightly below consensus estimates, where they expected double digit growth in data center revenues, while projecting a decline in their gaming segment, driven by weaknesses in both desktop GPUs and Semi-Custom Systems-on-a-Chip (SoC). While weaker-than-expected near-term results weighed on shares during the quarter, we believe the company is positioning itself to potentially benefit from long-term growth in AI infrastructure spending. Specifically, the company continues to gain server CPU market share, which could potentially accelerate as traditional compute deployments begin to recover.”

Overall, AMD ranks 4th on our list of the best virtual reality stocks to buy according to analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of AMD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AMD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.